A large number of whale sharks, often spotted along the Indian coast, are being lately found with injury marks caused due to ships and boats sailing in the Indian Ocean, marine experts have said.
The Indian Ocean is home to 75 per cent of the population of the whale shark, a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest fish species on the Earth.
The 'gentle giants' of the sea are often spotted off the Gujarat coast and other coastal states of the country.
Recently, most of the whale sharks in the Indian Ocean region were found with injury marks on their bodies by divers and all those who observe them closely, which is very shocking, Vice-Chairman of Indian Ocean region of IUCN Shark Specialist Group Rima Jabado told PTI on Thursday.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) consists of both government and civil society organisations.
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"The injuries are caused due to heavy traffic of ships and boats passing from the migration route of the whale shark in the Indian Ocean region, she said.
Jabado is here to participate in the Conference of Parties on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMSCOP 13).
"Still, we require to study and pinpoint which are the exact spots from where the whale shark is getting injured while they are migrating, she said.
Only after conducting such a study experts can suggest measures to prevent injuries to them, Jabado said.
The whale shark feeds on the surface of the ocean... so for nearly 80 per cent of time they are on the surface of the water and that is the reason they get injured by sea traffic, she explained.
Jabado, who is based in Dubai, said the whale shark is on the endangered species list of CMS (Convention on Migratory Species).
Over the last 75 years, the life cycle of the largest living fish in the world, their population in the world has come down by 50 per cent, she said.
Though India has done well by halting the capture of whale sharks by giving financial incentives to fishermen, their poaching continues on the coast of many other countries, she said.
John K Carlson, a fish biologist associated with the National Oceanic and Fisheries Administration of the US Department of Commerce, said at the CMSCOP 13 they have asked member-parties to do more for conservation of whale sharks.
India has persuaded fishermen to release as many as 781 whale sharks caught in their nets along the Gujarat coast since 2004 after an awareness campaign was launched to save the species.
During this period, the Gujarat forest department paid Rs 91.20 lakh as compensation to fishermen who released whale sharks by cutting nets in which they were entangled, principal chief conservator of forest Dinesh K Sharma said.
We have managed to save 781 whale sharks after the state government, with the help of religious leader Morari Bapu, launched a campaign called whalli whale (dear whale) against the capture of whale sharks, he said.
Earlier, whale sharks were captured in large numbers by fishermen off the Gujarat coast for their meat and oil.
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world. The average size of an adult whale shark is estimated at 9.8m (32ft). However, whale sharks as large as 18 meters have also been found.
Average weight of the whale shark is nine ton. They feed mostly on plankton and small fishes, and pose no threat to humans, which is the reason they are called 'gentle giants.
Coasts along Malvan in Maharashtra, Netrani Island in Karnataka, Lakshwadeep Islands, and Krishna and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh are places where whale sharks are found along the Indian coast.
Internationally, they are found along coasts of many countries in the Indian Ocean region, Qatar being one of the hotspots.
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