Campaign to save whale sharks launched

KOCHI: On the occasion of international Whale Shark Day, Wildlife Trust of India (

WTI

) and Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) announced the launch of a massive awareness campaign targeting coastal communities at an event held at Sacred Hearts College, Thevara, on Wednesday. The campaign aims at securing a safer future for whale sharks off the coasts of Kerala and Lakshadweep.

The campaign to conserve whale shark was initiated in Gujarat in 2004. Welcoming the gathering, WTI senior advisor BC

Choudhury

said the launch of the project in Kerala is a significant collaborative conservation effort. The event began with a rally by students of the Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School. The schoolchildren were excited to see the 40-feet-long life-size inflatable whale shark that had been placed in the college's basketball court. The event was inaugurated by mayor Soumini Jain. "We are happy that WTI's Gujarat project, which was the first-of-its-kind in India, has now made its first

expansion

to the Kerala coast," she said.

WTI CEO Vivek Menon, delivering the keynote address, said whale sharks, which are endangered in the tropical seas are important indicators of ocean health. "We have had great success with our community engagement model in the conservation of whale sharks off the coast of Gujarat and we are pleased to now formally extend this model to Kerala," he said. The second-largest congregation of whale sharks in India are found off the shores of Kerala and Lakshadweep.

Sajan John, manager and head of marine projects at WTI, said surveys to check the awareness levels and responsiveness to the campaign will be launchedshortly. "I have requested the mayor to adopt whale shark as a mascot of the city, like many cities in Gujarat, which will bring several benefits. It'd be a huge leap for the initiative if such a measure is taken," John said.