Fishermen free three whale sharks from shore-seine nets off Thiruvananthapuram coast

T'puram: Fishermen rescued and released three whale sharks that were accidentally entangled in shore-seine fishing nets at Kochuthoppu, Vettucaud, and Kochuveli on Thursday. The rescue was conducted simultaneously in association with Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).The whale sharks, two males and one female, measured approximately 12ft, 16ft and 20ft in length. It took more than one hour for around 20 fishermen to rescue and release the whale sharks at each location. With this rescue, fishers along the state's coast now helped save the lives of a total of 54 whale sharks, said a statement. The use of a shore-seine net is a type of traditional fishing practice in which fishermen deploy the long net from the shore using a boat to encircle schools of small fish. The whale sharks, during their migratory season, Oct to March, come close to the shore and get caught in the encircled net. Ajith Kumar, field assistant of WTI, from the fishing community, said, "This is the first recorded instance that three whale sharks were rescued on the same day from different locations in Thiruvananthapuram." The combined efforts of fishers, govt departments, students and environmentally conscious communities are crucial for ensuring the survival of these gentle giants, said Sajan John, coordinator-marine projects, WTI. Since 2017, WTI actively engaged with fishers under its Pan-India Whale Shark Conservation Project to address situations like these and raise awareness among local communities. WTI, in collaboration with state forest department, launched Whale Shark Campaign in 2017 along the Kerala and Lakshadweep coast to educate fishing communities, encourage sustainable fishing practices and strengthen rescue responses.