The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Cuddalore News : Whale shark found dead off Samiarpettai coast

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 08, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore

Whale shark found dead off Samiarpettai coast

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, APRIL 7 . A five-foot whale shark, weighing 2.5 tonnes, was caught accidentally by fishermen off Samiarpettai in Chidambaram block on April 2.

On information, the Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Portonovo, T.Balasubramanian, deputed two researchers R. Venkatesan and K.P.kumaraguruvasagam who identified the dead marine mammal as a "whale shark (Rhincodon typus)."

Mr. Balasubramanian said poaching the species was prohibited as it was listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.

It was listed as "vulnerable" with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, a global union of States and non-governmental organisations.

The presence of the fish was an indicator of waters rich in plankton-feeding fish that will in turn attract more valuable species such as tuna.

The prefix "whale" had been attached owing to its size, as it could grow to a length of 20 metres and weighs 34 tonnes.

The satellite telemetry studies conducted off the Malaysian and the Philippine coasts indicated that the shark being migratory, it could travel up to 24 km a day. The whale shark is said to be harmless.

Mr. Balasubramanian said the shark had commercial value for its liver oil (utilised for waterproofing fishing boats, in manufacture of shoe polish and treatment of some skin diseases).

However even as the Portonovo centre was planning to obtain permission from authorities for preserving the skeleton, some miscreants dragged it back into the sea.

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