WHALE SHARK ENTANGLED IN FISHNET DIED
The 17.17-foot Whale Shark entangled in a fishnet off the coast of Camingawan area, Tañon Strait by fisherfolks from Barangay Bulanon, eventually died in Sagay after attempts to release the marine creature yesterday (August 10, 2016).
42 year old Ronie Francisco, from Brgy. Bulanon said the Whale Shark was entangled in their drift gillnet at around 4:00 AM yesterday, and was towed to the coastline of Brgy. Bulanon. Upon the arrival of Sagay Marine Reserve personnel, the butanding was already highly stressed. Despite the attempts to release it, it eventually died and was brought to Old Sagay Port.
City Veterinarian Dr. Baltazar Delorino said the male juvenile Whale Shark’s right fin was already cut off, possibly days before as there were already signs of healing. He said there were bruises and other signs of physical trauma on the body.
SMR Resource Mngt Section Head, Jose Roberto Togle urged the community to refrain from using drift gillnets, especially the malleable kind, because once a Whale Shark or any other marine creatures gets entangled, it is difficult to free them. He also stressed that upon careful assessment, fisherfolk have to release them immediately at sea and not drag them in the shoreline, aggravating the problem. Crowd control is also important in stranding rescue activity as people have the tendency to have their photos taken, hence adding more stress to the already harassed marine creature. Mr. Togle also said we need to educate the fisherfolk to avoid similar occurrences.
SMR immediately buried the whale shark at the Sanitary Landfill in Brgy. Paraiso.
According to the IUCN Red List, “The Whale Shark, Rhincodon typus, is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate waters, it is the largest fish in the world, yet feeds almost entirely on tiny plankton, crustaceans and small fish. The Whale Shark has been targeted in many areas for its flesh, liver oil and fins. Although relatively little is known about the biology of this species, its long lifespan and slow reproductive rate, together with a naturally low abundance and highly migratory nature, are likely to increase its vulnerability to over exploitation in fisheries. Whale Sharks are legally protected in a number of countries, and international trade in the species is regulated by CITES.”
Source: I Love Sagay Facebook, via Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines Facebook
THe Whale Shark’s status on the IUCN Red Lisr has recently been upgraded to ‘Endangered’.
Monday Morgue 