16-foot-long dead whale shark disappears before reaching Karachi harbour
Fearing legal action, the remains of the poached animal were destroyed
PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI:
A massive whale shark, that was caught and entangled in a net laid down by fishermen in the deep sea and was to be shifted to the Karachi fish harbour late on Monday night for sale, never reached the harbour. The poached animal was allegedly cut into pieces and was either hidden somewhere or mixed with other fish meat so that it couldn't be traced, said World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Technical Director Moazzam Ali Khan.
The whale shark, which was 16 feet long and weighed five tonnes, was caught when a group of fishermen from Chashma Goth near the Ibrahim Haideri jetty went for a 15-day hunt to the sea. The whale shark was caught in their net near Warri.
In the Galapagos, an idyllic hammerhead shark nursery
In the past, bidding has been carried out to sell the meat of sharks. According to sources, whale sharks were killed so their fins could be sold in China, and other countries where its fins and meat were used to manufacture medicines while fishermen made money from this.
Khan, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that the species of the shark which was found dead was facing extinction and its hunting was illegal. He said that laws in Balochistan and Sindh restricted its hunting.
According to Khan, "Fishermen from the coastal areas have brought an offspring of a dead whale shark." He also disputed the reports that the fins and meat of whale sharks were in high demand all over the world.
He further informed that the meat of the whale shark was not sold for more than Rs12 per kilogramme. According to Khan, "The whale shark is not only found in Pakistani waters, but they also breed in Pakistani waters." He said that in light of the dangers faced by the whale shark, the WWF had trained fishermen in 2013, due to which around 75 whale sharks had been freed from nets and were released into the sea during the past five years.
He went on to add that the federal and provincial governments must take immediate notice on the killing of the shark and those involved in this incident must be punished so that the marine life facing extinction could be protected.
Fearing legal action, the poachers never took the whale shark to the Karachi fish harbour as per the initial plan. According to sources, the meat was cut and was allegedly stored in warehouses near Ibrahim Haideri jetty where it could not be found or traced.
Khan, however, warned that if any such illegal hunting took place in the future, the governments will be forced to take strict action.
Australia kills three sharks after tourist attacks
A massive whale shark, that was caught and entangled in a net laid down by fishermen in the deep sea and was to be shifted to the Karachi fish harbour late on Monday night for sale, never reached the harbour. The poached animal was allegedly cut into pieces and was either hidden somewhere or mixed with other fish meat so that it couldn't be traced, said World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Technical Director Moazzam Ali Khan.
The whale shark, which was 16 feet long and weighed five tonnes, was caught when a group of fishermen from Chashma Goth near the Ibrahim Haideri jetty went for a 15-day hunt to the sea. The whale shark was caught in their net near Warri.
In the Galapagos, an idyllic hammerhead shark nursery
In the past, bidding has been carried out to sell the meat of sharks. According to sources, whale sharks were killed so their fins could be sold in China, and other countries where its fins and meat were used to manufacture medicines while fishermen made money from this.
Khan, while talking to The Express Tribune, said that the species of the shark which was found dead was facing extinction and its hunting was illegal. He said that laws in Balochistan and Sindh restricted its hunting.
According to Khan, "Fishermen from the coastal areas have brought an offspring of a dead whale shark." He also disputed the reports that the fins and meat of whale sharks were in high demand all over the world.
He further informed that the meat of the whale shark was not sold for more than Rs12 per kilogramme. According to Khan, "The whale shark is not only found in Pakistani waters, but they also breed in Pakistani waters." He said that in light of the dangers faced by the whale shark, the WWF had trained fishermen in 2013, due to which around 75 whale sharks had been freed from nets and were released into the sea during the past five years.
He went on to add that the federal and provincial governments must take immediate notice on the killing of the shark and those involved in this incident must be punished so that the marine life facing extinction could be protected.
Fearing legal action, the poachers never took the whale shark to the Karachi fish harbour as per the initial plan. According to sources, the meat was cut and was allegedly stored in warehouses near Ibrahim Haideri jetty where it could not be found or traced.
Khan, however, warned that if any such illegal hunting took place in the future, the governments will be forced to take strict action.
Australia kills three sharks after tourist attacks