Efforts by Kerala fishermen help release whale shark caught in nets

The fishermen at Thiruvananthapuram’s Shanghumugham Beach were up for a surprise with what looked like an enormously big fish tangled in their nets on Friday morning. But they were sure the fish had to return to the waters. With the help of locals, the fishermen pulled the whale shark out and pushed it into the sea, thus saving its life.

The whale shark, an endangered species, was caught in the nets of fisherman John Martin, according to a report that detailed the efforts taken by the fishermen to send the big fish back home. A rope was put around it to pull it out from the net before pushing it towards the waves. It swam its way as it touched the waves while cheers followed from the shore.

Reports suggest the fishermen will receive a reward of ₹10,000 by the Wildlife Trust India which commended them for the conservation efforts taken by them.

“Back into the sea! Fishers in #Kerala saved this #whaleshark and saw it safely back into the waters..3rd such rescue-release in this state, heartening to see the community take + #conservationaction just like #Gujarat fishers who have till date saved >720 #whalesharks!” said the Wildlife Trust India in a tweet.

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