Whale Shark’s tagging,tissue collecting kicks

Whale Shark’s tagging,tissue collecting kicks off in Gujarat sea
Veraval, 20 December, 2010

Gujarat’s Saurashtra coast is one of the places in the world where world’s largest fish whale shark is seen in good population. Gujarat ultimately wants to develop Australia-like whale shark tourism off Saurashtra coast. But in the beginning the research activity is planned. The research project involves tagging of this giant fish, and collecting tissue for its genetic study. Good news is that the first fish was tagged last week, and its tissue too was collected for genetic study.

Gujarat’s fishermen no more kill whale shark for monitory gain. Whenever they find whale shark in their net, they call forest department persons and make whale shark free in the sea. While doing so, they have to cut their costly net, but they do it to save whale shark.

Now onwards, whenever the will inform the forest department, there will be a procedure of tagging and tissue collecting prior to whale shark’s release. Ultimately the forest department and Wild life trust want to do this procedure with at least fifty whale sharks.