AHMEDABAD: The forest department and the rescue teams along the Gujarat coast have rescued 105 whale sharks in the last two years.
Minister of state for forest and environment Govind Patel told the House in a written reply to Asarwa MLA Rajnikanth Patel's question that as on December 31, 2012, a compensation of Rs 7.60 lakh was paid to fishermen whose nets were damaged in shark rescue exercise.
The minister said that whale shark protection campaign was on in the state. An officer of the department said that Saurashtra coast was now globally known as breeding site of whale shark. Hunting of the whale shark was an important fishing activity in Saurashtra coast as it fetched substantial earning to the fishermen community.
The forest department and naturalists joined hands and hunting was banned in 2001, in Gujarat, after it became the first fish to be listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The state forest department, along with the Wildlife Trust of India, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and other local NGOs and nature lovers launched a whale shark protection campaign in the state which turned as a role model for conservation.
Morari Bapu was roped in as an ambassador for the project. He went to Dwarka and blessed a whale shark. Although Rs 25,000 is paid for each rescue, the loss to the fishermen was higher.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/the-good-earth/105-whale-sharks-rescued-in-last-two-years-along-Gujarat-coast/articleshow/19150842.cms
Saurashtra coast is now globally known as the breeding site of whale sharks. |
The minister said that whale shark protection campaign was on in the state. An officer of the department said that Saurashtra coast was now globally known as breeding site of whale shark. Hunting of the whale shark was an important fishing activity in Saurashtra coast as it fetched substantial earning to the fishermen community.
The forest department and naturalists joined hands and hunting was banned in 2001, in Gujarat, after it became the first fish to be listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The state forest department, along with the Wildlife Trust of India, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and other local NGOs and nature lovers launched a whale shark protection campaign in the state which turned as a role model for conservation.
Morari Bapu was roped in as an ambassador for the project. He went to Dwarka and blessed a whale shark. Although Rs 25,000 is paid for each rescue, the loss to the fishermen was higher.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/the-good-earth/105-whale-sharks-rescued-in-last-two-years-along-Gujarat-coast/articleshow/19150842.cms
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