In many cases, fishermen accidentally catch protected marine life and other animals, then choose to simply leave the animals to their own devices, perhaps out of fear of the consequences. Luckily for one whale shark, fishermen in Indonesia made the decision to call officials for help rather than to leave things up to chance.
Catching More than They Bargained For
A group of fishermen hoping to capture small baitfish and anchovies in Indonesia’s Karimunjawa National Park when they caught a much larger fish than they’d initially set out to capture in their nets. A juvenile whale shark measuring about 13 feet long was hopelessly tangled in the fine mesh. Not knowing how to release the animal and at the same time not wanting to get into trouble for capturing the whale shark or wanting it to suffer, the fishermen decided to send a text message to the World Conservation Society (WCS) in hopes of finding a way to release the animal without causing further injury.
This is just the kind of incident the WCS was hoping to have reported when it set up its short message service (SMS). It also encourages people to report marine animal strandings and fishing violations. Once the WCS received the news that the whale shark needed rescuing, it notified Karimunjawa National Park staff, who quickly responded to the fishermen and helped them to release the young whale shark.
The whale shark starring in this story is just one recipient of a happy ending courtesy of the WCS’s new system. Since it was instituted, it has led to an increase in fisheries regulations, and illegal trawling operations have been reported and consequently shut down. As WCS told reporters, the young whale shark may have been part of a group attracted to the park because of an increase in fish that’s happening as a direct result of the SMS system.
Stuart Campbell of the WCS’s marine park said that whale sharks have not been common in this region for at least the past ten years, and that the presence of the trapped juvenile in the fishermen’s nets was a positive indication that whale sharks are returning to an area where they once thrived. In addition, the shark’s presence serves as an indication that the waters of Karimunjawa are undergoing a transformative ecological recovery.
While whale sharks are currently listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and are automatically protected in many areas, the new text service is intended to help not only these and other threatened animals, but to help ensure that all marine life remains viable throughout the protected area, particularly with fishermen’s willing cooperation.
Since 2001, when the park obtained protected status, it has begun attracting attention for its beautiful coral reefs, which offer divers a glimpse into the stunning blue depths of the Java Sea. Now that the presence of whale sharks has been confirmed in the parks waters, visiting divers have even more to look forward to.