The state forest department affirmed a huge hike in compensation, now paying Rs 50, 000 for any damages incurred on their nets during the whale-shark rescue mission. It is this feature that aims to financially motivate more fishermen to be a part of these conservation activities in order to protect and preserve these magnificent creatures.
Mr. Kasuladev Ramesh, the chief conservator of forests from Junagadh said that the government is seriously looking high and low in order to solve the demands of the fishing community, by doubling the rate from 25,000 Rs to 50,000 Rs. Throughout the years, the fishermen from the coast of Gujarat are shouldering a huge responsibility for the rescue of whale sharks, with approximately 2000 of such gentle giants having been saved from the nets, and notably in the year 2019-20 when 781 were given freedom.
From 2000s onwards, together with the forest department and volunteers has been assisting the release of over 1,400 whale sharks, totalling to around 1.4 crore of compensation. Whale sharks were conferred with the protected status in 2001 due to Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972 that gave them the first-ever distinction of fish species to get legal protection in India.
The joint project of the Gujarat forest department, Wildlife Trust of India and Tata Chemicals Ltd., `Whale Shark Conservation Project’, has performed an important role in making coastal communities aware of the species’ plight. Promoting the campaign by using iconic religious figure Morari Bapu as an ambassador and assisting fishers in being compensated for net damage, the project has converted fishers into guardians of the endangered turtles.
The main areas of conservation work are in the coastal talukas like Veraval, Sutrapada and Mangrol of Junagadh district where Shikual and Koli communities reside. Although these attempts were initially difficult, the effort put in banning hunting of whale sharks and advocating for their conservation has now led to the overall change of fishermen’s and urban citizens’ attitude to whale shark conservation.
SOURCE-TOI
