Sujata Agrawal

Instead of killing the vulnerable whale shark, fishermen on the Gujarat coast now protect it, thanks to an innovative campaign initiated by Tata Chemicals

For years, the sighting of a whale shark off the coast of Gujarat had a bloody end, as fishermen killed the creature for the oil in its liver, its meat and its prized fin. Today, all that has changed. Instead, fisherfolk celebrate the event, thanks to the initiatives of a dedicated group of people from Tata Chemicals and organisations such as the Wildlife Trust of India and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

The whale shark — Rhincodon Typus — is the largest shark and also the largest fish on earth (whales are mammals), growing to over 12 metres or 40 feet long. This solitary, slow-swimming, gentle giant is no killer. In fact, it is mostly vegetarian, surviving on phytoplankton, macro-algae, plankton, krill, small squid and tiny aquatic creatures. It is classified as a vulnerable species. Scientists believe female whale sharks visit Indian shores to deliver their young.

The ‘Save the Whale Shark’ campaign, which was kicked off in September 2003, has created a strong sentiment to save this wonderful visitor to our shores. The campaign involved all the stakeholders in the whale shark’s universe, including whale shark hunters, boatmen, coastal communities, the forest department, the coastguard, schoolchildren and conservation NGOs. The whale shark, lovingly dubbed as ‘vhali’ — meaning ‘dear one’, has now been adopted as a mascot by the towns of Porbandar, Diu, Dwarka and Okha along the Saurashtra coastline.

A 40-foot-long inflatable model of the whale shark is a familiar and welcome sight in coastal towns and villages, as it majestically travels around, perched on a camel cart. Greeted with a tilak and garlands, it makes an impressive backdrop as a troupe of actors enact a street play inspired by a sermon delivered by popular preacher Morari Bapu — who has a large following among Gujarati fisherfolk — in which he compares the whale shark with a married daughter who returns to her parent’s house to deliver her child.

These initiatives have led to a change of heart among large numbers of fishermen, which gives Vivek Talwar, corporate quality head, Tata Chemicals, immense satisfaction. “There are five documented cases of fishermen releasing whale sharks caught in their nets instead of killing them. It is not an easy decision, as they not only lose business but also have to cut their nets, which are expensive to repair or replace,” says Talwar. These fishermen were felicitated for their humanitarian gesture at a function, where Morari Bapu awarded them certificates of appreciation.

At the Whale Shark Conservation Conference at Perth, Australia, in May 2005, which saw 120 participants from 20 countries share their learnings and information, a presentation made by Talwar received an appreciative response for its emotional appeal and inherent focus on culture. “They are looking at tweaking the campaign to suit local traditions in other countries such as the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Djibouti,” says a delighted Talwar.

Brad Norman, an authority on whale sharks who attended the conference, is excited and upbeat about the campaign in India. He visited Gujarat recently and wants to get involved with the efforts to save the whale shark and give it a better chance of survival.

There are, however, miles to go before the world’s oceans and seas become a safe haven for this marine leviathan. Talwar elaborates on future plans — moving from a Gujarat focus and going national with the campaign; linking with people in the Seychelles and Australia to exchange learnings; greater interactions with the fishermen to persuade them to look at alternate means of livelihood (one option is to build a tourism industry around whale shark spotting, instead of killing the creatures).

There is also a greater emphasis on research, to understand the whale shark better. “We need to know more about the animal, so that comprehensive plans can be formulated to ensure its continued survival in our waters,” says Talwar. Using tools such as satellite tagging and aerial surveys could generate more information about their annual migration and breeding habits.

In October this year, the Tata Chemicals ‘Save the Whale Shark’ campaign was recognised when the company won the Green Governance Award 2005, in the ‘conservation of fauna’ category. The award was presented to the company’s managing director Prasad Menon by prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, at a function in New Delhi on November 10.

Speaking on the occasion, Menon spoke about the need to involve local communities in the effort to save the whale shark. Tata Chemicals had partnered with various organisations to create an awareness among the population about the significance of these gentle animals and this had contributed to the success of the programme. “The project succeeded in creating an emotional bond between the coastal communities and the whale shark, through interpretation of Indian traditions,” Menon said.

It is this emotional bonding which will provide lasting protection to this magnificent creature from the sea and ensure it continues to grace our shores for a long, long time.

Green Governance Award, 2005 The Green Governance Awards were instituted by the Bombay Natural History Society to encourage sustainable development and environmental protection initiatives. The award recognises an organisation’s efforts to go beyond statutory compliance in environment protection and conservation. Tata Chemicals was recognised for its innovative intervention techniques that changed public perceptions and improved the long-term survival prospects of the whale shark. Prime minister Manmohan Singh presented the award to managing director Prasad Menon.

Uploaded on March 29, 2006