Ocean Sentry
A young whale shark became trapped in the Tainan Canal in the southern city of Tainan Monday, in what was the first such occurrence in the canal”s 90-year history. Members of the city”s Fire Department and wildlife conservationists rushed to the scene to observe the whale shark, which is about 3 meters long and is believed to be a baby.
They have since been discussing how should the shark could be freed and returned to the open sea.
They believe that the whale shark swam into the canal from the nearby Anping fishing port, where expansion construction work is in progress.
Whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, were added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 2002, which means whale shark products can only be sold with special permits.
At the beginning of 2008, Taiwan introduced regulations that banned the fishing, sale, importation and export of whale sharks.
The whale shark, known as the gentle giant of the ocean, is found in tropical and warm oceans. Believed to have originated about 60 million years ago, it can grow to lengths of up to 20 meters and can weigh up to 30 tons.
The species is called the “tofu shark” locally because its delicate meat purportedly looks and tastes like tofu. Whale sharks have been targets of harpoon fishing because their meat and fins fetch a high price on the international market.
Whale sharks are seen as having the potential to play an important role in eco- tourism because they are no threat to humans and it is considered safe to swim with them. There is a growing interest in the species among divers and dive businesses.
Before the government banned the fishing of the “tofu shark,” Anping was the country’s largest whale shark fishing port, with catches sometimes topping 70 fish per year and some weighing up to 30 tons, according to Tainan fishermen.
(From etaiwannews.com, Tainan Canal,Taiwan, By Deborah Kuo)
