VERAVAL, MARCH 31: A couple of years ago, the whale shark was a good omen for the fishermen of Veraval. A sighting of the gigantic fish meant a good catch. Today, the whale shark (rhiniodon typus) which was once considered `sacred' itself is the good catch. Behind this turnaround is a story scripted by the European Economic Community.For the Gujarat fishermen, the discovery of a whale shark as a source of income comes at a time when fish exports to Europe had been falling because of the European Economic Community's insistence of strict hygienic standards. A committee had visited the fishing centres, found the hygienic standards here sub-standard and imposed a ban on the exports from the region.The exporters soon found a market in East Asia. What Taiwan, Malaysia and the East Asian countries were looking for was something which was seen off the Veraval coast but they never hunted: The Barrel as they call whale shark.So they, the fishermen, in mechanised boats, spot a shoal of whale sharks playing offthe Veraval coast dipping in and out of water. A full-throated cry from the head fisherman, points in their direction and the boats rush in for the kill, hurling harpoons and spears into the head of a 20-foot creature.Amidst the fishermen's victory cry, the huge fish tries desperately to free itself from the harpoons, driven deep into its head. With each passing minute, its efforts weaken, until almost lifeless, it is towed to the coast. There it is auctioned, cut into pieces and sent to processing units within hours.Harbour officials estimate that in the last one year, about 1,000 whale sharks have been hunted off the Saurashtra coast by fishermen from Veraval, Okha and Jakhau. Scientists at the Marine Research Institute, Veraval say the landings have drastically increased over the past six months. ``Whale sharks weighing upto 7 to 10 tonnes are common. A 15-tonner is exceptionally big and comes in occasionally'' said a scientist.No sooner does a fish reach the coast than bidding begins. ``The pricedepends on the size. A 25-footer can fetch upto Rs 1.3 lakhs while a small 5-footer may fetch Rs 20,000'' says Ramji, an agent who bids on behalf of fish-processing units at the jetty.Premji Marji, another agent at Bidiya Bandar jetty, which is specially known for the big landings, says the bids have increased drastically over the past few months as the fishermen have realised that the whale shark meat has got a wide export market.Within hours, the fish is stripped of fins and leather and cut and the pieces quickly transported to the fish processing units where these are sent for export within 24 hours.Almost every inch of the whale shark has value, says Ramesh Chopadtar of Elite Exports. ``The leather, liver, bones, fins, meat - every part of the whale shark has a demand. The main export markets are Taiwan, Malaysia and eastern countries where fin soup and other delicacies are made''.Joe Kizhakudan, a scientist of the Marine Research Institute, says that right from the leather to the cartilage,the whale shark fetches a very high price internationally.The fins can fetch thousands of rupees. According to the owner of a fish processing unit, exporters get 10 tonnes the price they pay to fishermen.The whale shark's status on the World Conservation Union's Red List is described as `indeterminate.'According to sources in the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, there is an increasing concern in other countries that whale shark population may be depleting to dangerous levels.Sources at the institute say whale shark hunting is banned in Taiwan and other East Asian countries.
