Jakarta Globe, March 07, 2011
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| Locals surround the whale shark in Sape, Bima, West Nusa Tenggara after the one-ton fish was caught in fishermen's net. (Photo Source SCTV) |
West Nusa Tenggara fisherman caught a whale shark in their nets on Sunday as they were fishing off the coast of Sape, Bima district.
The locals killed the shark, which is considered to be a delicacy, SCTV reported.
The fishermen said the 8 meter shark, which weighed 1 ton, was the biggest fish they had caught in the last few years. They said that four sharks had approached their boat, but the other three escaped.
It is not the first time for a whale shark to become trapped in fishermen’s net in Indonesia.
In January, a 15 meter whale shark weighing two tons was stranded on the beach of Pangandaran, West Java. Local fishermen dragged the shark from the water to the shore and killed it for its meat.
In March 2009, a 6 meter whale shark was caught in Palu, Central Sulawesi.
The whale shark is the largest living fish species and is found in tropical and warm oceans. It lives in the open sea and has a lifespan of about 70 years.
Whale sharks feed mainly on plankton, microscopic plants and small animals.
