The whale shark is the mascot for the city of Porbandar in Gujarat. The world’s largest fish (41.5 feet), the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), feeds largely on plankton. It can live up to a 100 years but produces offspring only once every few years. It was slaughtered commercially for its fins and meat, until 2001 when the Indian government banned the killing of whale sharks.
In a first of its kind, the Porbandar Nagarpalika adopted the whale shark as its mascot with Mrs Shiyal publicly signing the declaration and holding it forth for the people to see. “I have spoken to the collector, Mrs Sheila Benjamine, and we have decided to erect a statue of the whale shark on the Porbandar beach for everyone to see and know,” she said.
The campaign to spread awareness about the world’s largest fish, which was till recently being hunted along the Gujarat coast for export, is being spearheaded by the Wildlife Trust of India and its partner, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and is being supported by two major corporate houses with units in the state: the Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited and Tata Chemicals Limited.
Credit : Hindustan Times
Picture Credit : Google
