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BY BOY RYAN ZABAL
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KALIBO, Aklan – A lifeless whale shark has been washed ashore in Malay town.
Residents in Barangay Naasug found the 17-foot long fish, apparently in a state of decomposition, on Saturday, Oct. 1. They sought help from the Bantay Dagat and the maritime police.
It was the first time a dead whale shark, also known as butanding, was found at the coastal village facing the Visayan Sea.
Authorities suspect the fish died a natural death. The species has an average lifespan of around 50 to 70 years.
A backhoe loader hauled the whale shark from the shore. The fish, around 3 meters wide, was buried along the Naasug shoreline.
Despite their large size, whale sharks are generally harmless. These fish are protected by local and international laws.
They are an “endangered” species, a 2016 report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature stated.
Threats to the “gentle giants” have increased since 2005, when they were considered “vulnerable,” the report said, noting a 30-percent decline in the whale shark population in the Atlantic this year.
In the last three generations (75 years), an estimated 63-percent decline in the Indo-Pacific whale shark subpopulation took place in the Western Indian Ocean, the oceans off Mozambique, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Western and Central Pacific, the conservation group said. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
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