Whale shark caught by fishermen in Malacca released

Whale shark dragged ashore in Malacca before being released to sea. PHOTO BY THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

MALACCA – Fishermen have released a whale shark that was caught in a fishing net near the Sungai Duyong jetty here.

The shark, weighing approximately 1.5 tons, was kept in the water near the shore for about 12 hours.

It was then dragged ashore to the jetty site before fishermen – with the aid of the state Fisheries Department – released it back into the sea.

Fisherman Ibrahim Mahat, 55, said the whale shark was entangled in his net while he was fishing off the coast here.

“My brother and I suspected something amiss when our boat struggled to drag the catch in, only to find we had caught a whale shark,” he said on Wednesday.

He said the shark was dragged onto shore near the jetty at about 2:30 p.m.

Local residents rushed to get a picture with the marine creature when the news of a giant fish at the jetty spread on social media.

Alias Ibrahim, 44, said he rushed to the jetty after hearing about it.

“It was a nice experience to see such a giant fish,” he said.

Whale sharks are listed as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).