Davao fisherman saves beached whale shark from slaughter
By Orlando Dinoy
Mindanao Bureau
First Posted 15:10:00 09/04/2008
PADADA, Davao del Sur -- A whale shark which got stranded at a beach here nearly became a meal for some fishermen Thursday had it not been for another fisherman, who insisted it should be towed back to deeper waters.
The provincial fisheries office said the 15-feet-long whale shark (Rhincodon typus) was found by fisherman Bert Geqa near his banca in Barangay (village) Paligue here around 2 a.m.
It weighed about one ton according to Carlito Acao of the provincial fisheries office.
Geqa said his fellow fishermen tried to convince him to slaughter the whale shark but he declined.
Geqa said he instead summoned fishery officials, who assisted the whale towards the deeper portion of the waters.
Whale sharks are considered endangered species and the government has been trying to protect it them from hunters.
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