Minister for Forest and Wildlife A.K. Saseendran poses for photo with a whale-shaped balloon on International Whale Shark Day in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has pledged steps to ensure cooperation at the national and international levels for the protection of endangered whale sharks and maintaining marine ecological balance. He was speaking while inaugurating the International Whale Shark Day observance in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. Mr. Saseendran also proposed creating a comprehensive network of leading marine research institutes, universities and fishing communities under the leadership of the Forest department to spearhead conservation efforts. He also urged the Fisheries department to provide adequate compensation for the damage caused to fishing nets by whale sharks that get entrapped in them. Collective efforts should be made to prevent marine pollution caused by plastic and e-wastes, he added. Antony Raju, MLA, presided. Three fishermen, Sibil M. of Kovalam, Halaudeen of Vettucaud, and Abdul Rehman of Thumba, along with their teams, were honoured for their efforts in rescuing and releasing whale sharks entangled in fishing nets.
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