Once feared, hunted and butchered for oil and meat, whale sharks along India’s western coast are now being freed by the very fishing communities that once targeted them. Across the Arabian Sea coastline, fishers are cutting their own nets to rescue the world’s largest fish, transforming decades of exploitation into one of India’s most striking community-led conservation stories.
Over the past two decades, more than a thousand whale sharks have been safely released from fishing nets along India’s west coast, thanks to sustained outreach by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and growing participation from coastal communities.
On a calm March morning near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, a group of fishers hauling a traditional kambavala net realised they had caught something far larger than fish. Entangled within the bamboo stakes and nylon mesh was a massive whale shark, its spotted body thrashing as the tide receded.
Cutting the net meant losing nearly a month’s income. Keeping the net intact meant killing the animal. After a brief pause, the decision was made to free the shark. Piece by piece, the net was cut until the giant slipped back into the sea alive. What remained was a damaged net and a shared sense that something larger than livelihood had been preserved.
Two decades ago, the scene would have played out very differently. Along Gujarat’s coast and Diu Island, whale sharks were routinely slaughtered for liver oil and meat. When demand for fresh meat declined, carcasses were sold to the poultry-feed industry.
That cycle was broken in 2001 when WTI, supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, launched the Save the Whale Shark campaign. Public awareness efforts intensified after spiritual leader Morari Bapu urged people to protect the species, naming it Vhali, meaning “the beloved one”. The same year, India granted the whale shark Schedule I protection under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
Today, fishers voluntarily destroy their nets to free trapped whale sharks, with WTI offering compensation of ₹25,000 per damaged net after verifying rescues through photographs or videos. According to WTI, financial support proved critical in ensuring that conservation did not come at the cost of survival.
“No one should lose their livelihood for saving a life,” says Sajan John, head of marine projects at WTI. “That’s when conservation becomes real.”
This approach has spread across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and the Lakshadweep Islands, creating a rescue corridor along the Arabian Sea.
In Kerala, whale sharks often become trapped in kambavala nets fixed, funnel-shaped structures that intercept fish moving with tides. Designed for species like sardines and anchovies, these nets can be deadly for large marine animals during receding tides.
Here, trained volunteers like Ajit Shanghumukhom coordinate rapid response rescues. Over the past seven years, Shanghumukhom alone has helped release 50 whale sharks. Along Kerala’s coast, fishers now alert rescue teams as soon as a whale shark is spotted, freeing animals before they reach shore.
Conservation outreach has expanded to schools, fishing unions and island communities. In Lakshadweep, where mechanised fishing has increased accidental entanglement risks, volunteers now conduct awareness sessions and training workshops. Children paint whale sharks in classrooms, women’s groups discuss marine ethics, and young fishers document rescues online.
Experts say this cultural shift is as important as policy protection. “When communities care, enforcement becomes secondary,” says former marine scientist K.V. Thomas.
While whale sharks also occur along India’s Bay of Bengal coast, structured rescue systems remain limited. According to Thomas, fewer sightings, industrial fishing practices and weaker community engagement have slowed conservation efforts there. He argues that extending compensation models, training and scientific monitoring eastward is essential for pan-Indian protection.
Despite successes, fishers say current compensation barely covers the cost of large nets, let alone fuel, time and lost fishing days. Leaders from fisher collectives are calling for insurance cover, social security, training and livelihood-linked incentives.
“Fishers who save whale sharks should be treated as marine guardians,” Thomas says. “Without long-term support, this conservation model remains fragile.”
Still, along India’s west coast, the transformation is undeniable. Fishers who once hunted the gentle giant now risk their earnings to protect it. As one veteran fisher put it, “If the sea loses its biggest fish, everything else will follow.”