Surabhi Khosla

The largest fish on this planet, the Whale Shark is a global heritage. Adults can grow to be 45 feet long. Protected in most parts of the world, its future in India is uncertain as wildlife protection is very low in the government's priorities. Characteristically, state governments too have never paid much attention.

Since the Whale Shark is not protected by the Wildlife Act of 1972, there is currently no law in India that can stop these killings.

Though very little is known about the species, Whale Sharks have been inhabiting the Gujarat coast ever since the early 1900's. Sadly this regular occurrence has gone completely unnoticed by all wildlife and marine conservation bodies. Even the ongoing massacre and commercial exploitation has not alarmed the authorities.

Shaken by the senseless killings, Pandey decided to make a feature film on these unfortunate creatures. As the crew filmed in the area and met local people, the magnitude of the problem became clear.

Despite collecting enough footage, the film was not released and the massacre not exposed because Pandey wanted to get a balanced picture, and weigh the benefits to the fishermen against the damage to world ecology.

Though the prime concern of Pandey and his crew was the conservation of the whale shark, they saw a different aspect of the dilemma that ran deep into other issues concerning mainly the socio-economic status of fishing communities.

" A solution to this may lie in the tourism potential the Gujarat coastline offers. It is one of the largest Whale Shark sighting sites in the world. Exploring the tourism angle could provide the solution for both the survival of the Whale Sharks as well be a source of income generation for fishermen," says Pandey.

According to Pandey, anything that is so huge has a limited number. Creatures like elephants, tigers and whale sharks don't breed like roaches and one will never see them in millions.

The simple fisher folk obviously do not understand the damage they are causing to conservation. The large-scale killings have over the years seriously disrupted the continuity of the species in this region because of the slow regeneration process.

Shores off Silence makes an impassioned plea for the setting up of a Whale Shark sanctuary. Given the frequent sightings on the Gujarat coast, these waters are of international significance and declaring them as a sanctuary would help protect this vulnerable species. Fishermen could augment their income by doubling up as tourist guides for visitors eager for a shark sighting.

Pandey is in his element when he talks about what should be done to save Whale Sharks from perishing at the hands of man. "The ocean is relatively a new horizon for humanity. Management of marine resources at this point is critical, to avoid abusing what mistakenly appears to be a limitless resource zone."

"Man", he says, " has interfered with nature's delicate balance. We have ruptured the system and if it continues, we may pay the price with our own extinction."

International recognition came when The Last Migration - Wild Elephant Capture in Sarguja became the first Asian documentary to ever win a "Green Oscar" at Wildscreen.

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