Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Government has rescued 91 whale sharks in the last two years and provided fishermen with compensation amounting to Rs 9.31 lakh under its whale shark conservation project.

The government informed the state assembly that in 2021, 50 trapped whale sharks were released, and Rs 5.09 lakh was paid as compensation, while in 2022, 41 whale sharks were released, and Rs 4.22 lakh was paid as compensation.

Gujarat forest department, the Wildlife Trust of India, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and local NGOs launched an initiative called the “Save Whale Shark” campaign. Spiritual leader Morari Bapu joined the campaign as an ambassador. As part of this, the government has banned the hunting of whale sharks since it was listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. DeshGujarat