PANAJI
Goa is seeking to place fishermen at the centre of its whale shark conservation efforts by compensating them for fishing nets cut during rescue operations and developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) to deal with marine megafauna found entangled, injured or stranded along the State’s coast.
Under the State’s whale shark conservation initiative, fishermen who cut their nets to safely release whale sharks and other protected marine species can receive compensation of up to Rs 75,000 from the State government. The move is aimed at ensuring that fishermen do not have to bear the financial cost of helping endangered marine wildlife.
The initiative was highlighted on Sunday as Goa observed International Whale Shark Day at the Goa Science Centre and Planetarium in Miramar. The programme was organised in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), Goa Forest Department and Fisheries Department.
Two fishermen, Vaibhav Kandalgaonkar and Caetano Fernandes, were felicitated for rescuing whale sharks accidentally entangled in fishing nets. Kandalgaonkar was involved in Goa’s first documented whale shark rescue in 2023, while Fernandes carried out a rescue in 2026.
The Fisheries Department said that the State is also working towards a statewide SOP for responding to marine megafauna incidents. The move follows the recently developed protocol for turtle conservation and is intended to bring greater clarity on the roles of fishermen, fisheries officials, forest personnel and other agencies during rescue operations.
The Goa chapter of the Pan-India Whale Shark Conservation Project was launched in 2025. Since then, WTI and its partners have conducted awareness and sensitisation programmes involving more than 2,000 fishermen and 180 stakeholders across the State.
Whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, are protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act. Their populations face threats from accidental entanglement in fishing gear, habitat degradation, pollution and other human activities.
The International Whale Shark Day programme also featured a panel discussion on balancing marine conservation with the livelihoods of fishing communities, underlining the need for conservation measures that recognise and address the economic realities faced by fishermen.
