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Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Whale shark stuck on ocean-going ship
CEBU CITY -- Workers of the Cebu International Port (CIP) found the decomposing body of a whale shark around 7 a.m. Monday.
The shark, locally known as "balilan," measured 7.5 meters in length and weighed around 2,000 kilos.
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Malou Arciaga, public information officer of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), believes the shark was dragged by mv Elena, an ocean-going vessel from Singapore, which arrived last January 6.
She said the shark had been dead for more than 12 hours.
Due to its heavy weight, the workers had to use a forklift and a reach-docker to pull the shark out of the vessel.
Officials from the Cebu Port Authority, BFAR and port workers lined up in front of the shark to pose for picture and video.
Arciaga said the vessel must have hit the shark in the vicinity of the Sulu Sea.
Although whale sharks can be found all over the world, their favorite places are warm tropical waters. They are common in the waters off Bohol, Misamis Oriental, Tañon Strait, Camotes Island and Sorsogon, where it is called "butanding," Arciaga said.
Whale sharks can grow as long as 18 meters and weigh up to 34 tons. They feed on plankton.
Before BFAR authorities arrived at the CIP to examine the shark, a local businessman wanted to take its fins, which are in demand in Chinese restaurants.
However, this is prohibited under Fisheries Administrative Order 193, which also bans the hunting, trading, eating and selling of whale sharks. (EOB of Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (January 8, 2008 issue)
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