WWF-Malaysia deeply regrets the process leading to the capture and callous piecemeal sale of the giant whale shark that was netted by a fishing trawler off Bagan Sungai Tiang, Bagan Datoh, on Sunday.

This happened just when the global media was celebrating the spotting of the 1,000th member of this species off the coast of Mozambique in late November.

According to the story carried by the local print media, the fishermen involved had indicated a similar capture “some time back”. It is time for the Department of Fisheries to take a greater proactive role in educating coastal populations, and fishermen in particular, on the dos and don’ts of dealing with “unusual catches”.

Conservation education in these circumstances can start with the greater dissemination of a pictorial list of species considered vulnerable and endangered by the World Conservation Union, particularly the ones known to swim in and around Malaysian waters.

Otherwise, the passive atmosphere at the Hutan Melintang jetty, where the whale shark elicited more curiosity than sympathy, and the subsequent sale of the whale shark’s body parts will continue to our collective shame.

Whale sharks (Rhinocodon typus) are a protected species under the Fisheries Act of 1985 through the Fisheries (Control of Endangered Species of Fish) Regulation 1999. Under the law, no one can harass, catch, kill, take, possess, sell, buy, export or transport whale sharks unless with express permission. If a whale shark is caught accidentally during a fishing expedition, it must be released immediately

If the shark is dead, the catching/taking of the fish must be reported to a Department of Fisheries officer and it can only be disposed of in accordance with his or her instructions. Failure to comply is an offence. Such laws, along with an appropriate awareness campaign, need to be enforced to prevent a shocking repeat of this incident.