Begging whale sharks stir debate

CEBU, Philippines - Whale sharks begging for food in Oslob town sparked a debate on whether feeding the giant fish may ultimately be hurting the creatures, officials said yesterday.

While Oslob mayor Ronald Guarin insists that the practice of feeding the whale sharks does no harm and is good for tourism, environmentalists have recommended that it be halted.

Fishermen in Oslob have been feeding whale sharks with baby shrimp since the 1980s and now use this feeding to make the creatures rise to the surface of the water for the amusement of tourists.

“This has been practiced for a long time. When tourists come in, they want to see the whale sharks. So when they (the boatmen) spread these baby shrimps, these whale sharks would surface,” said Oslob Mayor Ronald Guarin.

However Edmundo Arregadas, regional head of the coastal marine management division, said he discouraged the mayor from continuing the practice of feeding the whale sharks, the world’s largest fish.

“We told them it might have a negative effect on the natural way of life of the whale shark,” he said. By feeding the whale sharks, the giant fish might become dependent on handouts from people, he warned.

“They are feeding it so they can have more tourists. But whale sharks are now used to the feeding act… Expecting food, whale sharks might approach other boats and risk colliding with them. They also might be more vulnerable to poachers who will catch and kill them, Arregadas said.

But Guarin said that even after years of feeding, no whale sharks have turned up dead and insisted that the animals were not dependent on feeding and can still find food on their own.

“If that would be harmful, the whale sharks would not have stayed in the waters of Oslob,” he said.

Guarin said that the local government was regulating the feeding, ensuring that only a small number of boatmen feed the whale sharks in a designated area only in the morning.

Tourists are also barred from feeding or swimming with the whale sharks and the boatmen are required to use rowing boats and keep their distance to avoid hurting fish with their propellers or in collisions, Guarin said.

Arregadas said he had advised people in Oslob, which attracts many beach tourists, not to feed the whale sharks. But he cannot impose rules on them.

“I hope they will come to understand that. We are not in a position to take sanctions against local government officials,” he said.

Ordinance in place

Effective yesterday, the ordinance regulating whale shark-watching activities in Oslob is already implemented.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is set to meet the municipal and barangay officials, including fishermen and divers tomorrow to create a more efficient regulation on the matter.

Garcia, who dived yesterday in the seawaters of Barangay Tanawan to purposely see the animals for herself, said Guarin informed her about what the municipal is currently doing to protect the whale sharks, the tourists, as well as the fisherfolk.

But considering the influx of tourists in the place, both local and foreign, the governor said they need to intensively discuss the matter to arrive at a more efficient regulation.

“Kay nagkadaghan na ra ba ni sila (whale sharks). Atong iklaro og lay ang guidelines sa tanang mga muanhi dinhi gusto makakita sa whale sharks,” Garcia said.

Fishermen have sighted at least 14 whale sharks, locally known as “tuki” or “butanding” in the place.

Garcia said they will train the fishermen and brief tourists about the species and provide them safety instructions before they are allowed to go into the sea.

Garcia further said they may also hopefully be able to help the municipality in terms of logistics. The town plans to set up a ticketing office and a briefing office.

With the influx of tourists since August, Guarin said they have seen the need to create guidelines for the tourists and the fishermen.

The ordinance they drafted and approved requires the registration of the fishermen who will be allowed to guide tourists and handle the whale sharks.

Guarin said the fishermen are then required to give 30 percent of their share to the Local Government of Oslob, 10 percent to the Barangay Tanawan, and the remaining 60 percent is theirs.

Under the ordinance, fishermen can bring at most six tourists only to the area where whale sharks are frequently sighted. The ordinance also prohibits motorboats from going near the species, which are frequently seen around 5 a.m. (FREEMAN)