Whale shark trapped in fish pen in Sugot Bay

SORSOGON CITY — A whale shark, which was forced to flee from inclement weather spawned by tropical storm "Egay", was trapped in a fish pen in Barangay Buenavista in Bacon District here Friday, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said yesterday.

Serafin Lacdang, Sorsogon BFAR provincial officer, said the whale shark measuring 35 feet was discovered by fishermen inside the fish pen about 300 meters from the shoreline off Sugot Bay at the Albay Gulf.

"Aside from the big waves and strong winds, the water under the fish pen is dark and murky," said Lacdang, adding that any rescue would be dangerous at that time.

The owner of the fish pen, Jose Dellosa, welcomed the move to free the butanding but urged the BFAR to do it "gently".

Fishermen in the area also reported that another whale shark got entangled on a fisherman’s net last week while fishing in the same area.

But fisherman who are already familiar with Administrative Order No. 193, which bans catching, selling, possessing and transporting whale sharks released the giant sea mammal.

Whale sharks are often sighted on the month of May off Donsol town in this province to feed at the plankton at the mouth of the Donsol River.