Program launched to save world's largest fish

The whale shark, the world's largest fish, is being slaughtered in droves when it returns to the Gujarat coast.

The whale shark, the world's largest fish, is being slaughtered in droves when it returns to the Gujarat coast. Now, the Wildlife Trust of India, in collaboration with local governmental agencies and local businesses, is launching a campaign to save it.

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In partnership with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the group has appointed Morari Bapu its ambassador for conservation.

According to Bapu, "Our culture, traditions and beliefs promote the right to life for all living beings. Instilling the sense of conservation in people on the basis of religious beliefs is better and a more permanent way of protecting our natural heritage than policing."

Chief Wildlife Warden of Gujarat Pradeep Khanna said, "Morari Bapu, WTI and the forest department are today laying the foundation for instilling moral ethical values in their own small way. It has the potential to turn into a movement in times to come and add a new dimension to wildlife conservation."

Bapu has vowed to spread the message of "ahimsa hi param dharma" and "atithi devo bhava" among the local fishermen to create awareness about the dire situation facing the whale shark.