Fishermen who caught the endanged Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) may be facing a fine. The four fishermen who caught the fish on New Years Day may be facing the fine as they did notreturn the shark to the water, and instead brought it ashore. The huge two tonne fish was estimated to have been caught in the trawling net around 3am and was bought to shore when the men came inland around 5.30am. Director Mohd Najib Ramli of the Penang Fisheries Department said that fishermen should be prepared for such catches, and be ready to safely get the animal back into the water, as quickly as possible before any damage is caused.
The shark was handed in and buried at the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) at 2.30pm on 4th Januray.
