Dead or alive, search for whale shark continues off Phuket

PHUKET: The director-general of the Department Of Marine And Coastal Resources (DMCR) has confirmed that they will continue to search for another five days for the whale shark seen on video strung up on a fishing boat between Koh Hei and Koh Racha, south of Phuket, last Friday (May 18).

However, it is still unclear whether the whale shark, which are listed as endangered, actually classed as 'vulnerable to extinction' and protected in Thai waters with a ban on fishing all whale sharks, was dead or alive when it was put back into the sea.

Speaking to The Phuket News yesterday (May 20), DMCR director-general Jatuporn Buruspat said, “We are very concerned about Thailand’s marine life after finding out about the whale shark caught off Phuket on May 18. This is disgusting behaviour.

“We will keep looking for this whale shark as we have yet to find any trace of it. If we can’t find the whale shark floating in the sea in next five days we will presume it is still alive.

“If we do find it dead then we will next have to recover the body to find the cause of death,” Mr Jatuporn explained.

Following the video being released on social media on Friday, the Royal Thai Navy at 9:30am on Saturday (May 19) went to Seang Arun Pier in Rassada Pier to search for the boat seen on the video with the whale shark strung up.

A The Phuket News reporter joined the search with navy officials and was told that a crew member of the “Aqua” dive boat saw the incident and shouted out to the crew of the fishing boat until they eventually released it back into the sea.

It was believed that the whale shark was dead, The Phuket News reporter was told.

Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command Adm Pichet Tanaset led the inspection at Seang Arun Pier and confirmed that it was the “Sang Samut 3” fishing vessel that was seen in the video with the whale shark.

Both the Sang Samut 3 and Sang Samut 2 were apprehended at the pier and the captain of the Sang Samut 3 was immediately taken to Chalong Police Station for questioning.

“Somsamai Meejom is the captain of the boat. He has been taken for questioning at Chalong Police Station,” Adm Pichet confirmed.

“The Department of Fisheries and DMCR Phuket office are currently looking into the incident and they will decide whether they believe Mr Somsamai’s is guilty of committing any crime.

“If they believe that he has then he will be charged accordingly. I expect the penalty against him to be very serious,” Adm Pichet said.

Mr Jatuporn added, “I don’t want any incident like this to happen again. If anyone has any information regarding damage to marine life, please inform the DMCR.

“I have also asked the tourist police at Royal Thai Police in Bangkok to support us as they can help to inform tourists about laws regarding protected marine life.”

"I have also asked the tourist police at Royal Thai Police in Bangkok to support us as they can help to inform tourists about laws regarding protected marine life" Now why did he say that? This is nothing to do with tourists or even foreigners. This was Thai people destroying their own natural resources (which attract tourists). You can't blame 'tourists' for everything ma...

As I said this is what Thai fishing boats do, they destroy all marine life caught in their long line nets, zero regulation/ sustainability, authorities have documented evidence, what's with the circus trying to find it? Chances are remote dead or alive, they still committed an offence, shocking on all counts.

So.. we can "expect the penalty against him to be very serious"...like, somewhere along the lines of Premchai the jaguar killer and soup maker? I have "0" confidence that anything will arise out of this...other than a dead whale shark. I wonder how much it cost the boat captain for the DMCR to "assume" that the fish was alive and swam away. OK, NEXT!...let's mo...

5 more days searching. Who is paying for that? The owner or the Captain of the fishing boat? On top of a 100,000 thb fine or so? Must be more, as russian foreigner get such fine already for taking a few death coral to hotelroom. Find is death? Well, the possible cause of death is clear, seen the photos about the catch. It was a 6-7 meter whale shark.

A dead shark fall deep on bottom of the sea because it has not a swim bladder with air but use its fins to go up and down; So, the whale shark is on the seabed forever. Sharks do not have a swim bladder; they rely on lift generated by their large pectoral fins. Bony fishes utilize swim bladders to move up or down vertically in the water or remain at a uniform depth.