Small whale shark caught in Thailand

Unofficial Translation by WildAid Foundation (Thailand)

Arrest for catching a whale shark in Thailand May 16th 2006

Natural Resource and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) together with the Marine Police arrested a boat captain at Samut Sakorn for catching a whale shark

Pol.Col. Lt. Narongdaj Maneewong - Inspector Division 3 of NRECD, and his team (Pol.Cap. Patiya Kemlai - Deputy Inspector Division 4) arrested Mr. Somkiet Chaochin (personal info: Age 52, Address - 54/3 Moo4 Bang Ya Prak District, Amphur Muang, Samut Sakorn) and confiscated one dead whale shark as evidence (length 3.8 m., width 1.5m.) from a fishing boat named Krasasin, while it was berthing the Tha Chine Union Seaport (Address - Moo 7, Tha Chine District, Amphur Muang, Samut Sakorn)

Mr. Somkiet reported to police investigators that he was a boat captain and whilst conducting industrial fishing he accidentally caught the whale shark together with other fish. He was unaware that the whale shark is on the endangered list under the Wild Animal Preservation and Reservation Act B.E.2535 (WAPA).

He intended to sell the dead whale shark.

The police charged him under Section 16* and 19* of WAPA.

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Note on Thai laws:

*Section 16. No person shall hunt or attempt to hunt the reserved wild animals except when the act is a part of the official activities, which are exempted by the provision of Section 26.

*Section 19. No person shall be in possession of reserved wild animal, protected wild Animal, carcasses of reserved or protected wild animals, except the protected wild animals in section 17 category which were bred in captivity and carcasses thereof, in which case the possessor is required to have a license from the Director-General and must observe the rules outlined in the Ministerial Regulation and conditions prescribed in the license.

The application for and granting of license shall be pursued under the standard procedures and conditions stated in the Ministerial Regulation

Paragraph one and paragraph two shall not apply to:

(1) Possession of protected wild animals by holder of breeding license in Section 18(1) who keeps the animals for breeding purposes or obtained the animal from breeding in captivity.

(2) Possession of reserved wild animals, protected wild animals, and carcasses of reserved and protected wild animals for the interest of the license public zoological garden enterprise and management thereof according to Section 29, which are displayed in the licensed public zoological garden.

For more information., the NRECD informed WildAid that the dead whale shark is in a freezer at the Fisheries Department. They plan to preserve it for a museum.

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Thanks to Tim Redford for sending this through.

NB. I am able to email images of this shark to anyone who sends a request.

Cheers

Brad.