30/01/2024
When interviewing tuna purse seine net fishing captains working from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean about setting on whale sharks and their releases from tuna nets 20 years ago, they told me that one of the most horrific things they had seen happen was the detachment of the tail from the body when an animal was hoisted by a crane out of the net.
20 years on, this method of "release" clearly continues with catastrophic results.
This is the first time we have seen such a video. The very large animal would not be able to survive long without its tail fin. There are other methods of release, including rolling the animal out of the net in the water that will better ensure its survival.