Traditional fishermen in Kerala who use kampavala (fishing nets) for fishing are facing significant challenges due to the mass migration of whale sharks from Gujarat to the Oman coast.
The migration of these whale sharks, which occurs every year from January to March, is increasingly coming closer to the shore, severely impacting the livelihoods of these fishermen. Dr. K. Biju Kumar, Head of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries at the University of Kerala, has pointed out that the migration pattern of whale sharks is changing each year.
Typically, whales migrate to feed on plankton and small fish. As their food sources move closer to the shore, the whale sharks also approach the coastline. Due to their massive size, they often get stranded in the sand or often beach themselves when they come too close. Climate change has also contributed to changes in their migration patterns, Dr. Biju Kumar told ETV Bharat and emphasised that whale sharks are not naturally inclined to swim close to the shore, and this behavioral change needs to be studied further.
Legal action, whether caught in a net or hunted
Dr. Biju Kumar explains that since whale sharks were included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act in 2010, legal action can be taken against their hunting or entanglement. The kampavala fishing method involves casting a net in a “U” shape from the shore and then pulling it back. When whale sharks get entangled in these nets, the nets are often destroyed. It is the responsibility of the fishermen to ensure that the whale sharks do not die if they get caught in the nets. Fishermen are compelled to cut the nets and release the whale sharks back into the sea.
Ajith Sankhumukham, Field Coordinator of the Wildlife Trust of India, states that the number of whale sharks getting entangled in kampavala nets has been increasing year after year. The efforts of traditional fishermen, which take hours, are destroyed in moments when a whale gets entangled. If a whale entangles and destroys the fishing nets, the Wildlife Trust of India has been providing compensation to the fishermen since 2022.
Ajith further explained that as of 2025, 26 whales have caused such damage in this manner.
As the largest mammals on Earth, there is no history of whales attacking humans. Their migration, from the coast of Oman to Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, has been confirmed by scientists using radio mapping. In India, whale sharks were once extensively hunted along the Gujarat coast.
However, Dr. Biju Kumar notes that since hunting them became illegal after 2010, their population has likely increased. Whale sharks, which give birth to calves, have an average lifespan of 85 years, though scientists have discovered individuals as old as 135 years, Dr. Biju Kumar clarified.
Whale Entanglements and Compensation(2022–2025)
The following are the numbers of fishermen who received compensation after whales destroyed their nets:
2022: 2 fishermen compensated
2023: 5 fishermen compensated
2024: 12 fishermen compensated
2025: 26 fishermen compensated