Study on whale sharks’ behavior
CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has ordered a study into whether the feeding of whale sharks in Oslob town has affected their behavior.
The study would look into opposing views between local government officials supporting the new tourist thrust and groups calling for the protection of the whale sharks.
The monitoring of the whale sharks will run for three months and will be done by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Tourism, and the Oslob government.
A constant study of the whale sharks’ situation helps keep the discussion going on whether the practice of using these animals for tourism is a good thing. But there are two concerns that arise.
First concern is if the study finds out that the feeding has affected the whale sharks’ behavior. It would mean the damage has been done and it could be too late for any intervention by environmental groups, especially after economic gains to the community have been established.
Second concern is the challenge for the monitoring group to find out the truth about the opposing claims. Fishermen have admitted to using krill, locally known as “uyap,” to lure the whale sharks near the shore where the tourists wait for a chance to see them.
A report on the Sun.Star website at www.sunstar.com.ph last February 29 said the feeding practice has even affected the supply of krill. A krill shortage has led Oslob fishermen to get supply from the other towns, at more expensive rates. Still, the fishermen denied they are feeding the whale sharks, but only luring them to get closer to the tourists.
But environment officials said the feeding practice goes against protocols on whale-shark watching that require humans not to do anything to change the behavior of these gigantic fish. The wounds on a whale shark from a boat’s propellers are indications of a change in behavior. A boat has been taken to mean food to these creatures. The whale shark must have bumped a banca for food but this scared the boatman into starting his engine to move away.
It has been a year since the practice of whale-shark watching started as a money-generating endeavor in Oslob. It was in September 2011 when the practice of hand-feeding the whale sharks was first noticed.
Whale-shark watching then developed into a tourism activity that gave local fishermen a chance at new income. A Sun.Star Cebu report said sea wardens and fishermen each earn between P100 and P200 on weekdays and between P600 and P700 on Saturdays and Sundays. These amounts are not enough for their families, the report said, so they still go out to fish outside of the whale-watching period of from 6 a.m. to noon.
The order for agencies to monitor the whale sharks’ behavior could settle disputes between parties, but it should be able to find out the truth from the different contentions.