Abu Dhabi, October 11, 2025 – At the World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) released its comprehensive report “Conserving India’s Gentle Giants: Whale Shark Conservation Project 2002–2025”, highlighting a pioneering multi-stakeholder approach to marine conservation over the past two decades.

The report was released at the event by Mr. Vivek Menon, IUCN Councillor and Executive Director of WTI, along with Dr. Rima Jabado, Chair of the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group, Prof. B. C. Choudhury, Senior Advisor at WTI, Mr. Azzedine Downes, President and CEO, IFAW- International Fund for Animal Welfare and Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director, Zoological Survey of India. It consolidates two decades of scientific intervention, extensive surveys, and community-led campaigns, providing a detailed picture of the whale shark’s status along the Indian coastline and charting an urgent roadmap for its future recovery.

(L-R): Mr. Vivek Menon, Mr. Azzedine Downes and Dr. Rima Jabado | Photo by Stacey Hedman/IFAW

Launched in 2002, WTI’s Pan Indian Whale Shark Conservation Project works in partnership with government bodies, private partners, and coastal communities, and has successfully facilitated the rescue and release of over 1,000 whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) accidentally caught in fishing nets along the Indian coastline to date, reflecting a major shift in fisher attitudes from hunting to protection.

The report also celebrates the species’ legal foundation for survival: in 2001, the species gained legal protection under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which prohibited its hunting and trade. Furthermore, India demonstrated Global Leadership by supporting the international protection of the species under CITES in 2002.

At the heart of this success is the Gujarat Whale Shark Campaign, launched in 2004—a unique collaboration among government bodies, NGOs, corporate partners, and even spiritual leaders, which fostered a sense of cultural pride, turning the whale shark into a celebrated “daughter of the sea”. This approach has been successfully replicated in high-risk zones, such as Kerala and Lakshadweep, where campaigns have facilitated the release of 50 whale sharks along the Kerala coastline over the past seven years.

The ‘Save the Whale Shark’ campaign has played an instrumental role in turning fishers into protectors | Photo by Jithin Jose/WTI

Based on surveys across 118 whale shark landing sites, the report notes a steep decline in direct hunting but identifies accidental entanglement in gillnets as the primary ongoing threat—particularly in Sourashtra, Malvan, Netrani, Krishna and Kakinada, Kerala and Lakshadweep. Awareness gaps about the 2001 fishing ban remain in some states, like Goa, where the project has recently been initiated. The report provides a clear strategy to nationalise the successful conservation model through expanded outreach, stronger local stewardship by integrating traditional and scientific knowledge, and cross-sectoral collaboration to protect marine biodiversity while supporting coastal livelihoods.

Mr. Vivek Menon, IUCN Councillor and Executive Director of WTI, said, “This is a 20-year story of collaboration — spiritual leaders, local communities, scientists, and conservationists working together to bring a species back. Policy and data are important, but people protect what they value. When communities, culture, and conservation align, recovery becomes possible.”

The report encompasses the 20-year journey of whale shark conservation in India | Stacey Hedman/IFAW

Prof Dr. B C Choudhury, Senior Advisor, WTI, said, “In two decades of collaborative efforts of community, enforcement agencies, conservation science and corporates, the Whale Shark Conservation model has more than adequately emphasised that an integration of multiple sectors is important to conserve a marine mega fauna.”

Saymanti B, Assistant Manager and OIC, WTI, said, “The conservation reference series reflects the shared effort, knowledge, and dedication that define India’s conservation journey. It is a tribute to every individual working to secure our nation’s wildlife conservation.”

The publication serves as a vital resource for policymakers, conservation practitioners, and local communities, ensuring that India’s gentle giants are not only protected by law but thrive along its coastline for generations to come.

The Pan India Whale Shark Conservation Project is a long-term collaborative initiative that has brought together partners, including WTI, TCSRD, GFD, IUCN-MFF, Oracle and various state Forest Departments to safeguard the vulnerable whale shark.