“We have set the distance between visitors and whale sharks at around five to 10 meters so that bagang boats do not come in direct contact with whale sharks,” head of the aquaculture division of the marine and fisheries service, Karim Marasabessy, informed on Monday.
According to Marasabessy, whale shark tourism is highly dependent on bagang fishermen who fish in Saleh Bay. Whale sharks tend to swarm around bagang boats to eat small fish and rebon shrimp left behind by the fishermen.
He informed that Saleh Bay has been designated a marine conservation area based on the presence of whale sharks. Therefore, tourism management must pay attention to the carrying capacity of the bay.
The provincial Marine and Fisheries Service is also continuing to disseminate information on environmentally friendly tourism to prevent tourists from making direct contact or interacting with whale sharks in Saleh Bay.
“We are worried that ship propellers can injure whale sharks. The Saleh Bay area must be protected because it is also a source of income for the surrounding community and West Nusa Tenggara,” he emphasized.
Based on research conducted by Yayasan Konservasi Indonesia, from 2017 to 2022, the population of whale sharks at Saleh Bay was recorded at 108, making it the second-largest whale shark habitat after Cenderawasih Bay in West Papua.
"The whale shark, one of the largest fish in the world, can migrate more than 15 thousand kilometers and dive to a depth of 2 thousand meters".
In addition to being a natural habitat, Saleh Bay, which is spread over an area of 1,459 square kilometers, is also a nursery for young whale sharks, who are mostly male and have an average size of six meters.
The West Nusa Tenggara provincial government is encouraging the sustainable management of whale shark habitats to protect these resources for future generations.
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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Primayanti
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