BACOLOD CITY – The city government here and the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) called for stronger marine protection after the tragic beaching of a three-ton whale shark here on Oct. 30.
In a statement posted on social media over the weekend, Mayor Greg Gasataya said he activated a multi‑agency team for response, which acted swiftly to bury the carcass at the city’s sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa on the same day.
“Although this is part of nature, we hope this is the last time our city gets to witness such a sad incident,” his post read.
In a joint reminder, the city government and the DA-BFAR told the public that whale sharks are a protected, harmless marine fish.
They feed only on plankton and small fish, and must never be harassed, injured or harvested for any purpose.
“Local communities are encouraged to immediately report any stranded marine wildlife to city authorities for prompt response,” they added.
Based on the on‑site assessment conducted by the City Agriculture Office and DA-BFAR, the whale shark’s body did not yield evidence of human‑caused injury or abuse.
“Only minor scrapes seen on the animal’s head and body which came from its desperate attempts to free itself after it became disoriented and trapped upside‑down in shallow waters as the tide receded,” the team’s report said.
City Agriculturist Maricar Quiro said the whale shark most likely swam into the shallow area to feed on plankton and small fish before it got stranded.
“The cause of death is undetermined,” she added.
Fishers spotted the whale shark around 5 a.m. in the shallow waters, but even before that, its presence had long been familiar, as it often swims alongside their boats, the city government said in the report.
The DA-BFAR said the Philippines is home to the second largest population of whale sharks (butanding) in the world.
Efforts to protect whale sharks, considered the world’s largest fish species, include a ban on taking or catching them under Section 102 of Republic Act 10654 (Philippine Fisheries Code), as well as collective efforts to protect the biodiverse habitats these massive marine creatures frequent.
Under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, whale sharks are deemed endangered.
