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Mumbai: Mystery over the brutal killing of the endangered Whale Shark reported at Sassoon Dock, Colaba on August 13 has deepened further as the autopsy report on Friday revealed that the fish died due to suffocation. The fish died just one day ago and it was hunted for its flesh and was fresh, said Range Forest Officer Suresh Warak.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that the fins of a 25-foot Whale Shark brought to Sassoon Dock had been chopped off. A complaint has been lodged with the police station and investigation is underway.
In the morning, a fisherman brought the Whale, 25 feet long and weighing 2 tons, to the shore of Sassoon Dock. The fish is said to have been brought ashore in a dead state. As soon as the Fisheries department got the information, the officials reached the spot. But before they could reach, the fish was cut to pieces.
The fisherman, who was hunting for the Shark, fled the scene. But he sold the fish to a merchant. The trader had cut the fish into pieces and was trying to fill it with tempo. Police reached the spot at the same time and arrested the trader and the tempo driver.
While inspecting the fish, the Mangroves Foundation noticed that they had cut off the fish’s fins. The Mangroves Foundation has launched an investigation into the matter. Range Forest Officer Suresh Warak said that a search is on for the person who caught the fish and brought it here.
The pieces of the fish were sent to the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Center in Airoli. Autopsy was performed on the carcass and the slaughtered pieces of the fish and the remaining pieces were burnt.
The autopsy revealed that the fish had died of suffocation after being pulled out of the water and the fish was found to be fresh. He further said that the case is under investigation and strict action will be taken against the culprits.-By Vikas Nag
