Pakistani fishermen reel in 40-foot whale shark

Pakistani fishermen use cranes to pull the carcass of a whale shark from the waters at a fish harbour in Karachi on February 7, 2012. The 40-feet whale, weighing about 6-7 tons, was found dead in Arabian Sea in the port city of Karachi.

/ ASIF HASSAN/AFP/Getty Images

Pakistani fishermen needed at least five cranes to reel in a 40-foot-long whale shark from the waters at a harbor in the port city of Karachi on Tuesday, according to the Express Tribune newspaper.

8 Photos

Fishermen reel in 40-foot whale shark

The massive whale shark, which was said to weigh between 6 and 7 tons, was found unconscious ten days ago about 150 kilometers from shore, according to the owner of a local fishery. By the time the fish was pulled out of the water, it was dead.

According to the newspaper, fishermen initially called in two cranes to pull out the giant carcass but it took at least three more to successfully get the whale shark out of the water.

The newspaper reported it was later sold for 1.7 million Rupees, or roughly US$18,000.

The whale shark, which is the largest fish in the sea and inhabits warm waters around the world, is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In 2008, it was added to the organization's red list of threatened species.

According to National Geographic, whale sharks may be imposing physical specimens but they are gentle fish and sometimes allow swimmers to hitch a ride. For more about the whale shark, check out the video below:

8 Photos

Fishermen reel in 40-foot whale shark

[kthor123]

the pakistani killed the shark fish 'cause it doesn't want to join the taliban and convert to islam!

[Fatesrider]

No question: They killed it.

If it was "unconscious", it would have sunk - sharks are negatively buoyant and have to swim constantly to both breathe and keep from sinking. It shows no indications that other oceanic life was munching on it (From the slideshow), which also means it was never "unconscious" since oceanic life is opportunistic and other scavenger and predator marine life would have feasted as long as it didn't respond.

Bottom line: They're lying about what happened and killed it for the notoriety and money.

[thiagodaluz7]

I deal in <a href="http://jerseycapecoupons.com/Welcome.html">ocean city coupons</a> and this is apparent to me. Tell it like it is, CBS, they killed the shark. Bad enough that they did, almost more frustrating that the news just shrugs it off as "Oh, look, big fish."

[themooniac]

The Paki's can find a 40ft whale shark but can't find Bin Laden living a few doors down the road.

[Filmguy870]

Thatsalottasushi!

[netjunkie1]

It should have been taken by the government.

[Blahsu2en]

Your caption says it's a whale. It's a whale shark, emphasis on shark.

[kmskch]

Wow!!
Whale shark?? Really?!

http://youtu.be/SPKZ78cIH8c
http://youtu.be/zXKV78VERio

ihavealreadycome

[Rowbean]

Humm...these sharks on the world's endangered species list...and these fishermen, who made $18,000 by selling it,and owned a local fishery, didn't kill it- but found it in the middle of the ocean...unconscious...and by the time they pulled it out of the water it was dead...and I suppose these fishermen expect us to believe they didn't help it into the next world for that profit? I think this is a very fishy story.

[rwsmith29456]

Yeah, something is rotten in Pakistan.