Whale Shark Stranded On The South Coast Of Cianjur, Residents Crowded With Meat Slaughter

Residents on the southern coast of Cianjur, West Java, found a spotted whale shark stranded dead, so residents cut its meat for consumption, Friday (8/9/2023). (ANTARA/Ahmad Fikri). (Ahmad Fikri)

CIANJUR - A resident of the southern coast of Cianjur, West Java, found a 7 meter long leopard whale shark weighing more than 2 tons stranded on the beach. Although including protected animals, dozens of residents cut the meat for consumption.

The head of Sindangbarang sub-district, Yudi Adi Nugroho, said that the leopard shark, which is about 7 meters long, was first found by fishermen on the beach, precisely in Cicalengka Village, Talagasari Village, Sindangbarang District, when he was about to go to sea.

"We received reports that a leopard shark was stranded from reports from local village officials, went straight to the location, but most of the meat from the large fish had been cut by residents for consumption," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, September 8.

His party cannot prohibit residents because of the habit on the coast when they find sharks or whales stranded, the meat is always cut by residents for consumption, including the residents' bones for handicrafts or displays.

Yudi explained that the discovery of a spotted whale shark that was stranded for the second time after the first discovery in 2021. At that time, residents found a dead leopard whale shark and immediately cut its meat for consumption.

"If information from residents after two years ago, residents again found a spotted whale shark stranded dead. So that residents cut its meat for consumption, including taking its bones to be processed into handicrafts," he said.

While information from local residents, the 7 meter long leopard shark weighing more than 2 tons, was first discovered by several fishermen who wanted to go to sea and informed local residents of the findings.

Residents who found reports scattered to the beach to pick up fish meat that was rarely found in the waters of the southern coast of Cianjur. Not a few who only take photos with the background of the marine mammal that breathes with the insang.

"We received information from fishermen who wanted to go to sea in the morning, heard the news, we immediately went to the beach to get whale meat, which is very rarely stranded on the southern coast of Cianjur," said a resident of Sindangbarang District, Rusamana.