Officials set free two-tonne whale shark caught by Ras Al Khaimah fisherman

Dubai: An Emirati fisherman caught a whale shark off the coast of Ras Al Kahimah on Wednesday, but the Environmental Protection and Industrial Authority set it free.

Mohammad Ebrahim Ali Al Mazrouei, a fisherman from Al Muaireed in Ras Al Khaimah, never imagined catching a fish weighing around two tonne. He was surprised to spot something heavy entangled in the net and called on his assistants for help. Together they pulled in the net to find a shark.

As soon as they reached the shore, which took them more than five hours, they alerted local authorities.

Dr Saif Al Ghais, head of Environmental and Industrial Authority, said the young female whale shark is five-meters long.

The fisherman, on the instruction of the authorities, will take the shark into the deep sea and will set it free.

Dr Al Ghais urged fishermen to leave whale sharks alone as they are harmless creatures.