TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - East Java authorities on Sunday said that they had discovered a 9-meter whale shark that is believed to have died after it was beached at East Java’s Paseban Beach.

“We immediately mobilized our team to the field after we received information from local fishermen and village leaders about a beached whale shark at the Paseban Beach,” said the Head of the Jember Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA), Setyo Utomo.

Based on further details by the local BKSDA team, the 9-meter whale shark is believed to weigh roughly 2 tons, which was a handful for locals to move its remains further into the beach to receive a burial.

“Officials together with village residents will pull the whale shark remains to the seashore before it is buried. The whale shark’s remain is planned to be buried tonight,” said Setyo Utomo.

Indonesian law protects the species as an endangered species under the Maritime and Fisheries Minister’s Decree No.18/2013 which requires a beached whale shark to be returned to the ocean if found alive. However, the rules also state that those that are found dead must be buried.

Prior to this. Three whale sharks were found beached in Jember’s southern coast of Nyamplong Kobong Beach earlier in July. Unfortunately, one of the three whales died due to getting stuck in a fisherman’s net which eventually ended up being cut down for consumption.

Read also: Stranded Whale Sharks, Dolphin Found Dead on Banten Beaches

ANTARA