LEGAZPI CITY, Albay , Philippines – Whale sharks, known locally as butanding, have been sighted feeding in the Albay Gulf and local officials are asking the national government to protect the province’s fishing areas, especially since the presence of the butandings can boost tourism in the region.
Fishermen in Barangays San Roque, Baybay, Bigaa and Victory Village here recently sighted whale sharks feeding on plankton and tiny shrimp from the Ogod River. They seem to have extended their feeding area from Donsol, Sorsogon, and are expected to linger until June.
Legazpi City mayoral candidate Geraldine Rosal said the whale sharks should be protected from fishermen and poachers.
She said the seasonal migration of the marine animal will encourage more tourists to visit the city’s high-end destinations like the Misibis Bay Raintree Resort and Spa on Cagraray Island and the Embarkadero.
“Of course this is just a seasonal sighting and I hope these large gentle fish will regularly come here,” Rosal told The STAR in a phone interview last Friday.
Rosal, wife of incumbent Mayor Noel Rosal, is running against Liberal Party’s Lorna Cristobal.
Donsol Mayor Jerome Alcantara said revenues from whale shark interaction reached P70 million last year.
“We are still a third-class municipality but our earning is for a first-class municipality,” Alcantara said.
He said unabated illegal fishing in Ticao Pass threatens Sorsogon’s tourism industry because it endangers not only the whale sharks, but the manta rays as well.