A massive stingray, weighing 750 kg, was caught by fishermen in the coastal waters of Pazhaverkadu near Ponneri and dragged for over 10 hours to the shore in the hope that the endangered fish would fetch them several thousands of rupees in the market.

Giant stingrays are often in demand for their medicinal value and their skin, which is exported by dealers in Royapuram.

“Stingrays often get caught in the fishing nets and the smaller ones are even eaten, but this is the first time that we have netted such a huge one, ” said Anthony Raj, a local fisherman. Increased trawling activity has endangered several types of sharks and stingrays, but protecting them continues to be a difficult task, as in most cases the fishermen are not aware of the fish trapped in their nets, say locals.

“Neither the Zoological Survey of India nor the state forest department has done anything to educate the fishermen on this endangered fish species,” rued a senior biologist of the forest department.

Pazhaverkadu, a backwater lagoon, is rich in biodiversity and famous for its large mud crabs. The fish catch in the area, which has fallen over the years , has been the subject of research papers of several marine biologists attached to the Zoological Survey of India at Santhome

source: http://www.asianage.com / Home> Metros> Chennai / by C. S. Kotteswaran / DC / Chennai, July 05th, 2012