Monrovia, Liberia – Local Fishermen who pulled a dead Whale off the shores of Grandcess, Grand Kru County, have denied they killed the giant animal.

The whale was reportedly discovered floating at sea near Grandcess Beach by locals and marketers who had gone on the beach to await fishermen on Tuesday.

Grandcess Radio quotes Sylvester Sayma, one of the leaders of the Fishermen as saying the whale was discovered dead following a thorough inspection.

Sayma said the whale was so large that they had to tie ropes on some parts and used a machine canoe to pull the giant animal onshore.

The clarification by the fishermen comes amid concerns by conservationists about the killing of the protected species.

“On Tuesday September 1, at about 3pm residents and marketers who had gone on the beach to await fishermen to return from fishing saw strange big thing floating on the sea. They alarmed and those who went at sea found out that it was a big whale. It was from there the operation was launched to bring it onshore” reported a local radio station in the area, Grandcess Radio 94.9FM on the afternoon of Tuesday September 1, 2020.

Fisherman Sayma then explained that as a result of the giant size of the whale, it was difficult to pull it out of the water. “We had to tie ropes around it and pull it on shore using a machine Canoe” he added.

After the whale was brought onshore, community members joined efforts with the fishermen to pull it clear off the water.

The situation created a rush for free meat as the whale was being butchered and residents of nearby, towns and villages reportedly trooped in on Grandcess Beach to grab their share.

Locals say this is the second time a whale has landed on the shores of Grand Kru in two years after landing in Picnicess in 2018.