Jakarta, Oct. 31 -- The stranding and death of whale sharks along Indonesia's southern coast of Java have raised concerns about threats facing this rare marine species, as the number of recorded incidents increases while their underlying causes remain unclear. On October 18, a whale shark measuring about 9 metres in length and weighing more than 2 tonnes was found stranded on Parangkusumo Beach in Bantul Regency, in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Rescue teams, together with environmental and fisheries experts, arrived promptly, but the animal had already died before it could be returned to the sea. Dwi Suprapti, a veterinarian specialising in aquatic megafauna, said that the cause of death has yet to be determined. The veterinarian not...