Fishermen in south India were happy when their nets snared a school of rare stingrays on March 30, but their windfall sparked outrage among environmental activists. <br /><br />The fishermen celebrated their catch and shot videos as they gathered the endangered fish on the beach near Ponnani, Kerala state. <br /><br />However the incident left wildlife activists angry as stingrays are a protected species under Indian law, and hunting them can invite a sentence up to seven years. <br /><br />Wildlife activist Subhendu Malik said: “There is prima facie evidence to prosecute the fishermen for a serious wildlife crime. Officials should act to create awareness and deter others from illegal hunting of stingrays.’’
