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The body of a decomposing whale was washed ashore at the James Town Beach in Accra last Sunday. A mild stench has engulfed the area because of the fast decomposition of the carcass. It was reportedly first seen floating last Saturday by some fishermen who were returning from their fishing expedition. Some residents, however, told the Daily Graphic that the body of the mammal was washed ashore about 5 p.m. last Sunday. Alleged shooting A fisherman stated that at the time the carcass was found at sea, there were some holes in the body, which he suspected to have been caused by shots allegedly fired at it on the high seas. �We strongly believe those foreign trawlers which use the oil in whales for various purposes deliberately shot and killed this animal,� added another fisherman, who identified himself as Nii Okoi. As of yesterday, the carcass had been washed a few metres from where it first landed, with a chunk of the decomposing body washed away. Curious onlookers When the Daily Graphic visited the area about 12 noon yesterday, curious residents of James Town, including children, were seen thronging the beach to catch a glimpse of the mammal, ignoring the risk they faced from the waves carrying fluids of the carcass. Trawler hunting The Chief Fisherman of the James Town Traditional Area, Nii Kai Okaishie III, said some of the fishermen informed him about the presence of the dead animal and that it was trapped in a thick net suspected to be one of those used by trawlers. �We believe the whale was either hunted and killed at deep sea or trapped in the net used by trawlers,� he said. Nii Okaishie said the cruel hunting of marine mammals, mainly dolphins and whales, by pair trawlers had been a major cause of the death of whales along the country�s coastline. He stated that in most cases when whales got trapped in the nets used by trawlers, the crew, in a bid to save their boats from destruction, often cut part of the net to allow the whales to escape, �caring less about whether they are trapped in the net or not�. Removing carcass He said since the carcass was stuck at a dangerous part in the water, it would be difficult to remove it. �We hope that by Tuesday the waves would have carried the body close to the beach of Mensah Guinea, near the Arts Centre, where we can fence and bury it,� he said. History Nii Okaishie told the Daily Graphic that it was not the first time the carcass of a whale had been washed ashore, saying that �we have encountered dead whales washed ashore three times�. �The first incident occurred about 40 years ago when a huge whale was washed ashore at the Korle Gonno beach and the second took place at the Kokrobite beach about four months ago,� he said.