A 20-metric ton whale shark that fisherman claim was caught dead off the coast of Shandong Province hangs from a crane before being loaded onto a truck in Rizhao on September 8. Photo:dzwww.com

A fisherman reportedly sold a whale shark weighing 10 metric tons he claims to have caught dead off the northern coastal city of Rizhao, Shandong Province for 202,000 yuan ($32,680), Shandong-based news site dzwww.com reported.

Panjiacun village fisherman Liu Guang was surprised to find the massive shark in his nets on the morning of September 8, and was even more surprised the animal wasn't struggling.

"In all my years of fishing, I've never seen one as big as this," the article quotes Liu as saying. The article does not mention who laid out the cash for the gigantic fish.

Liu told officials he dragged the 10-meter shark back to the harbor and enlisted the help of a crane to lift it out of the water before it was loaded onto a truck.

"We heard he had caught the shark after it had died naturally, then pulled it to shore,"said a local fishing official surnamed Li.

Liu was unavailable for comment as he was still at sea at the time of publishing.

Whale sharks are generally considered peaceful and docile creatures more commonly found in southern waters. However their numbers are dwindling. According to recent data from the internationally recognized IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, whale sharks are considered "vulnerable" to endangerment.

Web editor: pangqi@globaltimes.com.cn