Whale shark pics revealed

A crew member from the controversial factory trawler the Geelong Star has allegedly released photos of the vessel reeling in a protected whale shark.

Conservationists are battling to get information about the catch, which they claim will back their argument to ban such ships from operating in Australian waters.

The blurry images show a large fish - similar to the protected species - hanging from its tail and lying on the deck of a ship, but do not include the vessel's name or a date.

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority has previously released a statement to say the whale shark was out of the water for no longer than four minutes during the February incident.