Ouch! Did anyone see this?

[theangler]

[size 1][size 2]Great white shark isn't a great catch [/size]
[/size] [size 1][/size] [size 1]By Ed Zieralski [/size]
[size 1]UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER [/size]

[size 1]June 10, 2003 [/size]

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[size 1]A Los Angeles fisherman who caught a 1-to 2-year-old great white shark from the Hermosa Pier will be cited by the State Department of Fish and Game for killing a protected species. [/size]

[size 1]Abraham Ulloa, a general contractor from Los Angeles, posed with the estimated 61/2 -foot white shark on the pier June 7 along with two Hermosa Beach lifeguards. [/size]

[size 1]The photo appeared with a story in the Easy Reader, a Hermosa Beach newspaper, and even though the caption identified the catch as a "200-pound mako," the story and headline identified it as a "great white shark." [/size]

[size 1]The story described Ulloa's two-hour battle with the shark on 40-pound test line and heavier leader and how two fishing buddies helped haul the fish up with grappling gaffs. [/size]

[size 1]Outraged by the story and photo, sport and commercial fishermen called Fish and Game officials and media. Many criticized the Hermosa Beach lifeguards for their involvement. [/size]

[size 1]"We received a lot of tips from the public on this," said Carrie Wilson, a marine biologist with the DFG. [/size]

[size 1]Department of Fish and Game warden Rebecca Hartman investigated and traced Ulloa to his home in Los Angeles. Ulloa told her his family had eaten some of the fish, and he had distributed portions to friends. But he still had the fins and jaws of the shark. [/size]

[size 1]Hartman didn't cite Ulloa because he claimed he thought it was a mako shark. She confiscated the fins and jaws and took them to a marine biologist for identification. [/size]

[size 1]Chris Lowe, a biology professor at Long Beach State, identified the great white by its unmistakable teeth. [/size]

[size 1]"At that young age, the teeth are somewhat like a mako's, but the great white has serrated bottom teeth," Lowe said. "And its uppers are more triangular than a mako's." [/size]

[size 1]Hartman plans to cite Ulloa even though he professed ignorance. [/size]

[size 1]"It's a violation even though he claims he didn't know what it was," Hartman said. "The law is set up to protect the animal. If you don't know what it is, don't take it. In this case, this individual took a great white shark, a predator that keeps sea lions in check and fills a certain niche in the ocean." [/size]

[size 1]Ulloa could not be reached for comment. He faces a misdemeanor charge, a fine of $1,000 and/or six months in county jail. Hartman said the Hermosa Beach lifeguards in the picture with Ulloa won't be charged because they arrived after the shark was killed. They played no role in the killing of the fish, she said. Lifeguards Charlie Piccaro and Bill "Shark" Harkins' only "crime" is they posed with Ulloa over a dead protected great white shark. [/size]

[size 1]Lowe said Southern California is a nursery for great whites, and he estimates six to eight young great whites are caught each year by sport and commercial fishermen between Dana Point and Ventura. He said it's important that laws stay in place to protect them. [/size]

[size 1]"The best guess is that great white sharks take 12 to 18 years to mature and give birth," he said. "And when they do give birth, it's only to one or two pups at a time. These fish have a life span of humans." [/size]
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[JapanRon]

Hi theangler,

Boy! Learned a lot about our local little Great White Shark friends.

Too bad about the fine.

JapanRon
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[Fishslayer]

Too bad about the fine? I think they should throw the book at him. No excuse for taking that shark. I have my doubts that he didn't know what it was. The original story implied that he was a somewhat experienced shark angler. I don't even target sharks and I can tell a Mako from a GW up close. AND I also know that GW are protected.

Having said that, I used to fish Hermosa pier & it would be pretty hard to tell from the rail what sort it was. An expert could probly tell a GW from Mako at that distance but I doubt I could. Tell ya what. IF I landed it I sure wouldna had my pic taken with it!

Fishslayer
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[JapanRon]

Hi Fishslayer,

Ya, I gave the guy the benefit of the doubt like I always do. If I had hooked it, I would have: Fought it, Got a good look at it, (no matter what kind of shark it was)and cut my line to let it live. Pictures? Nope, Grappling the poor thing up to the pier? Nope. Taken it hope? Nope

Did you hear the recent story about the poor little smoothhound shark that was scared to death by some guy jumping into his tank. Poor thing died of stress two days after the incident.

I'll have to be more careful with the smoothhounds we often catch tubin off the beach.

JapanRon
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[TubeDude]

[cool]That raises an interesting question for us float tubers. What if we get munched by a great white, and our gear sticks in its throat and kills it. Would we be subject to a fine for killing our killer?

Seriously, it's a shame to lose any individual member of an endangered species like the great white. For too many years all the macho trophy hunters slaughtered these slow-reproducing sharks in the interest of showing off, and for the trophy jaws. Any wonder why there are so many pinnipeds (sea lions) around to harrass the fishermen?

This story is not unlike the situation with giant black sea bass. The young of the species are spotted and do not look like the solid dark colored adults. More than a few are kept and killed by pier anglers and inshore small boaters who do not realize what they have caught. When one comes aboard a sportfisher, the crew usually recognize it and insist that it be returned to the water. I have seen a couple of citations and confiscations resulting from unknowingly keeping small black see bass.

TubeDude
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[theangler]

Hello Guys,

I definetly agree, its a shame he killed it.

I think I would have opted for the route of "close enough for a picture and cut the line". Would have been a great couple of hours getting that bad boy close enough for a picture.

By the way TD, not to worry, from what I've heard they have found in sharks stomachs, he'd be alright letting your fins and things sit in the bottom of his rock gut. Although we'd sure miss ya', so try to aviod Tubin shark infested waters (LOL)!
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Don't worry about me. My mama drowned all the dumb ones. And, I'd like to think I've got more smarts as I've growed older.

Out here in Arizona, about the worst we have to look out for is rattlesnakes. Lots of big diamondbacks hang around the water...both for water and for the rodents that come in to drink and eat around the edges. It can be interesting working your way down to a lake, or around the edges early or late. They sometimes even swim out into the water.

Got bit by a rattler once. In spite of everything we could do...it died.

TubeDude.
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[dh_tubinaaron]

hahahaha

hi TD,

I got your package the other day and have been workin on the boat the past 3 dayz! I sure would have given that guy h377 about that! I wish that another pod of killer whales came through the area again! We saw 2 on the way back to the dock on Saturday but I dont know what they were eating. We could really use one, just one at CAT to keep those dumb things down for a while! I also got to feed the Bald Eagles at the island all weekend because everytime someone got a short bass that was bleeding and we put it in the water the Eagles were watching and would fly down to eat it. At times there were 2 to 3 racing for one fish![cool]

Thanks again for the package, Ill tell you if I catch a seabass on one of the Bananna heads this weekend........

Aaron

Big and small kill em all! (Except for GW's!)
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Can't offer you any suggestion on the "dogs". Hate them protected fish hounds.

Glad the pony express found you. Let me know if you need any input on some of the combinations. I think you got it pretty well figured out.

We have a few bald eagles that nest over here on a couple of the lakes. About three years ago, during the worst part of the early drought, they dumped the remaining water out of a small lake I like to float tube (Horseshoe Lake). There were a lot of fish that went through the chute and many of them were killed or injured. The seagulls heard about it and flocked in for the feast.

A couple of young eagles also got in on the action. Only they didn't scoop the fish in the traditional eagle fashion. They waited until a seagull hauled up a big fat crappie or bass and then swooped in and thumped the seagull to make it give up it's dinner. Lazy kids learned a life of crime early.

Down on the salt water channels below New Orleans, I would be out float tubing and catching a lot of sea trout and redfish. I threw most of them back and there were a couple of big brown pelicans that got to recognize me. When I launched they flew in and I couldn't get rid of them. I sometimes had to fight to rescue a fish to be released. A couple of times I thought they might be considering me as an appetizer. I guess I shouldn't have encouraged them by tossing the occasional snagged mullet to them.

TubeDude
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[TubeDude]

[cool]Hey, do you suppose the Fish & Game might bust this helicopter for fishing for great whites? How did they get that guy on the rope ladder to volunteer to be bait? Hope they plan to release it unharmed.



TubeDude
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