Mexican Fisherman lands Great White Shark

Helmut Nickel, Shark Year Magazine,
17. April 2012

Date: reported on 16. April 2012.

Location: Sonora State, Mexico.

Species: Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).

Size: said to be ca. 6 metres in length, 1000 kg in weight.

This impressive white shark was reportedly caught in the Gulf of California off the northwestern coast of Mexico.

The source is reporting that the catch took place near ‘El Choyudo’, which is located close to Kino Bay (Bahía
de Kino) in the Municipality of Hermosillo.

Local authorities are currently investigating the circumstances which led to the capture of this rare specimen.

Update:  There is also a video of an interview with the fisherman in our Video Section (HERE).

Source and Photo Credit: Conexion Total

32 Comments

  1. denise edgar

    WHAT A DAMN SHAME ON HIM .Where ever their is a human and a coast sharks die .Stupid  bastards.GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

  2. Ramona

    This killing is wrong and charges should be filed! Great Whites are on the verge of being non existence! We need sharks in our oceans, this is terrible. 

  3. Shanda Robinson

    Bullshit!!

  4. You should check information first berofe saying such thins. It seems to be a bycatch clearly. Fishermen were not targetting sharks.

  5. JePe

    See CITES Appendix II and IUCN Redlist ! And no fishermen would release a shark without finning or the wish to be a “hero”.

  6. Sharklady

    Yeah, right. He just “happened” to catch a great white. Judging by the size of this fish (almost 18 feet), he had his work cut out for him. Too bad he won and the shark lost. This idiot needs to be investigated and fined accordingly. It’s bad enough sharks get caught in nets and fishing lines, but “catching” them is SO unnecessary. Let’s string him up and throw him on the beach and see how HE likes it. Yeah, I thought so.

  7. Sharklady

    Sorry, but we can thank all the go*ks for the demand and consumption of shark fin soup. They started all this. Where there is no demand, there will be no supply. Leave the sharks alone — they’re a necessary part of the ocean’s ecosystem.

  8. Neither this fisherman in his tiny boat nor others like him pose any threat to the population of great whites. It is the commercial finning in huge quantities that is the problem. Not to mention the damage we are all doing to their habitat. Leave this guy alone and go after the people who sell shark fin soup!!!!!

    • Sharklady

      Anytime any shark is caught, there’s a problem, no matter who caught it. As far as the people who sell the shark fin soup, where there’s no demand, hopefully there will be no supply. All fishermen, no matter how tiny or large their boat, that captures a shark is part of the problem because they are sure not part of the solution. Sorry, but it is what it is.

      • Lana

        Sharklady,

        In California common thresher sharks are harvested from a sustainable shark fishery. We all do know what a sustainable fishery is, don’t we?
        I can understand all the problems when a sharks species is not sustainable, but many shark species are still a sustainable fishery.
        Not every shark being caught causes problems.

        http://sharkyear.com/2012/sustainable-sport-fishing-for-thresher-sharks.html

        Video uploaded by usnoaafisheriesgov on 09. April 2012:

        As the popularity of recreational sport fishing of thresher sharks in Southern California is rising, scientists at NOAA and the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research partner up to study survival rates on the local population. The goal: to offer up best fishing practices to recreational fishermen in an effort to keep this thresher shark fishery sustainable.

  9. ruecharlot

    Dear Sharklady,
    Please stop writing incendiary comments from a place of total IGNORANCE.  I live in this community, they DO NOT fish for shark here, this was an accidental catch because the shark got caught in a poor workingman’s net. This species is not at all common here and I can assure you the fisherman had no idea what he was catching–also all the meat was donated to the people of a very poor fishing village.  I too believe that sharks are magnificent creatures and should be protected, but it makes me sick to read comments  which have no basis is fact.  Also, if you watch the video and understand Spanish it is very clear, stick to the facts please.

  10. Mac

    Any animal is much more worth living on this planet than any of us.

  11. Jessica

    We humans Kill more sharks then they kill human.. I believe Eye for an Eye when appropriate defend.. but leave the innocent alone. Sad.

  12. Reina

    To all people who believe that Sonora fishermen are killing sharks, please take care of that comments, because you do not know what are talking about. I am Mexican, marine biologist that has been working for 25 years in the Gulf of California on marine resources. I know El Choyudo, so I can tell to everyone that these poor people obtain minor species in smallest boats, they survive from the ocean. In other way, actually the dead animal was found in a net that was lost in the sea by the fishers for four days; nobody can tell that they are unconsciously people because it could happen as an unfortunate accident for the shark. Surely it was feeding near shore as noticed by the sea lions in its stomach.  Stop those malicious and offensive comments.  

  13. ruecharlot

    Bien Hecho Reina!! Muy dificil combatir la ignorancia.

  14. Angel

    I wonder what siza of a net they lost at sea to get this size of an animal.
    The boat we see on the picture can possibly not carry a net that can catch that size of a fish, I am not discussing if it is a bay catch or not. But any net that can catch this animal can catch anything. Today it is a white shark, yesterday it was another type of shark and tomorrow another one. I think you are not going to argue that they never catch sharks with those nets !!! So please stop defending this unfortune catch. And I am tired of this poor people argument. They are poor people so they can do whatever they want ? When you catch a great white, this size, it just does not matter if you are poor or rich. It does not matter which part of the world you live in. You kill an animal that is protected. Your being poor or rich does not cahnge it for the animal, does it ? It does not change anything for me as well. Facts : A protected animal is killed. It is killed by a net.
    Claim: They are poor people, bay catch, small boats, non ignoratnt people.

  15. Maria

    I love visiting the Bahia de Kino with my family when we travel to Hermosillo to visit family! There are all types of boats out there fishing to make a living as we do here in the states! A shark is caught from time to time here in the states but instead of bringing the shark to the beach they cut it free and let it emerge onto our beach and no one comes forward to say anything. I wonder how our fish, shrimp, or many other types of seafood are caught by a huge net! Just because this town accidently, YES ACCIDENTLY caught a shark and took pictures does not mean that it was on purpose!

    • Angel

      In every part of the world, there are diffirent sizes of boats that are going fishing to make living. If you ask the poorest villager in Africe which virtually has nothing, I mean nothing materially, says that he catch and sell anything or eat it to live. If you compare the conditions, that is a lot worse than this village That is why there is protection.
      That is the meaning of protection. It means where ever you live, don’t kill this animal.
      I am glad that you like these people and the region and the village. it does not change the fact that they killed a protected animal.
      The shirmp or any other type of seafood nets can not catch this animal. That was the point. This size of an animal will tear the shrimp net in pieces in a few seconds . Only tuna nets can catch this animal. So it means they fish for tune too. Not so small size fish, is it ? Not so cheap as well. If they can lay nets for tuna, it means they use mid to big size boats not these 20-30 feet boats we see in the video.
      These nets combined with those boats can catch anything. That includes any type of shark. Everytime someone lays that net, it will catch any shark, any size. M
      aybe, now you may better understand the point.
      Also, the poor villager in Africa gets the same critics as these guys. And there is nobody around to defend them…
      If it is wrong, it is wrong for everyone, every where.
      You may be in love with these people. That also does not change the wrong they did…

      • REINA

        Actually, do you know the truth on this unfortunate situation? I did not know at all. Life in oceans is complicated. Undoubtedly, it is more when man-species interaction exists, but the worst occurs when there is a type of persecution of the innocents. I ask to you, what about your comment “I am in love with that people?” Sorry but you lost the objectivity with this exclamation, you are meaning other situation. I just said that people in the coast eat minor species, but surely they never went for killing that giant shark, curiously still you are asseverating. Perhaps you do not know, but Mexico is one of the countries that protect its biodiversity, I´ll tell you only two examples: the grey whales in Baja, the white shark in our coasts, yes THE WHITE SHARK. Of course that I defend them, because I only read attacks, why? Does anyone thinks that we are ignorant?. Read this carefully: if fishers had spent all their lives in marine coasts, at small villages, surely they practice sustainability of marine resources, although they had never visited any university. If you are an expertise, show your in situ precise data for correct interpretation, because it’s lacking. Please tell, why are you saying on tuna boats? You are blaming and only you are wrong. Otherwise, for this particular case, there is not validation on your observations, tuna vessels do not operate in shallow waters, not in this place. Particularly I feel sad when animals die, I feel sad when people dye starving, not only in Africa. I feel sad when at any circumstance people and all animals in the planet are at risk. Good bye. 

  16. Angel

    First of all, the comment was adressed to Maria. That is why you see the love claim.
    Second, I call it an unfortunate accident, if you read again.
    Third, in any part of the world, poverty and ignorance, comes in hand in hand.
    Fourth, I can send you the dimantions of illegal fishing in the sea of Cortez and the peninsula, if you have time to read.Fifth, this discussion , from the begining, was brought to to the conditions of the people and village by the defenders, as yourself. I did not bring the subject up. If you bring it up, please stay there to hear opposition. This is not a poor or rich problem.
    If you read all other posts, you see that everyone who hates this accident also hates similar accidents all around the world. just in the recent 30 days, similar posts may be found for Mozambique (killed and ate the tagged GWS) and Tunisia (Shot to kill a GWS that was netted)
    I could not read your or any defenders of this post defending the East and North African people there at those posts. So defending the poor people works for Mexica only ? Is it ? No, because you are familiar with the area. But also beacuse this GWS is killed there.
    So there is no need to be histerical in any of these situations. Or the upcomong ones. 3 GWS were killed in Taiwanisee cost in 30 days and we argued against it as well. They are poor people as well. I did not see you people defending the poor in that discussion either.
    I think what you are missing is a protected animal, irrelated to the place of catch is wrong and deserves an opposition. Even if you like it or not.
    Also about the technical details as you mentioned.
    Please try to catch a GWS of this size, catch one and than lets talk about it with, a shrimp net. Let me make it simple.

    You can not make a car accident without a car.
    If you consider this a car accident, the car is the net. Please hear me out, the net which can manage to hold this animal to a kill, can kill anything in any ocean. Add your presumed protected Grey Whale to the list. (There are multiple reports on killed Gray Whales on accidental net catch as well, but this is not the point of discussion here, just FYI)
    Defending something does not mean to defend it blindly this is true for opposing something.
    Please keep in mind that the point of this discussion is the killed Great White Shark. Not the village or the villagers. The animal is dead !!!

  17. Wow that is the stuff of nightmares!

    So many angry card carrying PETA, ELF, Vegan types trolling these videos…Many of them are filled with hatred and anger over the killing of a white shark. Probably Leftist liberal socialist abortion rights activists in their spare time, of well.

    The white population is on the rise, they have been protected for the past two decades, there are more of them and they are known to have ten pups per litter on average…you do the math. 

  18. Wow that is the stuff of nightmares!

    The white population is on the rise, they have been protected for the past two decades, there are more of them and they are known to have ten pups per litter on average…you do the math. 

  19. Kelly cotera

    WOW… My husband has family there and this is the first time ive seen this….and to think ive been swimming in bahia di kino for 18 years..

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