Court Fines Oregon Man Who Bagged Great White Shark

(NEWPORT, Ore.) - An Oregon fisherman from the town of Warren will pay a fine of $299.00 for harvesting a 12-foot Great White August 8, 2009 and gutting it on the docks at Depoe Bay.

Angler Jason W. Robinson, age 32, of Warren, Oregon, told an investigating state police trooper that he was responsible for the shark, and that it become entangled in their crab gear and was pulled to the surface when they were bringing in a crab pot.

An OSP Fish & Wildlife trooper working on routine patrol at the docks responded to the location after hearing about the catch. The trooper saw what he believed to be a Great White Shark that was already gutted, according to Patricia Bauer with the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division.

"Our investigation indicated there was no obvious self-initiated attempt by Mr. Robinson to contact any authorities after he caught the shark before bringing it to the port. If our trooper wasn't at the right place at the right time then we believe he would have unlawfully kept the shark for his own personal interests," said Captain Walt Markee, director of the OSP Fish & Wildlife Division.

Robinson reportedly told the trooper that the shark had been gutted so it could be eaten.

Prior to seizing the shark to confirm it was in fact a Great White, the OSP trooper reports having shown Robinson a portion of the Marine Zone regulations on page 101 of the 2009 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations prohibiting the possession of Great White and Basking Sharks and that one must immediately release them unharmed.

OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers took the shark to the Hatfield Marine Science Center On August 9th, where it was positively identified as a Great White by the National Marine Fisheries Service and ODFW.

On October 1st, Robinson was cited to appear in Lincoln County Circuit Court on October 8, 2009 for the violation offense of Unlawful Possession of Great White Shark.

Oregon State Police want to issue a reminder that anyone who discovers a dead Great White Shark or a Basking Shark should call the Oregon State Police toll free at 1-800-452-7888 to report the discovery and obtain further instructions.

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36ertr January 3, 2012 3:11 pm (Pacific time)

Wow i know these sharks don't grow over night. It takes years and years for it to grow 12 feet long. A Man decides to gut the fish and hang it on his wall for his own selfish needs. Not to mention the shark wasn't used for Food or, survival purposes! He Gets slapped on the wrist with a small fine, what a Shame! if i was his brother id kick his ass to the point where i can stuff his ass full of cotton.

September 29, 2011 5:54 am (Pacific time)

dear paulette go make your home with a spotted owl, and don't forget over 3 billion heads of lettuce are decapitated and consumed by vegans and other species anualy in the us alone! So please feel free to fertilize some roots somewhere!

Paulette September 4, 2010 11:09 am (Pacific time)

Yes I have been in the water with them several times actually and that is how I am certain you are an ignorant hick. 10,000 sharks die every hour retard do your homework. We don't need to kill anymore, we need to save them. You are the kind of people that make this world an awful place. Shark bites are always accidents so do yourself a favor if you are scared and learn some first aid. People die from blood loss not from getting eaten.

Tim King: Right Paulette Bonetti, you are just the most supreme being aren't you? Now that you have humbled us with your insults again, just know that you make yourself appear like something close to a horse's ass. You are not going to be effective in your journey because you are a little sh*t talker. I am glad I know real environmental activists.

Paulette Bonetti November 5, 2009 12:16 pm (Pacific time)

You are all ignorant hicks who have no respect for other living things and out precious earth. I hope you get gutted so your meat won't rot a%^&*le. Go out and kill everything 'till there is nothing left. This prehistoric animal is tied into the food chain that helps to provide us oxygen. Research it dumbasses. YOU ARE ALL SO PATHETIC!

Editor: First Paulette, don't use profanity on this site, kids visit us too. Second, while I appreciate your POV to a degree, a lot of us in this world surf and we are serious about environmentalism, but I don't lose sleep when a maneating shark is hoisted onto a boat. Ever been out in the water with one?

lurker November 4, 2009 9:46 pm (Pacific time)

quick lets gut it and get rid of the evidence...

Greg October 7, 2009 9:12 am (Pacific time)

Gutting it saves the meat from getting tainted more quickly than the normal deterioration process. This has received considerable publicity and I saw no intent to break the law, maybe this fine should be waived. When I look at all the elected officals who have criminally violated tax laws without any accountibility, like Charlie Rangel, this just seem so minor.

"Skipper" Osborne October 6, 2009 2:11 am (Pacific time)

Mista Robinson, what were you thinking? I supported that you not be fined or arrested "for the Great White Shark being accidentally being caught in your net/pots:" But dude, you gutted it, pay the fine and move on.

Mike H. October 5, 2009 9:31 pm (Pacific time)

They must have been using hydraulic wenches to pull in their crab pots. Got caught when they dragged up their pots is total BS if they were doing it by hand. What do those bad boys weigh? 300-400 pounds is my best guess.

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Court Fines Oregon Man Who Bagged Great White Shark

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