FISHERMAN’S CATCH

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28793, 14 January 1959, Page 7

FISHERMAN’S CATCH

35 Sharks And 6001 b Turtle

■The Press- special Service DUNEDIN, January 13 Fishing for sharks off Oamaru ?? Saturday, a local fisherman. Mr S. T. Tangey, hauled in his line with 35 grey nurse sharks and a 6001 b leathery turtle—6ft long and 4ft wide. Foul-hooked in the flipper on the long shark line, the turtle came to the surface without much fight. Fortunately, two other Oamaru fishermen, Messrs S. and A. Wybrow, in the trawler Karon, came alongside Mr Tangey’s launch, Julia, to see what the excitement was' about and were able to lift the turtle aboard the trawler with a winch. At Oamaru about 1000 persons saw the turtle before it was loaded into Mr «L List’s trawler and taken to Port Chalmers, for inspection by Professor B. J. Marples, of the zoology department of Otago University. The turtle is now in a cold store until the Otago Museum staff return from their holidays to deal with it

Professor Marples said it was rare anywhere and grew up to a ton in weight. They were seldom seen in coastal waters. Anyone considering the possibility of turtle soup or turtle steaks would be out of luck. Professor Marples said the flesh was certainly unpalatable and probably poisonous.

The turtle has a tough blackgrey bide, with dozens of small horny plates, the size of a halfpenny, underneath. .

The museum staff will probably make a plaster mould of the body and the zoology department of the university will study the skull and stomach contents and look for parasites.