lift Shark Landed Near Dunedin In 2hr Fight

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30367, 17 February 1964, Page 13

lift Shark Landed Near Dunedin In 2hr Fight

(New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, February 16. Utt white pointer shark—the same type which fatally injured Leslie Jordan at St. Clair Beach 12 days ago—was caught and landed at Deborah Bay, near Port Chalmers, today.

The shark was hooked on a set line tied to a drum which was anchored to a marker buoy in Victoria channel about 11.30 a.m. Fish fillets were used for bait. The two fishermen, Mr John Lewis, aged 38, of Port Chalmers, and his cousin, Mr Jim Lewis, aged 33, of Deborah Bay, saw the drum being towed through the water and rowed out to it in a 10ft dinghy. The shark struggled for about half an hour before it became entangled in the nylon rope used as a line. A second boat with an outboard motor was brought out to help tow the shark to the beach.

The fishermen had the shark on the beach by about 1 p.m. It was still very much alive and snapped at sticks and pieces of iron which fishermen used to try to open its mouth. From nose to tail the shark measured 10ft Ilin—possibly the biggest to be caught with

hook and line near Port Chalmers. A 15ft shark was harpooned in the same area last year. About 500 people went to Deborah Bay this afternoon to see the shark. Spectators were still arriving in the evening. Estimates of the weight of the shark have put it as high as half a ton. Mr John Lewis said last night that he intended to examine the contents of the shark's stomach.

A shark larger than the one caught was hooked on a similar set line with fish bait in only 12ft of water, 50ft from the end of a small jetty, at Carey’s Bay. The line was set by Mr Kendal Nisbet, of St. Clair, who was so astounded at the size of the shark that he made no attempt to tighten the line. After a brief struggle during which the shark completely submerged a 12-gallon drum, it broke free from the hook and swam away.

Mr Nisbet said he was surprised at the shallow depth to which the large shark had come. Children frequently swam out almost to the spot where the shark was hooked, he said.

Thiee smaller sharks, between sft and 6ft long, were caught in a net off Warrington beach about 6 am. Messrs Aten and Jack Date, of Port Chalmers, and three other men were in the fishing party which caught the three smelter sharks. Shortly after the smaller sharks were brought aboard the boat, a larger shark, possibly attracted by blood in the water from the smaller sharks, swam near the boat. They successfully harpooned the tenge shark but it broke the rope in the ensuing struggle and swam off carrying the harpoon wtith it ' No sharks were sighted at St Clair or St Kild® beeches during the week-end and set lines at St. Clair were not touched by sharks. The president of the St Clair club, Mr J. Robert, and

another senior member, Mr A. Thomas, swam for half an hour 50 yards out from the beach ait St. Clair on Saturday afternoon. A careful lookout for sharks was kept from the top of a new 40ft tower erected on top of the club’s pavilion while the olub-membera were swimming. They reported no sign of sharks but saw many small dogfish. A lookout for sharks will be maintained' from the tower during normal patrol hours for the rest of the swimming season. Mr Gillies said watchers would have binoculars and a warning system to the clubhouse and beech.