Great white in Manukau Harbour

Predator snagged during fishing competition

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BIG CATCH: The 2.4m great white shark caught in the Manukau Harbour at last year's One Base fishing competition.

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Several Auckland fishermen who snagged a great white shark in the Manukau Harbour during a fishing contest are hoping for a repeat performance this year.

Not many people hope for a close encounter with a great white shark but that's exactly what several Auckland fishermen want during an upcoming fishing contest.

The trio - Michael Grey from Waiuku and his team of Braden Olsen and Ethan James - have already encountered one of the world's largest predatory fish in the Manukau Harbour, and they're after a repeat performance.

The young anglers hooked onto the great white while fishing there during last year's Counties Sport Fishing Club's annual One Base competition, and hope to see it again during this year's tournament next month.

Last year's efforts have also gone a long way to obtaining vital research information about the endangered sharks.

At the beginning of the four-day competition last year marine scientist Clinton Duffy asked teams to contact him immediately if they accidently caught a great white.

''I was actually asleep at the time but when it got caught it was all go ready to fight it,'' Grey said.

''We didn't know what it was until it rose to the surface. We  were hoping that it was a bronzie but saw it as it got closer. We were aware that if we caught one to ring them [Duffy] and they would come out and tag it.''

With a background in game fishing, the fishers knew exactly what to do and were praised by the research staff for keeping the shark in good condition.

After the shark was brought to the surface the team tied it to the boat and made sure to keep the boat running forward so that water would run through its gills.

"Once we realised it was a great white we were pretty careful because it's endangered,'' Grey said.
Once the research team arrived they tagged, weighed and  measured the fish,  then released it back into the Manukau Harbour.

It weighed in at an estimated 143kg at 2.4 metres long and was identified as a juvenile great white female which they named Marina.

For a few months after the shark's capture, tags sent back vital information to the researchers who then relayed that information to Grey.

After its release the shark swam straight back out to the west coast and then headed up north before the tag stopped relaying information.

On February 7 last year Marina was located outside of the Manukau Harbour and by the 25th she had swum to the entrance of the Kaipara Harbour heading north.

It was a shock on March 3 when she was recorded off the northern tip of New Zealand at Cape Maria Van Dieman, having covered  a total of 355km since being caught.

When the battery dies on the tagging device it will hold the GPS information on board until it is scheduled to drop off and rise to the surface. That is due to happen on February 5, the final day of this year's One Base competition.

''Once the tag has released and it floats to the surface it will send out a signal and they will go pick it up,'' Grey said.

''They said that they would not be surprised if it came back into the harbour  because they tend to swim in the same areas.

''I am hoping that it will, it would be awesome to see it come back to the harbour."

* The Counties Sport Fishing Club One Base competition runs from February 2 to  5 from the Te Toro boat ramp. Entry to the One Base will remain open until the competition starts and is $150 an angler.
* All anglers must be affiliated to the New Zealand Sport Fishing Council.
* One lucky angler will take home the gate prize consisting of a $17,000 Atomix boat package
* Inquiries can be made to club president Karl Sutton on 021 1709840 or on the club's website www.csfc.co.nz

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