Giant shark to feed Fiesta folks

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

A 907-pound shark caught yesterday by a local fisherman will appear at Fiesta in a less frightening and formidable form: shark tacos.
Mike Ettinger, owner of the Mary Beth commercial fishing boat that netted the monstrous mako shark, said he knew he caught something big when he saw his buoy sitting unusually low in the water. After cutting away the netting that had ensnared the beast, he hauled in onboard.

“I’ve got that boom there that lifts 600 pounds,” Ettinger said, “and it was having trouble lifting that fella.”
Santa Barbara Fish Market workers helped “dress” the shark, removing its entrails and slicing it into more manageable chunks. Brian Colgate, who works at the fish market, said the shark meat should appear at his booth at De la Guerra Plaza by Thursday, alongside other local seafood. Proceeds from those sales will go to Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Inc.
Ettinger said he catches a shark every now and then when the water gets warm. He had been fishing for white sea bass off the coast of Rincon near the oil rigs yesterday morning when he snagged the toothy beast.
Mako sharks are considered to be among the fastest swimmers in the ocean, and have been known to attack humans. They can grow longer than 12 feet and weigh up to 1,200 pounds, according to sharkinformation.org.