A Warren man who pulled up a 12-foot-long Great White Shark with his crab pot last August has been cited for unlawful possession.

Jason W. Robinson, 32, was issued a non-criminal citation by Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife division for the Aug. 8 incident at Depoe Bay, according to a police news release. He is scheduled to appear in Lincoln County Circuit Court on Oct. 8.

A trooper on duty had heard about the shark catch that day and contacted the boat's occupants. He saw the shark had already been gutted, which Robinson said was to prepare it for eating, a press release said.

"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 Fish & Wildlife division.

Oregon regulations prohibit the possession of Great White Sharks and Basking Sharks, and require that the sharks be immediately released unharmed.

Anyone that discovers a dead Great White Shark or a Basking Shark is urged to call the Oregon State Police at 800-452-7888.

-- Staff reports