Bentonia woman’s catch adds 12 pounds to mark
Over 12 pounds was added to the state record for finetooth shark this week when the state’s Commission on Marine Resources approved a fish caught last month by an angler from central Mississippi.
Shiloh Turner of Bentonia caught the fish on April 22. Biologists with the Department of Marine Resources certified the species and the weight —46 pounds, 10.4 ounces.
The previous record was 34 pounds, 8.64 ounces, which was set in July 2016.
The finetooth shark is native to the western Atlantic and its connected waters, like the Gulf of Mexico, and is valued for its excellent table fare. The species is an important component of the commercial gillnet shark fishery operating off the southeastern United States. Population assessments suggest that this fishery does not currently pose a threat to U.S. populations of the species.
This shark is not known to pose a danger to humans, though it snaps vigorously when captured and should be handled with caution.
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