He posed with a great white shark on the Pismo Pier. Now he’ll have to pay.
An Oceano man sought by California Fish and Wildlife officials after posing with a juvenile great white shark he caught at the Pismo Beach pier in June will receive probation and perform community service.
Joshua Ramsey Carr, 25, pleaded no contest last month to a misdemeanor count of unlawful taking of a great white shark and was sentenced by San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen to one year of bench probation. In addition, Carr must perform 60 hours of community service and pay a $500 fine.
He faced a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
Carr turned himself in in July after officials saw photos he took of him posing with the animal on the pier as people looked on.
Great white sharks are a protected species and can only be captured for scientific purposes. While hooking one is not illegal, anglers are required to immediately release the animal back into the water unharmed.
Matt Fountain: 805-781-7909, @MattFountain1
This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 4:42 PM with the headline "He posed with a great white shark on the Pismo Pier. Now he’ll have to pay.."