Wang Xianjin, the fisherman from Zhoushan City in East China's Zhejiang Province, claimed to have mistakenly caught the 500kg great white while fishing in the East China Sea.

He said: "I've been a fisherman for 27 years, but I have never seen such a big shark."

The predator reportedly became entangled in Wang's large fishing net, and even ripped apart the 70,000 RMB (£7,588) net in the process "as an act of revenge" before it died

Fishmongers at the local fish market are said to have offered up to 10,000 RMB (£1,080) for the specimen, but Wang turned the cash down, saying that he plans to donate the accidental catch to a local marine biology museum.

He claimed only to have been in the market in order to seek help from his friend to transport the massive half-tonne carcass.

The great white shark is classified "Vulnerable" on the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Sharks in China are hunted for their fins, which are turned into the controversial delicacy shark fin soup, while their carcasses are often dumped back into the sea because of the relatively lower profits generated from selling the animal's meat.

The process, known as "finning", means that fishermen can make more income by only transporting the more valuable shark fins instead of hauling entire shark carcasses back to shore.

While officially banned from state banquets in China, shark fin soup is still legal and popular in many regions of the country.

(dailystar.co.uk)