Catching a great white shark will get you jail time!

There has been a shark-catching frenzy off the Chatham Islands ahead of a new law aimed at protecting one of the ocean's most feared predators.

From midnight Saturday, it is illegal to catch a great white shark in New Zealand waters.
Most people are terrified of them, but for great whites, the feeling is not mutual, as they have no fear of human beings.

Great white sharks are endangered in New Zealand waters, so much so that they are being afforded the same level of protection as the country's national bird.

Some Chatham Island locals have been in a frenzy over the last few days, trying desperately to catch as many sharks as they can before the new law kicks in.

But from midnight Saturday, instead of earning a payout, catching and killing a great white will cost you a jail term.