May 26, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:
The following are preliminary landings estimates in metric tons (mt) and pounds (lb) dressed weight (dw) for the Atlantic shark commercial fisheries; 1 mt is equal to 2,204.6 pounds. These preliminary estimates are based on dealer reports and other information received from January 1 through May 19, 2017. The estimates include landings by state-only permitted vessels, federally permitted vessels, and the 2017 shark research fishery participants. We provide percentages of landings instead of estimated landings where needed to continue ensuring participant confidentiality. The fishing seasons for all shark management groups opened on January 1, 2017, except for the aggregated LCS, blacktip shark, and hammerhead shark management groups in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region which opened on February 1, 2017.
Gulf of Mexico Region
- Includes any landings south and west 25° 20.4′ N. long.
- As of 5/19/2017, the retention limit for directed permit holders is 45 large coastal sharks other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the eastern Gulf of Mexico sub-region and no retention of large coastal sharks in the western Gulf of Mexico sub-region1.
- The retention limit for directed permit holders can change throughout the season.
|
Sub-Region |
Shark Management Group |
2017 Quota
|
Estimated Landings Through 5/19/2017 |
% of 2017 Quota |
2016 Landings Through same reporting period |
|
Eastern Gulf of Mexico (East of 88° W. lat. only) |
Blacktip |
36.0 mt dw (79,359 lb dw) |
11.1 mt dw (24,411 lb dw) |
31% |
15.5 mt dw (34,117 lb dw) |
|
Aggregated Large Coastal (quota linked to Hammerhead) |
85.5 mt dw (188,593 lb dw) |
24.7 mt dw (54,515 lb dw) |
29% |
39.9 mt dw (88,031 lb dw) |
|
|
Hammerhead (quota linked to Agg. LCS) |
13.4 mt dw (29,421 lb dw) |
<4 mt dw (<8,818 lb dw) |
<30% |
6.3 mt dw (13,884 lb dw) |
|
|
Western Gulf of Mexico (West of 88° W. lat. only) |
Blacktip |
331.6 mt dw (730,425 lb dw) |
207.2 mt dw (456,815 lb dw) |
63% Closed1 |
165.7 mt dw (365,268 lb dw) |
|
Aggregated Large Coastal (quota linked to Hammerhead) |
72.0 mt dw (158,724 lb dw) |
65.2 mt dw (143,818 lb dw) |
91% Closed1 |
66.1 mt dw (145,624 lb dw) |
|
|
Hammerhead (quota linked to Agg. LCS) |
11.9 mt dw (26,301 lb dw) |
2.5 mt dw (5.541 lb dw) 2 |
24% Closed1 |
16.8 mt dw (37,063 lb dw) |
|
|
N/A |
Non-Blacknose Small Coastal |
112.6 mt dw (248,215 lb dw) |
21.4 mt dw (47,155 lb dw) |
19% |
13.2 mt dw (29,040 lb dw) |
|
N/A |
Smoothhound |
504.6 mt dw (1,112,441 lb dw) |
0 mt dw (0 lb dw) |
0% |
0 mt dw (0 lb dw) |
1 Fishery closed at 11:30 p.m. local time on May 2, 2017 (82 FR 20447).
2 The landings decrease from the previous month is due to removal of duplicate records.
Atlantic Region
- Includes any landings north of 25° 20.4′ N. lat.
- As of 5/19/2017, the retention limit for directed permit holders is 3 large coastal sharks other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip, and the retention limit for all permit holders is 8 blacknose sharks per vessel per trip1.
- The retention limit for directed permit holders can change throughout the season.
|
Shark Management Group |
2017 Quota |
Estimated Landings Through 5/19/2017 |
% of 2017 Quota |
2016 Landings through same reporting perio |
|
Aggregated Large Coastal (quota linked to Hammerhead) |
168.9 mt dw (372,552 lb dw) |
49.3 mt dw (108,671 lb dw) |
29% |
34.7 mt dw (76,518 lb dw) |
|
Hammerhead (quota linked to Agg. Large Coastal) |
27.1 mt dw (59,736 lb dw) |
4.3 mt dw (9,427 lb dw) |
16% |
8.3 mt dw (18,282 lb dw) |
|
Non-Blacknose Small Coastal (quota linked to Blacknose south of 34° N. lat. only) |
264.1 mt dw (582,333 lb dw) |
47.0 mt dw (103,674 lb dw) |
18% |
31.4 mt dw (69,281 lb dw) |
|
Blacknose 1 (South of 34° N. lat. only) |
17.2 mt dw (37,921 lb dw) |
4.4 mt dw (9,743 lb dw) |
26% |
9.3 mt dw (20,527 lb dw) |
|
Smoothhound |
1,802.6 mt dw (3,971,587 lb dw) |
56.8 mt dw (125,318 lb dw) |
3% |
70.5 mt dw (155,352 lb dw) |
1 NMFS implemented a retention limit of 8 blacknose shark per vessel per trip on January 13, 2017 (81 FR 90241; December 12, 2016). NMFS implemented a change in the retention limit of large coastal sharks other than sandbar for all directed permit holders on April 13, 2017 (82 FR 17765, April 13, 2017).
No Regional Quotas
|
Shark Management Group |
2017 Quota |
Estimated Landings Through 5/19/2017 |
% of 2017 Quota |
2016 Landings through same reporting period |
|
Shark Research Fishery (Aggregated LCS) |
50.0 mt dw (110,230 lb dw) |
5.1 mt dw (11,305 lb dw) |
10% |
3.7 mt dw (8,219lb dw) |
|
Shark Research Fishery (Sandbar only) |
90.7 mt dw (199,943 lb dw) |
23.4 mt dw (51,530 lb dw) |
26% |
21.5 mt dw (47,479 lb dw) |
|
Blue |
273.0 mt dw (601,856 lb dw) |
< 2.3 mt dw (< 5,000 lb dw) |
<1% |
0 mt dw (0 lb dw) |
|
Porbeagle |
1.7 mt dw (3,748 lb dw) |
0 mt dw (0 lb dw) |
0% |
0 mt dw (0 lb dw) |
|
Pelagic Sharks Other Than Porbeagle or Blue |
488.0 mt dw (1,075,856 lb dw) |
53.0 mt dw (116,923 lb dw) |
11% |
33.6 mt dw (74,029 lb dw) |
|
Aggregated Large Coastal (LCS) |
Hammerhead |
Non-Blacknose Small Coastal |
Pelagic Sharks other than Porbeagle or Blue |
Smoothhound |
|
|
– Blacktip (Atlantic region only*) – Bull -Lemon – Nurse |
– Silky – Tiger – Spinner
|
– Great Hammerhead – Smooth Hammerhead – Scalloped Hammerhead |
– Atlantic sharpnose – Bonnethead – Finetooth |
– Common thresher – Shortfin mako – Oceanic whitetip
|
– Smooth dogfish** – Florida smoothhound – Gulf smoothhound |
*Blacktip shark is part of its own management group in the Gulf of Mexico Region
** Smooth dogfish is the only smoothhound species in the Atlantic Region
NMFS will announce closures of management groups when landings reach or are projected to reach 80 percent of the quota. Management groups that are quota linked close when landings of either of the linked management groups reach or are projected to reach 80 percent of the quota.
This notice is a courtesy to the HMS fishery participants to help keep you informed about the fishery. For further information on this landings update, contact Karyl Brewster-Geisz or Guý DuBeck at 301-427-8503. The information will also be posted on the HMS website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/news/news_list/index.html.