July 12, 2017 — The following was released by NOAA:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is increasing the retention limit for the commercial aggregated large coastal shark (LCS) and hammerhead shark management groups for directed shark limited access permit holders in the Atlantic region from 3 to 36 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip as of July 16, 2017. This adjustment is intended to promote equitable fishing opportunities in the Atlantic region, while allowing quota to be harvested throughout the year. All other retention limits and shark fisheries remain unchanged in the Atlantic region.
The retention limit will remain at 36 LCS other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the Atlantic region through the rest of the 2017 fishing season or until NOAA Fisheries announces via a notice in the Federal Register another adjustment to the retention limit or a fishery closure. This retention limit adjustment affects anyone with a directed shark limited access permit fishing for LCS in the Atlantic region.
NOAA Fisheries wants to remind commercial shark fishermen of the following regulations:
- Sharks must be landed with fins naturally attached, including dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, anal, and caudal fins (§635.30(c)(1)).
- While on a vessel, the head and viscera of the shark may be removed, but the backbone cannot be removed, and the shark cannot be halved, quartered, filleted, or otherwise reduced (§635.30(c)(2)). Additionally, once landed and offloaded, sharks that have been halved, quartered, filleted, cut up, or reduced in any manner may not be brought back on board a vessel (§635.30(c)(3)). In other words, sharks cannot be cut up to be used as bait.
- All federal permit holders must land sharks to federally-permitted dealers (§635.31(c)(1)).
- All sharks that are not being retained must be released in the water in a manner that maximizes survival (§635.24(a)(6)).
This notice is a courtesy to the HMS fishery participants to help keep you informed about the fishery. For further information on this retention limit adjustment, contact Lauren Latchford, Guý DuBeck, or Karyl Brewster-Geisz at 301-427-8503. The information will also be posted on the HMS website at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/species/sharks/news/shark_news_2017.html.