Amendment 11 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan: Atlantic Shortfin Mako Sharks

On December 13, 2017, NOAA Fisheries determined that North Atlantic shortfin mako sharks are overfished with overfishing occurring. As required by Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), NOAA Fisheries must take action to end overfishing immediately and to implement conservation and management measures to rebuild overfished stocks within 2 years of making this determination. 

To address overfishing and to ensure that timely data is provided to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) under a provision in Recommendation 17-08, an interim final rule was published to implement management measures for North Atlantic shortfin mako sharks based on the measures in the ICCAT recommendation, using NOAA Fisheries’ authority to issue emergency regulations under the MSA. 

NOAA Fisheries is developing an amendment to the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic HMS Fishery Management Plan that will consider and evaluate the measures in ICCAT Recommendation 17-08 and additional management options to address overfishing and to establish a foundation for rebuilding the North Atlantic shortfin mako shark stock. This amendment is expected to be implemented prior to the expiration of the emergency rule.