Amendment 3 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan: Atlantic Shark Management Measures

On June 1, 2010 (75 FR 30484), NOAA Fisheries published the final rule for Amendment 3 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP. This Amendment focused on management for SCS, porbeagle sharks, and smoothhound sharks. The management measures for Amendment 3 included, among other things:

• Established new SCS commercial complexes and quotas;
• Linked the non-blacknose SCS and blacknose shark fishery so that both fisheries would close when landings of either reached 80 percent of its quota;
• Maintained all current authorized gear types for the Atlantic shark fishery including gillnet gear (prohibiting gillnet gear from South Carolina south had been proposed);
• Added smooth dogfish and Florida smoothhound sharks to the HMS management unit;
• Maintained the recreational retention and minimum size limits for SCS;
• Promoted the release of shortfin mako sharks brought to fishing vessels when alive; and
• Established that NOAA Fisheries would take action at an international level to work toward ending overfishing of shortfin mako sharks, given that the United States is responsible for a small portion of the catch and international cooperation is necessary in order to meet conservation goals for the stock.