Amendment 5a to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan: Atlantic Shark Management Measures

In the draft of Amendment 5, NOAA Fisheries proposed measures designed to reduce fishing mortality and rebuild various overfished Atlantic shark species, including dusky sharks. The measures would also ensure that a limited sustainable shark fishery could be maintained for certain species. After review and public comment, NOAA Fisheries split Amendment 5 into two rulemakings: Amendment 5a (scalloped hammerhead, sandbar, blacknose, and Gulf of Mexico blacktip sharks) and Amendment 5b (dusky sharks).

Amendment 5a implements measures to:

• Maintain the rebuilding of sandbar sharks.
• End overfishing and rebuild scalloped hammerhead and Atlantic blacknose sharks.
• Establish total allowable catch and commercial quotas for Gulf of Mexico blacknose and blacktip sharks.
• Establish new recreational shark fishing management measures.

The final catch and quota measures became effective on July 3, 2013, and recreational measures were effective on August 2, 2013. In addition, the final rule implemented new quotas for the rest of the 2013 fishing year.

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