Atlantic Sharks Commercial Minimum Sizes and Retention Limits
Summary
Retention limits vary by permit type and species complex. Additional requirements may be applicable. View the HMS Commercial Compliance Guide for details.
Atlantic Shark Directed Permit
Species Complex |
Fishery Status |
Minimum Size |
Retention Limit |
---|---|---|---|
Aggregated large coastal sharks and hammerhead sharks—Atlantic |
Open |
None |
55/vessel/trip other than sandbar sharks |
Aggregated large coastal sharks and hammerhead sharks—Eastern Gulf of Mexico | Open | None | 55/vessel/trip other than sandbar sharks |
Aggregated large coastal sharks and hammerhead sharks—Western Gulf of Mexico | Open | None | 55/vessel/trip other than sandbar sharks |
Blacktip—Western Gulf of Mexico | Open | None | 55/vessel/trip other than sandbar sharks |
Small coastal sharks |
Open |
None |
|
Pelagic sharks (other than shortfin mako) |
Open |
None |
No limit |
Atlantic Shark Incidental Permit
Species Complex |
Fishery Status |
Minimum Size |
Retention Limit |
---|---|---|---|
Large coastal sharks—all regions |
Open |
None |
3/vessel/trip |
Small coastal sharks |
Open |
None |
16 combined small coastal and pelagic sharks/vessel/trip with no more than 8 blacknose sharks/vessel/trip |
Pelagic sharks (other than shortfin mako) |
Open |
None |
16 combined pelagic and small coastal sharks/vessel/trip with no more than 8 blacknose sharks/vessel/trip |
HMS Commercial Caribbean Small Boat Permit
This fishery is open. There are no minimum size requirements for authorized sharks under this permit. The retention limits are as follows:
Authorized Species |
Fishery Status |
Minimum Size |
Retention Limit |
Tiger, bull, blacktip, spinner, lemon, Atlantic sharpnose, finetooth, bonnethead, and smoothounds sharks |
Open |
None |
3 combined sharks / vessel / trip |
Commercial Smoothhound Shark Permit
This fishery is open. There are no minimum size requirements or retention limits for smoothhound sharks.
Permit
To commercially harvest Atlantic sharks or retain sharks on a for-hire trip, vessel owners must obtain a valid Atlantic Shark Directed or Shark Incidental limited access permit or a Smoothhound Shark open access permit.
Measurement
Measure fork length in a straight line from the snout to the fork of the tail.

Retention Prohibited
The following are prohibited species and must be released with minimal injury and without removing it from the water:
-
Atlantic angel
-
Basking
-
Bigeye sand tiger
-
Bigeye sixgill
-
Bigeye thresher
-
Bignose
-
Caribbean reef
-
Caribbean sharpnose
-
Dusky
-
Galapagos
-
Longfin mako
-
Shortfin mako
-
Narrowtooth
-
Night
-
Sand tiger
-
Sevengill
-
Sixgill
-
Smalltail
-
Whale
-
White
Download our Shark Identification Placard
More Information
More information can be found on the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Landings Updates page.