Proposed Rule: 2024 Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishery Quotas, Opening Dates, and Retention Limits

Proposed Rule: 2024 Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishery Quotas, Opening Dates, and Retention Limits

NOAA Fisheries announces a proposed rule for the 2024 and future fishing years of the Atlantic shark commercial fishery.

What will it do?

• Change the regulations to allow the Atlantic shark commercial fishery to automatically open on January 1 each year under base quotas and default retention limits.
• Revise the default commercial retention limit for Shark Directed permit holders from 45 to 55 large coastal sharks—other than sandbar sharks—per vessel per trip.
• Adjust the 2024 quota levels for the various shark stocks and management groups based on underharvests from the 2023 fishing year, consistent with existing regulations.

Quotas and other provisions in the proposed rule are subject to change in the final rule. The proposed rule uses landings data received as of May 12, 2023. The final rule will be based on public comment and updated data received in dealer reports by mid-October 2023. We anticipate that dealer reports received after the date of the final rule would be used to adjust the 2025 quotas, as appropriate.

Who is affected?

• Any commercial shark fishermen in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
• Any dealers who buy or sell sharks or shark products in these areas.

Comments

Public comments will be accepted from August 2, 2023 to September 1, 2023.