2025 Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishery Landings and Retention Limit Updates
Monthly Atlantic shark commercial catch statistics for 2025.
The following are preliminary landings estimates in metric tons (mt) and pounds (lb) dressed weight (dw) for the Atlantic shark commercial fisheries; 1 mt is equal to 2,204.6 pounds. These preliminary estimates are based on dealer reports and other information received throughout the year. The estimates include landings by state-only permitted vessels, federally permitted vessels, and the 2025 shark research fishery participants. We provide percentages of landings instead of estimated landings or show the "<" symbol where needed to continue ensuring participant confidentiality.
NOAA Fisheries will announce closures of management groups when landings reach or are projected to reach 80 percent of the available overall, regional, and/or sub-regional quota, unless the management group’s landings are not projected to reach 100 percent of the applicable quota before the end of the year. Management groups that are quota linked close when landings of either of the linked management groups reach or are projected to reach 80 percent of the available overall, regional, and/or sub-regional quota, unless the management group’s landings are not projected to reach 100 percent of the applicable quota before the end of the year.
The fishing seasons for all shark management groups opened on January 1, 2025.
On December 23, 2022, the President of the United States signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act, which included provisions on the sale of shark fins. Details on how this Act effects shark fin sales has been added to a "Frequently Asked Questions" page (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/laws-policies/frequently-asked-questions-shark-fin-sales-elimination-act-2023). Information regarding the process steps required for the international trade of sharks and rays is available from the Fish and Wildlife Service.
For more information regarding these landings estimates contact Heather Baertlein (Heather.Baertlein@noaa.gov) or call 301-427-8534.
January 1 – March 14, 2025
Posted April 9
Gulf of America‡ Region
- Includes any landings south and west of 25° 20.4’ N. latitude.
- As of March 14, 2025, the retention limit for directed permit holders is 55 large coastal sharks other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the western and eastern Gulf of America‡ sub-regions.
- The retention limit for directed permit holders can change throughout the season.
Sub-Region | Shark Management Group | 2025 Quota (dressed weight, dw) | Estimated Landings through 3/14/2025 (dw) | % of 2025 Quota | 2024 Landings through Same Reporting Period (dw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western Gulf of America‡ (West of 88° W. long. only) | Blacktip | 231.5 mt (510,365 lb) | <11 mt (<24,250 lb) | <5% | <24 mt (<52,910 lb) |
Aggregated LCS (quota linked to Hammerhead) | 72.0 mt (158,724 lb) | <11 mt (<24,250 lb) | <16% | <15 mt (<33,069 lb) | |
Hammerhead† (quota linked to Agg. LCS) | 11.9 mt (26,301 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | 0 mt (0 lb) | |
Eastern Gulf of America‡ (East of 88° W. long. only) | Blacktip | 25.1 mt (55,335 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <4% | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) |
Aggregated LCS (quota linked to Hammerhead) | 85.5 mt (188,593 lb) | <37 mt (<81,570 lb) | <44% | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | |
Hammerhead† (quota linked to Agg. LCS) | 13.4 mt (29,421 lb) | <10 mt (<22,045 lb) | <75% | 0 mt (0 lb) | |
N/A | Non-Blacknose Small Coastal | 112.6 mt (248,215 lb) | <4 mt (<8,818 lb) | <4% | <2 mt (<4,409 lb) |
N/A | Smoothhound | 336.4 mt (741,627 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | 0 mt (0 lb) |
‡ Consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 14172 (Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness), this document uses Gulf of America for all references to the area known as the Gulf of Mexico in the specific regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
Atlantic Region
- Includes any landings north of 25° 20.4’ N. latitude.
- As of March 14, 2025, the retention limit for directed permit holders is 55 large coastal sharks other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip, and the retention limit for all permit holders is 8 blacknose sharks per vessel per trip.
- The retention limit for directed permit holders can change throughout the season.
Shark Management Group | 2025 Quota (dressed weight, dw) | Estimated Landings through 3/14/2025 (dw) | % of 2025 Quota | 2024 Landings through Same Reporting Period (dw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aggregated LCS (quota linked to Hammerhead) | 168.9 mt (372,552 lb) | 9.3 mt (20,554 lb) | 6% | 8.4 mt (18,595 lb) |
Hammerhead (quota linked to Agg. LCS) | 27.1 mt (59,736 lb) | 0.3 mt (715 lb) | 1% | 2.6 mt (5,701 lb) |
Non-Blacknose Small Coastal (quota linked to Blacknose south of 34° N. lat. only) | 264.1 mt (582,333 lb) | 4.9 mt (10,713 lb) | 2% | 21.6 mt (47,515 lb) |
Blacknose (South of 34° N. lat. only) | 17.2 mt (37,921 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <6% | <1 mt (2,141 lb) |
Smoothhound | 1,201.7 mt (2,649,268 lb) | 10.1 mt (22,237 lb) | <1% | 12.6 mt (27,854 lb) |
No Regional Quotas
Shark Management Group | 2025 Quota (dressed weight, dw) | Estimated Landings through 3/14/2025 (dw) | % of 2025 Quota | 2024 Landings through Same Reporting Period (dw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shark Research Fishery (Aggregated LCS) | 50.0 mt (110,230 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <2% | 0 mt (0 lb) |
Shark Research Fishery (Sandbar only) | 90.7 mt (199,943 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <2% | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) |
Blue | 273.0 mt (601,856 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | <1 mt (< 2,205 lb) |
Porbeagle | 1.7 mt (3,748 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) |
Pelagic Sharks other than Porbeagle or Blue †† | 488.0 mt (1,075,856 lb) | 1.6 mt (3,538 lb) | <1% | 3.7 mt (8,204 lb) |
†† At this time, only the common thresher shark may be retained in Atlantic HMS fisheries for the “Pelagic Sharks other than Blue or Porbeagle” management group. Effective February 2, 2024, oceanic whitetip shark is included with the Atlantic HMS prohibited sharks management group (89 FR 278, January 3, 2024), and effective July 2022, the shortfin mako shark retention limit in all commercial and recreational Atlantic HMS fisheries is zero (87 FR 39373, July 1, 2022).
Species in each shark management group that has multiple species
Aggregated Large Coastal (LCS) | Hammerhead† | Non-Blacknose Small Coastal | Pelagic Sharks Other than Porbeagle or Blue†† | Smoothhound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
* Blacktip shark is part of its own management group in the Gulf of America‡ Region.
** Smooth dogfish is the only smoothhound species in the Atlantic Region.
† The retention of hammerhead sharks (great, smooth, and scalloped hammerhead sharks), effective February 2, 2024, is prohibited in the U.S. Caribbean (89 FR 278, January 3, 2024).
†† At this time, only the common thresher shark may be retained in Atlantic HMS fisheries for the “Pelagic Sharks other than Blue or Porbeagle” management group. As of February 2, 2024, oceanic whitetip shark is included with the Atlantic HMS prohibited sharks management group (89 FR 278, January 3, 2024), and effective July 2022, the shortfin mako shark retention limit in all commercial and recreational Atlantic HMS fisheries is zero (87 FR 39373, July 1, 2022).
January 1 – February 6, 2025
Posted February 12 (Updated April 9)
Gulf of America‡ Region
- Includes any landings south and west of 25° 20.4’ N. latitude.
- As of February 6, 2025, the retention limit for directed permit holders is 55 large coastal sharks other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip in the western and eastern Gulf of America‡ sub-regions.
- The retention limit for directed permit holders can change throughout the season.
Sub-Region | Shark Management Group | 2025 Quota (dressed weight, dw) | Estimated Landings through 2/6/2025 (dw) | % of 2025 Quota | 2024 Landings through Same Reporting Period (dw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western Gulf of America‡ (West of 88° W. long. only) | Blacktip | 231.5 mt (510,365 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | <6 mt (<13,230 lb) |
Aggregated LCS (quota linked to Hammerhead) | 72.0 mt (158,724 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <2% | <2 mt (<4,410 lb) | |
Hammerhead† (quota linked to Agg. LCS) | 11.9 mt (26,301 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | 0 mt (0 lb) | |
Eastern Gulf of America‡ (East of 88° W. long. only) | Blacktip | 25.1 mt (55,335 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <3% | 0 mt (0 lb) |
Aggregated LCS (quota linked to Hammerhead) | 85.5 mt (188,593 lb) | <13 mt (<28,660 lb) | <16% | 0 mt (0 lb) | |
Hammerhead† (quota linked to Agg. LCS) | 13.4 mt (29,421 lb) | <8 mt (<17,637 lb) | <60% | 0 mt (0 lb) | |
N/A | Non-Blacknose Small Coastal | 112.6 mt (248,215 lb) | <2 mt (<4,409 lb) | <2% | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) |
N/A | Smoothhound | 336.4 mt (741,627 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | 0 mt (0 lb) |
‡ Consistent with Executive Order (E.O.) 14172 (Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness), this document uses Gulf of America for all references to the area known as the Gulf of Mexico in the specific regulations at 50 CFR part 635.
Atlantic Region
- Includes any landings north of 25° 20.4’ N. latitude.
- As of February 6, 2025, the retention limit for directed permit holders is 55 large coastal sharks other than sandbar sharks per vessel per trip, and the retention limit for all permit holders is 8 blacknose sharks per vessel per trip.
- The retention limit for directed permit holders can change throughout the season.
Shark Management Group | 2025 Quota (dressed weight, dw) | Estimated Landings through 2/6/2025 (dw) | % of 2025 Quota | 2024 Landings through Same Reporting Period (dw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aggregated LCS (quota linked to Hammerhead) | 168.9 mt (372,552 lb) | 4.5 mt (9,869 lb) | 3% | 5.0 mt (11,041 lb) |
Hammerhead (quota linked to Agg. LCS) | 27.1 mt (59,736 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <4% | 2.1 mt (4,639 lb) |
Non-Blacknose Small Coastal (quota linked to Blacknose south of 34° N. lat. only) | 264.1 mt (582,333 lb) | 1.4 mt (3,129 lb) | <1% | 20.0 mt (44,159 lb) |
Blacknose (South of 34° N. lat. only) | 17.2 mt (37,921 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <6% | <1 mt (1,263 lb) |
Smoothhound | 1,201.7 mt (2,649,268 lb) | 1.1 mt (2,535 lb) | <1% | 12.0 mt (26,509lb) |
No Regional Quotas
Shark Management Group | 2025 Quota (dressed weight, dw) | Estimated Landings through 2/6/2025 (dw) | % of 2025 Quota | 2024 Landings through Same Reporting Period (dw) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shark Research Fishery (Aggregated LCS) | 50.0 mt (110,230 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | 0 mt (0 lb) |
Shark Research Fishery (Sandbar only) | 90.7 mt (199,943 lb) | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) | <2% | 0 mt (0 lb) |
Blue | 273.0 mt (601,856 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | 0 mt (0 lb) |
Porbeagle | 1.7 mt (3,748 lb) | 0 mt (0 lb) | 0% | <1 mt (<2,205 lb) |
Pelagic Sharks other than Porbeagle or Blue †† | 488.0 mt (1,075,856 lb) | 0.5 mt (1,142 lb) | <1% | 2.8 mt (6,272 lb) |
†† At this time, only the common thresher shark may be retained in Atlantic HMS fisheries for the “Pelagic Sharks other than Blue or Porbeagle” management group. Effective February 2, 2024, oceanic whitetip shark is included with the Atlantic HMS prohibited sharks management group (89 FR 278, January 3, 2024), and effective July 2022, the shortfin mako shark retention limit in all commercial and recreational Atlantic HMS fisheries is zero (87 FR 39373, July 1, 2022).
Species in each shark management group that has multiple species
Aggregated Large Coastal (LCS) | Hammerhead† | Non-Blacknose Small Coastal | Pelagic Sharks Other than Porbeagle or Blue†† | Smoothhound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
* Blacktip shark is part of its own management group in the Gulf of America‡ Region.
** Smooth dogfish is the only smoothhound species in the Atlantic Region.
† The retention of hammerhead sharks (great, smooth, and scalloped hammerhead sharks), effective February 2, 2024, is prohibited in the U.S. Caribbean (89 FR 278, January 3, 2024).
†† At this time, only the common thresher shark may be retained in Atlantic HMS fisheries for the “Pelagic Sharks other than Blue or Porbeagle” management group. As of February 2, 2024, oceanic whitetip shark is included with the Atlantic HMS prohibited sharks management group (89 FR 278, January 3, 2024), and effective July 2022, the shortfin mako shark retention limit in all commercial and recreational Atlantic HMS fisheries is zero (87 FR 39373, July 1, 2022).