Amendment 9 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan: Atlantic Shark Management Measures

The final rule to implement Amendment 9 to the 2006 Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan is now available. This Amendment implements management measures in the shark fisheries and could affect fishermen who fish for smoothhound sharks (smooth dogfish, Florida smoothhound, and Gulf smoothhound) and fishermen who fish for sharks with gillnet gear. The measures include:

• Commercial smoothhound shark permit requirement for commercial fishing and retention
• Atlantic Shark Dealer permit requirement to purchase smoothhound sharks
• HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat recreational permit requirement for retention of recreationally-caught smoothhound sharks.
• Observer requirements in the commercial smoothhound shark fishery
• Allowance for retention of smoothhound sharks incidentally caught in trawl gear, provided smoothhound catch does not exceed 25 percent of the total catch
• Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regional smoothhound shark quotas
• Regulations to allow, in limited circumstances, the at-sea removal of some smooth dogfish fins provided certain criteria are met
• Gillnet gear tending requirements for Atlantic shark and smoothhound shark gillnet fishermen
• Modifications to VMS requirements in the directed shark gillnet fishery

All Amendment 9 measures became effective on March 15, 2016.

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