Vessels that may retain blacktip sharks during closure:
- A vessel permitted as an Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat with a shark endorsement, on a for-hire trip
- A vessel possesses a valid shark research permit and a NOAA Fisheries-approved observer is onboard
Dealers may process sharks if
- Blacktip sharks were harvested, off-loaded, and sold, traded, or bartered, prior to the effective date of the closure and were held in storage consistent with 50 CFR 635.28(b)(6)
- Landed by a vessel issued a valid shark research fishery permit
- Blacktip sharks were harvested, off-loaded, and sold, traded, or bartered from a vessel that fishes only in state waters and that has not been issued an Atlantic Shark limited access permit, Atlantic highly migratory species Angling permit, or Atlantic highly migratory species Charter/Headboat permit pursuant to 50 CFR 635.4
Commercial shark fisheries remaining open in the eastern Gulf of Mexico sub-region:
- Aggregated large coastal and hammerhead sharks
- Non-blacknose small coastal sharks
- Blue sharks
- Smoothhound sharks
- Pelagic sharks other than porbeagle
