Contact: Gordon Helm FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12/19/96
A proposal designed to protect sharks by reducing the commercial and recreational catch of declining stocks of sharks and allowing them the potential to rebuild, was announced today by the Commerce Department's National Marine Fisheries Service. Officials are seeking public input on the proposal.
The fisheries service is proposing to reduce recreational bag limits for large coastal, pelagic and small coastal sharks and prohibit directed fishing for five species of sharks. In addition, a reduction in commercial quotas for large coastal sharks is proposed and a quota for small coastal sharks will be established for the first time. These interim proposals would remain in effect until a shark rebuilding program can be established and put in place.
"Scientific data indicate that the large coastal species of shark are overfished," said Dr. William Hogarth, chief of the fisheries service's Highly Migratory Species Division. "We also need to take a precautionary approach to avert overfishing of the small coastal sharks." Hogarth added that the proposal should accomplish those goals, and strong action is needed now to reduce the number of landings.
The five Atlantic sharks that are considered to be extremely vulnerable to overfishing are whale, basking, sand tiger, bigeye sand tiger, and white sharks. The fisheries service proposal would prohibit the retention of these species. The fisheries service also seeks to limit white sharks to a catch & release only recreational fishery.
A fact sheet regarding this proposal is available by fax by calling the fisheries service public affairs office at (301) 713-2370.
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