BRUNSWICK — The Department of Natural Resources has requested the Board of Natural Resources change shark regulations to ensure the State of Georgia complies with the Interstate Fishery Management Plan For Atlantic Coast Sharks. The plan, recently approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), will coordinate management of sharks across state jurisdictions and federal waters, eliminating inconsistencies and providing for a healthy population of Atlantic coastal sharks.
The proposed changes in Georgia’s fishing regulations are as follows:
• Prohibit the harvest of 21 species of sharks currently protected in the U.S. exclusive economic zone, including species known to occur in Georgia’s territorial waters: bigeye sand tiger, whale, basking, white, bignose, Galapagos, night, reef, narrowtooth, Caribbean sharpnose, smalltail, Atlantic angel, longfin mako, bigeye thresher, sharpnose sevengill, bluntnose sixgil and bigeye sixgill.
• Change the minimum-size limit for the small shark composite from 30 inches total length to 30 inches fork length.
• Change the daily creel and possession limit for the small shark composite to one fish per person.
• Change the minimum-size limit for sharks other than small shark composite to 54 inches fork length.
• Change the daily creel and possession limit for sharks other than the small shark composite to one fish per person or boat.
• Prohibit the sale of sharks when federal commercial shark quotas are reached.
“Our surveys confirm that coastal Georgia is a habitat for several species of sharks, many of which give birth to young in our estuaries. It’s important that we protect our shark populations, and the proposed changes will do that while still allowing anglers to harvest sharks for personal consumption,” said Spud Woodward, DNR assistant director for marine fisheries.
The proposed changes in Georgia’s fishing regulations are as follows:
• Prohibit the harvest of 21 species of sharks currently protected in the U.S. exclusive economic zone, including species known to occur in Georgia’s territorial waters: bigeye sand tiger, whale, basking, white, bignose, Galapagos, night, reef, narrowtooth, Caribbean sharpnose, smalltail, Atlantic angel, longfin mako, bigeye thresher, sharpnose sevengill, bluntnose sixgil and bigeye sixgill.
• Change the minimum-size limit for the small shark composite from 30 inches total length to 30 inches fork length.
• Change the daily creel and possession limit for the small shark composite to one fish per person.
• Change the minimum-size limit for sharks other than small shark composite to 54 inches fork length.
• Change the daily creel and possession limit for sharks other than the small shark composite to one fish per person or boat.
• Prohibit the sale of sharks when federal commercial shark quotas are reached.
“Our surveys confirm that coastal Georgia is a habitat for several species of sharks, many of which give birth to young in our estuaries. It’s important that we protect our shark populations, and the proposed changes will do that while still allowing anglers to harvest sharks for personal consumption,” said Spud Woodward, DNR assistant director for marine fisheries.