Atlantic Shark Fishery update from Jan – June 2014
Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishery Landings Update
mt dw – lb dw Converted to Number of Sharks
January 1- June 18, 2014
We at Shark Attack Survivors and Shark Year Magazine support Proper fishery management which allows for and promotes removal of appropriate numbers of sharks while insuring species survival. We hope understanding the number of sharks harvested will help you decide which areas of shark conservation to participate in to do the most good.
Recently many protested shark tournaments where 10 to 12 Pelagic Sharks were brought back to the dock. To insure species survival the commercial fishing fleet can harvest 25,019 in 2014.
Recently many USA residents protested the WA shark cull – Most of the sharks caught were tiger sharks members of our Aggregated Large Coastal Sharks (bull, tiger, spinner, silky, nurse, and lemon). 55 sharks were killed in WA while back in the USA 20,000 LCS are being harvested. They also caught a Pelagic shark in WA. Add the LCS and Pelagic harvested in the USA 50,000 the WA cull 55.
As landing updates become available we will translate the mt dw or lb dw to the number of shark for you.
MT (Metric Tons) – 2,204.6 lbs.
LB (Pounds)
DW (Dressed Weight) The weight of the shark meat presented at market. (fins not included).
274.3 mt dw
(604,626 lb dw)
Below are the preliminary landings estimates in number of sharks for the Atlantic shark commercial fisheries. These preliminary estimates are based on dealer reports and other information received from January 1 through June 18, 2014. The estimates include landings by state-only permitted vessels, federally permitted vessels, and the 2014 shark research fishery participants.
| Management Groups(Shark Species) | Region | 2014 AdjustedCommercial Quota | Estimated Landings in 2014 Jan – June | % of 2014 Quota |
| Blacktip Sharks | Gulf of Mexico | 24,105 | 17,707 | 73% Closed June 2, 2014 |
| Aggregated Large Coastal Sharks (bull, tiger, spinner, silky, nurse, and lemon) | 9,818 | 9,868 | 101% Closed May, 20 | |
| Hammerhead Sharks(scalloped, great, and smooth) | 928 | 512 | 55% Closed May, 20 | |
| Aggregated Large Coastal Sharks (blacktip, bull, tiger, spinner, silky, nurse, and lemon) | Atlantic | 10,957 | 1,082 | 10% Opened June 1, 2014 |
| Hammerhead Sharks(scalloped, great, and smooth) | 995 | 23 | 2% Opened June 1, 2014 | |
| Non-Blacknose Small Coastal Sharks(Atlantic sharpnose, bonnethead, and finetooth) | Gulf of Mexico | 25,079 | 6,333 | 25% |
| Atlantic | 97,055 | 27,585 | 28% | |
| Blacknose Sharks | Gulf of Mexico | 815 | 339 | 42% |
| Atlantic | 7,727 | 4,801 | 62% | |
| Blue Sharks | No regional quotas | 13,678 | 388 | 3% |
| Porbeagle Sharks | 21 | 2 | <1% Closed in 2013 | |
| Pelagic Sharks Other Than Porbeagle or Blue(oceanic whitetip, common thresher, and shortfin mako) | 25.019 | 4,856 | 19% |
The mt dw and lb dw figures are taken from the monthly Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishery Landings Update
The average dressed weight for each management group was provided by NOAA Fisheries – Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management Division Guý DuBeck – 04/17/2014.
Shark Attack Survivors did the mt dw and lb dw conversions to number of sharks.
Locations and Species marked closed means that area for them species is virtually a shark sanctuary for the remainder of the year.
These are Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico figures the Pacific fishery figures are not included.