June 7, 2010
Vol. 40, No. 193

For more information, contact Craig Shirey, Fisheries, 302-739-9914, or Joanna C. Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Changes to Atlantic shark regulations to be topic of June 21 public hearing

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 21 in the DNREC auditorium located at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, on proposed modifications to the state’s Tidal Finfish Regulations concerning Atlantic sharks.

The purpose of the proposed revision is to bring Delaware into compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coastal Sharks. The plan specifies the types of gear that fishermen are authorized to use in state waters on the Atlantic Coast. The gears authorized by ASFMC are hook and line, longline, gill net, trawl net, shortline, pound net and weir. At present, Delaware allows the use of hook and line, troll line, dip net, lift net, push net, cast net, spear or harpoon, haul seine, bag net, hoop net, fyke net, fish pot, and gill net for use in state waters to harvest food fish, including sharks.

To meet the ASFMC requirements, Delaware must restrict commercial gears allowed for harvesting Atlantic coastal sharks to hook and line, and gill net. Recreational fishermen are restricted to the use of rod and reel and hand line. Fishermen with a federal shark permit who are fishing outside of state waters are not restricted to these gear types and may land sharks usign any gear that is in accordance with the rules and regulations established by NOAA Fisheries.  

Additionally, the plan specifies that a federal commercial shark dealer permit is required to buy and sell any shark caught in state waters.  At present, the State of Delaware does not require seafood dealers to have this permit to buy and sell sharks caught in state waters.

Comments for the hearing record should be addressed to Lisa Vest, Hearing Officer, DNREC Office of the Secretary, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901 or by email to lisa.vest@state.de.us. The record will remain open for written or email comments until close of business on Wednesday, June 30. 

For more information, please contact the Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.