Atlantic sharks are now protected more seriously as the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control issued new regulations that take effect June 11 for conservation of Atlantic sharks and for expanding the commercial fishing catch for spiny dogfish. It is told that the regulations bring Delaware into compliance with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coastal Sharks and liberalize commercial requirements in concert with the most recent revision to the management plan for spiny dogfish.
This regulation has prohibited recreational and commercial landings of 10 shark species know to reproduce in the mid-Atlantic area — silky, tiger, blacktip, spinner, bull, lemon, nurse, scalloped hammerheads, great hammerhead and smooth hammerhead — from May 15 through July 15. Delaware and all other states also must prohibit recreational and commercial landings of sandbar sharks year-round.
It is said that juvenile sandbar sharks are abundant locally in Delaware waters in the summer but these juveniles are critical to the survival of this depleted species and are in need of additional protection. The coast-wide commercial quota for spiny dogfish has been liberalized to 12 million pounds per year, to be allocated among a Northern Region, Southern Region and North Carolina.
