Courtesy of NOAA Fisheries
HYANNIS – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Sustainable Fisheries recently updated and shared its scientific and management process for keeping U.S. shark fisheries sustainable.
The majority of sharks studied by NOAA are apex predators. Unlike most fish, sharks grow slowly, reproduce late in life, and have only a few offspring. Negative impacts on shark populations can have a cascading effect on other marine animal populations.
NOAA Fisheries manages 479 fish stocks and stock complexes, 43 of which are Atlantic shark species.
Shark research is conducted by scientists on NOAA’s fleet of research ships, or in conjunction with university scientists, the fishing industry, and other stakeholders through its cooperative research programs.
NOAA scientists and partners use collected data to create stock assessments, which are used by NOAA fisheries managers to set quotas and other measures to manage shark stocks.
They are members of both domestic and international management organizations, seeking to regulate and promote conservation practices across worldwide jurisdictions.
The organization monitors commercial and recreational shark catches, and the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement ensures compliance with U.S. marine resource laws to protect marine resources. Through their efforts they prevent seafood fraud and help reduce illegal fishing.
Members of the public can take part in NOAA’s scientific and managements processes by obtaining a permit for shark fishing and joining their cooperative tagging program to help track the migrating patterns of sharks.
By: Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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