NOAA Issues Atlantic Shark Commercial Fishery Update
NOAA released the preliminary 2009 updateof the Atlantic Commercial Shark Fishery. The report indicates both quotas as well as current reported catches to-date.
Although I'm a bit uncertain as to how to interep much of the data, I wanted to point out what I think looks like an interesting statistic.
The Gulf of Mexico region already landed 65% of the total annual quota for "non-sandbar large coastal sharks" in the first three months, while the Atlantic region only 37%, and the Atlantic quota is significantly smaller. I have to imagine that there is no lack of trying on the part of the commercial fishermen. Does this mean that the number of large Atlantic sharks is on the decline compared to the numbers in the Gulf? Or that catches are going unreported? Or both? Would love if someone could shed more lighton this matter for our readers.
