DEC Announces New Gear Regulations and Enhanced Shark Handling Requirements for Marine Recreational Anglers

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced changes to recreational fishing regulations in New York's Marine and Coastal District. The new rules improve the management of protected shark species by preventing their capture through establishing gear restrictions for recreational shore anglers.

"Sharks are vital to the health of our marine systems, but are at great risk from mishandling and use of inappropriate fishing gear by recreational anglers," Interim Commissioner Mahar said. "The rules released today enhance protections for vulnerable shark species by requiring safe shark handling protocols and restricting gear and practices posing the greatest threat to sharks. I commend our marine fishing experts for working with recreational anglers to develop this important new regulation."

DEC's rulemaking includes new shark handling requirements for all marine anglers to reduce stress and injury to captured sharks, improve the condition of sharks that are released, and further protect prohibited shark species while maintaining recreational opportunities for shore-based anglers targeting legal species. In addition, the new rules improve shark handling and release practices for all shore- and vessel-based anglers. The new rules require:

• Immediate release of all prohibited shark species;
• Anglers to keep any shark not being harvested in the water with its gills submerged. This rule does not apply to smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish;
• Recreational shark anglers must have wire or bolt cutters immediately available to aid in the removal of tackle and the release of sharks not being harvested; and
• Anglers to take every precaution to ensure the maximum probability of survival of any shark that will be released.

New gear restrictions specific to recreational shore anglers include the prohibition of:

• Metal fishing leaders attached to baited hooks that exceed 18 inches in length;
• Chumming within 600 feet of the shoreline (except with mollusks and crustaceans); and
• Deploying baited hooks by means other than casting with rod and reel.

The regulations further protect shark species that have been illegal to pursue, capture, or kill under New York State regulation since 2010. These sharks are referred to as prohibited shark species. Prohibited shark species are characterized by slow growth, late maturity, long prenatal development periods, and exceptionally low productivity rates, making these sharks vulnerable to removals and slow to recover from population declines. Prohibited shark species found in New York State waters include sandbar ("brown"), dusky, and sand tiger sharks (visitRecreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations for the full list of prohibited shark species). These sharks are encountered by both shore- and vessel-based anglers in New York's nearshore waters during the summer months.

Dusky and sand tiger sharks are listed as "High Priority Species of Greatest Conservation Need" in the New York State Wildlife Action Plan. Sandbar, dusky, and sand tiger sharks are all listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. Additionally, both sand tiger and dusky shark are listed as "species of concern" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, which indicates their populations are declining or appear to need conservation actions.

Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Seascape ProgramDr. Merry Camhi said, "Sharks have long played an important role in the healthy functioning of New York's diverse ocean ecosystem. But many of the 27 shark species in our local waters have been severely reduced by overfishing and will take decades to recover. WCS is glad to support these new regulations that will help minimize the catch of protected species and improve the survival of all sharks in both shore-based and vessel-based catch-and-release fisheries."

A complete list of recreational shark fishing regulations is available on DEC's website. The regulations take effect Apr. 17, 2024.

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