Contact: Gordon Helm               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                         5/14/97

The second-season commercial fishing quota for large coastal sharks in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico has been reduced from 642 to 326 metric tons to reflect overharvest during the first season, which closed on April 7, 1997, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced today. The commercial fisheries for pelagic and small coastal sharks remain open.

The annual large coastal shark commercial fishing quota is divided into two six -month seasons. The 1997 quota was set at 1,285 metric tons (mt) on April 2, 1997, and fisheries service officials estimated at that time that the first season quota of 642 mt had already been exceeded. Officials stated that any overage would be applied to the second-season quota. A final tally of the first-season catch totaled 958 mt, which is 316 mt more than the first-season quota. The second semi-annual season begins July 1, 1997, and will close when the quota is estimated to be filled.

At the time the 1997 quota was set, the fisheries service also announced a 50 percent reduction in the shark quota from 1996 levels. Fisheries officials acted following a review of recent declining shark stock assessments, believing the 50 percent reduction was needed to lower fishing mortality on Atlantic shark populations, which are at historically low levels because of overfishing and threats to their habitat. The shark fishing community was first informed of the planned reduction in December 1996 when the fisheries service published proposed regulations announcing its plan to reduce fishing mortality following months of scientific review.

The quota reduction affects about 150 commercial fishermen who target large coastal sharks for a portion of their income and fish for other species like tuna, snapper, grouper, and mackerel to round out their business.

The recreational fisheries for all sharks are unaffected.