by Anna Ferguson, published in The Brunswick News

As Spud Woodward can tell you, sharks know nothing about state lines and federal boundaries. The predators of the ocean go where they please, when they please. And no law is going to stop them.

That, though, can make regulating shark protection guidelines in state and federal waters tricky, said Woodward, assistant director for marine fisheries at the Georgia Department of Natural Resource.

In an effort to lessen confusion about federal and state shark regulations and create a more streamlined approach to ensure compliance with the rules, the department has requested that the Board of Natural Resources change shark regulations in the Interstate Fishery Management Plan For Atlantic Coast Sharks.

The plan, recently approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, will coordinate management of sharks across state jurisdictions and federal waters, eliminating inconsistencies and providing a healthy, self- sustaining population of Atlantic coastal sharks, said Woodward, the department's representative on the commission.

"Fish don't recognize boundaries," said Woodward. "But people do. The goal of changing parts of this plan is to better manage shark stocks and monitor population health."

Changes to the plan in Georgia include prohibiting the harvest of 21 species of sharks, namely the Sand tiger, Sandbar, Silky and Dusky - species known to swim in waters protected in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which is 3 to 200 miles off the coast.
Impacts from changes to the management plan stretch along 15 states on the Atlantic seaboard, from Florida up to Maine.

In Georgia, the plan should not have much of an effect on anglers, as there are no commercial shark fisheries in the state and no shark populations are in danger of being wiped out, Woodward said. Here, sharks are typically reeled in as bycatch or are caught and tossed back on commercial deep-water fishing expeditions.

In neighboring states, such as North Carolina and Florida, commercial shark fisheries are a popular industry and some species may dwindle in population should catch rates continue, Woodward said.

"This plan is more for future planning," Woodward said.

Woodward and the team at the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission have been working on the shark management plan for more than 18 months, with the final approval coming in late October. Georgia is on par to become the first state in the commission to be in compliance with all the proposed changes, Woodward said.

Sharks carry a heavy plight, as they have long been misunderstood by the general public, Woodward said.
"They can be brutal," he said. "But it's all part of nature and survival of the species."

By the same token, sharks play a vital role the marine ecosystem, acting as population controllers for smaller species and keeping the food chain in check.

"Sharks have been misunderstood for centuries, but we now appreciate their important role in estuarine and ocean ecosystems," said Woodward. "It's important that we protect our shark populations, and the proposed changes will do that while still allowing anglers to harvest sharks for personal consumption."

BREAKOUT
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission recently approved changes to the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coast Sharks. There are number of proposed changes in Georgia's fishing regulations.
* Prohibit the harvest of 21 species of sharks currently protected in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, which is 3 to 200 miles off the coast.
* Change the minimum-size limit for the small shark composite (bonnethead, Atlantic sharpnose, and spiny dogfish) from 30 inches total length to 30 inches fork length.
* Change the daily creel and possession limit for the small shark composite to one fish per person.
* Change the minimum-size limit for sharks other than small shark composite to 54 inches fork length.
* Change the daily creel and possession limit for sharks other than the small shark composite to one fish per person or boat, whichever is less.
* Prohibit the sale of sharks when federal commercial shark quotas are reached.