Florida FWC Modify Shortfin Mako Bag Limit
Eugene L. 12.05.22
The new daily recreational bag limit of Atlantic shortfin mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus) is now zero sharks per day for all state waters around Florida. This applies to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and was just approved during the December Commission meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The recreational bag limit change was done by the FWC commission to make Florida’s state regulations consistent and in line with current federal regulations for the shortfin makos. Back on July 5th, 2022 NOAA changed the federal regulations for Atlantic shortfin mako sharks in federal waters. They changed the retention limit for both commercial and recreational fishermen to zero, not allowing any landing or retaining of the sharks. These regulations changes are part of a coordinated effort of the United States and other international agencies to address the overfishing of the highly migratory Atlantic shortfin mako shark. In the state of Florida commercial harvest of shortfin makos had been already prohibited in state and federal waters, but now the recreational regulations have been changed as well.
Before any of the changes from the December Commission meeting happened the shortfin mako shark had occurred. Anglers were allowed a daily harvest limit of one mako shark per person a day, with there being a vessel limit of 2 sharks per vessel per day. The vessel limit did not change even if there were more than two anglers on the vessel. The shortfin makos were the only Group 3 species of harvestable sharks and had needed a fork length minimum size of 83 inches from nose tip to the fork of the tail.
Learn more about shark regulations by visiting MyFWC.com/Marine and clicking on “Recreational Regulations” and “Sharks” under the “Regulations by Species – General Species” tab or download the Fish Rules App at Instagram.com/FishRulesApp or Facebook.com/FishRulesApp. For more information on the Commission meeting, including the Nov. 30–Dec. 1, Commission meeting presentation, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.”
