Commercial shark possession limit increases

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the daily possession limit for commercially harvested large coastal sharks will increase from 45 to 55 per day effective immediately. The large coastal shark group includes great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, nurse shark, blacktip shark, bull shark, lemon shark, sandbar shark, silky shark, spinner shark, and tiger shark.

LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet was granted authority by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission to make season adjustments if deemed necessary. This increase is concurrent with a similar in-season adjustment by NOAA Fisheries in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The adjustment was made as a result of under harvest during the quota year.

The commercial large coastal sharks season is scheduled to close on December 31, 2019.

No possession of sandbar sharks is allowed unless a commercial fisherman is in possession of a valid federal shark research permit in their name.