Recreational Shark Fishing

On May 31, 2023, DEC announced proposed changes to recreational shark fishing regulations in New York's Marine and Coastal District. The proposed regulations and additional information are available on DEC's webpage.

State & Federal Permit Requirements

Circle Hooks

New York State Law and federal regulations require the use of non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks when using baited hooks for sharks. These rules apply when fishing in both state and federal waters; and apply to all tournament anglers.

Circle hooks reduce incidents of deep hooking and increase survival rates of released sharks.

Non-stainless steel hooks deteriorate over time in saltwater, reducing harm to a fish if you are unable to retrieve the hook. A circle hook's point is turned back toward the shank, forming a semi-circle shape. This shape causes the circle hook to lodge in a shark's mouth instead of other vulnerable areas such as its throat or gut. J-hooks are more likely to be swallowed and damage a shark's internal organs.

Prohibited Sharks

It is unlawful for a recreational angler to take or to possess shark species which are not listed in 6 NYCRR Section 40.7(c)(1). These species are referred to as "prohibited" shark species for recreational fishing. These rules were implemented in 2010 and are consistent with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and NOAA Fisheries fishery management plans for Coastal Sharks.

"Take" is defined in New York's Environmental Conservation Law Section 11-0103 (13) and includes pursuing, killing, and capturing sharks. It also includes all lesser acts such as disturbing, harrying, or worrying, or using any device commonly used to take sharks.

  • Any angler who is making an effort to catch a prohibited shark species is pursuing or targeting that species in violation of 6 NYCRR 40.7(c)(1).
  • Do not fish for or target prohibited sharks in New York waters. Intentional catch and release of prohibited sharks is likewise illegal.
  • If a prohibited shark is hooked, the angler must release the prohibited shark immediately and in a manner that maximizes the shark's chance of survival.
  • Do not tag prohibited sharks or delay release to take pictures.
  • Participating in NOAA's Cooperative Shark Tagging Program (CSTP) as a volunteer does not exempt you from New York State laws and regulations. NOAA requires CSTP volunteers to follow all local, state and federal rules.
Prohibited Species
  • Prohibited shark species found in New York State waters include Sandbar ("Brown"), Dusky, and Sand Tiger sharks. Large (non-dogfish) sharks that are caught from shore in New York are usually a prohibited shark species. Prohibited shark species may also be encountered by boat-based anglers in nearshore waters. 
  • Other examples of prohibited shark species found in New York State waters include Basking and White sharks.
  • For a full list of all prohibited shark species, view Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations.
  • Download and review the NOAA Fisheries Shark Identification Placard and Prohibited Shark Identification Placard before going shark fishing. Remember, "If you don't know, let it go!"
Conservation of Prohibited Species

There are concerns about the conservation status of New York's prohibited shark species. Dusky and sand tiger sharks are both listed as "High Priority Species of Greatest Conservation Need" in the New York State Wildlife Action Plan. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed sandbar and dusky sharks as "endangered" species and sand tiger sharks as "critically endangered" due to population declines and long expected recovery times. Additionally, both sand tiger and dusky shark are listed as "species of concern" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) which indicates their populations are declining or appear to need conservation actions.

Prohibited shark species are particularly vulnerable due to a combination of factors which include:

  • Exceptionally low productivity rates.
  • Very slow growth and late maturity.
  • Long gestation periods.
  • Vulnerability to fishing gear at varying life stages.
  • Species may be experiencing overfishing. Sharks may be removed from a species population at a greater rate than the stock can reproduce and replace the sharks that were removed.
  • Species may be overfished. Species may have a low biomass throughout their range, impacting their reproductive capacity to replace sharks that have been removed.
     

The prohibited status gives these species the protection they need from fishing to maintain and rebuild their populations.

Best Practices to Release Sharks

Treat any shark that you cannot identify as prohibited species and release it immediately. If you catch a prohibited shark species, please adhere to the following guidelines.

From the Shore:
  • Minimize your fight time - do not play the shark to exhaustion.
  • Release the shark immediately - do not delay release to tag or take pictures.
  • Minimize handling. Lifting sharks out of the water can put yourself and others at risk. Dragging a shark by the tail can severely injure the animal.
  • Never drag a shark onto dry land beyond the surf zone. Sharks caught from shore should be left in as much water as possible while maintaining the safety of the angler and those nearby.
  • Do not sit on the shark or pull back the snout to reveal the teeth.
  • Keep onlookers in the area well clear of the shark.
  • If the shark is hooked in the jaw, use a long-handled de-hooking device to help with hook removal or bolt cutters to cut the hook.
  • If it is not possible to remove the hook, cut the leader as close to the hook as safely as the situation allows. Long lengths of leader left with the shark decrease its chance of survival after it is released.
From a Boat:
  • Minimize your fight time - do not play the shark to exhaustion.
  • Always keep the shark in the water alongside your boat with its snout facing into the current to maintain a regular flow of water over its gills.
  • Do not use a gaff. Instead hold the shark on the leader while moving the boat slowly ahead.
  • If the shark is hooked in the jaw, use a long-handled dehooking device to help with hook removal or bolt cutters to cut the hook.
  • If it is not possible to remove the hook, cut the leader as close to the hook as safely as the situation allows. Long lengths of leader left with the shark decrease its chance of survival after it is released.
  • Before you go fishing, watch NOAA Fisheries video for more information about handling and release of prohibited shark species from a boat.

Shark Fisheries Management

NOAA Fisheries finalized a fishery management plan and began managing the U.S. shark fishery in federal waters in 1993. For information about the federal management of Atlantic Sharks, visit NOAA Fisheries Atlantic Highly Migratory Species.

Coastwide management of sharks in state waters is regulated by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission's (ASMFC) Coastal Shark Management Board. ASMFC Approved the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Coastal Sharks in 2008. For more information about coastwide management of shark species in state waters, visit ASMFC's Coastal Sharks.

Management Updates

On May 31 2023, DEC announced proposed changes to recreational fishing regulations in New York's Marine and Coastal District. This rulemaking is needed to improve the management and protection of sharks by establishing gear restrictions for recreational shore anglers to enhance law enforcement's ability to protect sharks and includes new handling and release methods for anglers to improve both shark and angler safety.

  • The proposed regulations and additional information are available on DEC's webpage.
  • The public is invited to submit written comments through August 7, 2023. Email comments to [email protected] with the subject line: "Proposed Part 40 - Sharks".
  • DEC will hold a virtual public hearing to accept public comment on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at 6 P.M. Information on how to participate in the hearing can be found on DEC's webpage.

Effective July 26, 2022, all recreational and commercial possession of shortfin mako is prohibited in state waters (0 - 3 miles offshore).This rule maintains consistency with interstate and federal management plans and was adopted as part of a larger rebuilding program for the North Atlantic shortfin mako. For current shark fishing limits, check DEC's Recreational Saltwater Fishing Limits.

Effective July 5th, 2022, NOAA Fisheries established a shortfin mako retention limit of zero in the commercial and recreational Atlantic HMS fisheries, prohibiting all take of shortfin mako from federal waters (3 - 200 miles offshore). For more information, visit NOAA's website.