| Summary: | This document presents updated commercial and recreational landings and discard estimates of Atlantic sharks up to 2004, with special emphasis on sharks of the Large Coastal complex. Species-specific information on the geographical distribution of both commercial and recreational catches is presented along with the different gear types used in the commercial fisheries. Length-frequency information and average weights of the catches in three separate recreational surveys and in the directed shark bottom-longline observer program are also included. 1. Background and Management History U.S. Atlantic shark catches increased rapidly during the late 1980's and early 1990's to more than 9,500 mt, but were limited by a suite of regulations including commercial quotas and recreational bag limits. Because species-specific catches of sharks were generally not documented by all states until 1994, they were grouped by similar life-history and habitat characteristics for the purpose of management. Most of the recent U.S. catch of sharks for the market is of species grouped as large coastal sharks. Some pelagic sharks (e.g., mako, thresher, porbeagle) are also valued by U.S. fishers targeting tunas and swordfish. Four
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