Comment from Joseph Steinberger

I am writing to you with my grave concern for oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks, including scalloped, great and smooth hammerheads. These species have recently undergone drastic population declines, largely due to the demand for their highly valued fins. The current NMFS proposal does not go far enough in protecting these vulnerable species. Please add these sharks to the prohibited list. Allowing the catch and retention of oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks in the remaining fisheries that target sharks would be detrimental to the future of these species. Oceanic whitetip sharks have declined 60-70 percent in the northwest and central Atlantic Ocean and have been listed as Critically Endangered in this region by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Similarly, scalloped hammerhead sharks, listed as Endangered globally, have witnessed declines of more than 80 percent in the northwest Atlantic. Furthermore, the National Marine Fisheries Service recently declared the scalloped hammerhead overfished in the Atlantic with overfishing occurring. The United States raised its concern for the continued survival of these species by submitting proposals to restrict the trade in both oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Unfortunately, these proposals failed, but the United States can continue to show global leadership for sharks by permanently protecting these species within its own waters. Prohibiting the retention of these species in all Highly Migratory Species (HMS) fisheries will allow for straightforward enforcement and implementation of the proposed ban and help to safeguard these species in U.S. waters. Please add the oceanic whitetip and scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead sharks to the prohibited species list under HMS management in the Atlantic. Thank you for your consideration.