Comment from Mary OMalley

Scoping Comments on Amendment 5 to the HMS FMP Scalloped Hammerheads -- Overfished and Experiencing Overfishing Recommendation: • NMFS should prohibit retention of scalloped hammerhead sharks. • In addition, due to concerns over their population status and the fact that they look so similar to scalloped hammerheads, smooth and great hammerheads should also be added to the prohibited species list. • Because mortality of released scalloped hammerheads is high, especially in bottom longline fisheries, NMFS should take additional measures to reduce bycatch mortality (see dusky shark recommendations). Dusky sharks - still overfished and still experiencing overfishing Recommendation: NMFS must reduce the bycatch mortality of dusky sharks by 2/3. As a result NMFS needs to work within the HMS fisheries as well as other fisheries to determine when or where the catch of dusky sharks is occurring and take action to reduce this bycatch mortality. These actions could include time and/or area closures, gear and soak time restrictions and mandate of gear technology changes demonstrated to reduce bycatch of this species. Blacknose sharks - overfished and experiencing overfishing in the Atlantic; status unknown in the Gulf Recommendation: NMFS needs to take action to reduce fishing mortality of blacknose sharks in the Atlantic. Due to the unknown status of blacknose sharks in the Gulf of Mexico, NMFS should use a precautionary management approach and make gathering data and conducting a new assessment a priority. Sandbar sharks - still overfished, but no longer experiencing overfishing Recommendation: Current management appears to have ended overfishing, but NMFS needs to continue to monitor the stock to ensure that overfishing isn’t occurring and that fishing mortality remains at a level low enough to rebuild the stock.