After listening to public comments on and discussing the current and future management of sharks in Florida at the April meeting in Fort Lauderdale, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) directed staff to continue to stay engaged on all shark-related issues and to pursue development of draft regulations for shore-based shark fishing. The FWC understands this is an issue that is important to the public, especially those who have had negative interactions, and we want to work toward finding solutions. Staff will workshop and bring draft regulations to a future Commission meeting.

Background

Shore-based shark fishing is a sport that has drawn increased public attention in recent years. Due to this, the FWC has made it a priority to increase outreach on best practices when shark fishing from shore. This outreach has included working more closely with shark fishing tournament directors and other user groups, and creating a series of Shark-Smart Fishing guidelines.