Fisheries Off West Coast States and in the Western Pacific; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species; Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Implementation of the Shark Finning Prohibition Act

NMFS publishes this final rule to implement the provisions of the Shark Finning Prohibition Act (Act). This final rule prohibits any person under U.S. jurisdiction from engaging in shark finning, possessing shark fins harvested on board a U.S. fishing vessel without corresponding shark carcasses, or landing shark fins harvested without corresponding carcasses. Finning is the practice of removing the fin or fins from a shark and discarding the remainder of the shark at sea. This final rule is issued in accordance with the requirement of the Act that the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) issue regulations to implement the Act. This final rule does not alter or modify shark finning regulations already in place in the Atlantic for Federal permit holders.