The second semiannual fishing season of the 2002 fishing year for the commercial fishery for large coastal sharks in the western North Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, closed on September 15, 2002.

As of Sept. 11, landings reports through the month of August indicated that approximately 417.3 of the available 655.5 metric tons dressed weight had been harvested. NOAA Fisheries intends to add any unharvested, available quota to the first 2003 large coastal shark fishing season.

During this closure, retention of, fishing for, possessing or selling large coastal sharks are prohibited for persons fishing aboard vessels that were issued a federal, limited access permit. The sale, purchase, trade or barter of carcasses and/or fins of large coastal sharks are prohibited except for those that were harvested, offloaded, and sold, traded, or bartered prior to the closure and were held in storage by a dealer or processor. For a copy of this Emergency Rule go to: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/fishery.htm