Comment from Captain Paul Watson Foundation Chapter for Chicago and Illinois

With respect to the aforementioned proposed rule by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) titled "Atlantic Highly Migratory Species: Commercial Atlantic Blacknose and Recreational Atlantic Shark Fisheries Management Measures; Extension of Comment Period" (91 FR 9237; RIN: 0648-BM88) of February 25, 2026, the Captain Paul Watson Foundation (CPWF) Chapter for Chicago and Illinois urges the U.S. federal government including NOAA to reject the proposed catch limit increases for U.S. shark populations within this proposed rule and not implement them in any way, shape, or form. Sharks are vital parts of every ocean (and sometimes freshwater) ecosystem they inhabit. Please do not increase catch limits for any shark species. We oppose in the strongest possible terms flexible recreational retention limits and urge NOAA to support alternative D1, to maintain existing limits for Atlantic sharks. This being a first positive step towards the only rational solution to ensuring the fully recovery this great nation's shark populations: Implementing and enforcing a permanent ban on all commercial and lethal recreational fishing of all Chondrichthyes species (sharks included) in all U.S. territorial waters. Something we strongly urge NOAA to implement soon in a safe and controlled manner. More than half of the populations proposed for potential catch increases have never been assessed by NOAA. More than two thirds of shark species currently permitted for take by the United States Federal Government in the Atlantic Ocean are internationally recognized threatened species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Furthermore, we strongly oppose increasing commercial catch limits for Blacknose sharks (Carcharhinus acronotus) and urge NOAA to support alternative C1, maintaining existing limits. Again as a positive step towards an eventual permanent ban on all commercial and lethal recreational harvesting of Chondrichthyes species in all U.S. territorial waters. Available assessments show Blacknose shark populations are heavily depleted and have only just begun to recover. The rebuilding of our Atlantic shark populations will take decades and has only just begun. We urge the National Marine Fisheries Service and broader NOAA leadership to seek comprehensive solutions to shark/fishery conflicts that do not compromise rebuilding plans, keeping in mind that the steady increase in recreational fishing pressure and depletion of sharks’ prey cannot be ignored as a factor.