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New Shark Fishing Rules for 2025
The Division of Marine Fisheries has adopted several new rules affecting shark fishing for this coming season. These include constraining the use of certain heavy gear while shore fishing around Cape Cod Bay and the Outer Cape; prohibiting chumming from the shoreline during day-time hours when fishing heavy gear; restricting the use of mechanized devices when setting bait from shore; and prohibiting the retention of oceanic whitetip sharks.
Shore-based shark fishing is growing in popularity along the coast and Massachusetts has become a desirable location to conduct this fishing. While DMF regulations already prohibit attracting and targeting great white sharks, it has become evident in recent years that these regulations are difficult to enforce and in need of clarification. Last year, there were several instances when anglers likely fishing for white sharks from shore caused user group conflicts and public safety risks for other beach goers. In response, DMF has taken the following regulatory actions to prevent the further expansion of this fishing activity, improve enforceability of existing regulations, and ameliorate the associated public safety risks.
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First, to better restrict the targeting of white sharks where they are most commonly found, DMF created an area (see red shoreline on map) where anglers are prohibited from fishing from shore with a baited hook that has an inside gap exceeding 5/8-inch when measured straight across from barb to shank coupled with a wire or metal leader that measures greater than 18-inches. The area where this activity is prohibited begins at the northernmost point of Plymouth Beach and follows the shoreline around Cape Cod Bay and the Outer Cape including all of Chatham Harbor and Monomoy Island. The use of this heavy gear remains authorized outside of the area and anglers may fish lighter tackle within the area to target other species. Second, if you are shore fishing and using this heavy hook and leader configuration outside of the prohibited area, you may not chum from sunrise to sunset. Lastly, when shore fishing you may not use mechanized, compressed propulsion, or remote-controlled devices to deploy baited hooks (see Advisory).
In addition to the above, DMF has prohibited the retention and possession of oceanic whitetip sharks by all persons whether recreationally and commercially fishing. These sharks are not commonly caught in Massachusetts waters or landed in Massachusetts ports. However, this ensures DMF and federal regulations match for enforcement and compliance purposes and brings DMF in compliance with the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Coastal Sharks.
For more information, please visit our website: www.mass.gov/marinefisheries.
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