 Fishing regulations include catch limits and gear restrictions to prevent damage to the species habitat and population. There are different gear restrictions for commercial and recreational fishers. In 2007, regulations were imposed to reduce the harvesting by one third, as a response to overfishing in the South Atlantic. The South Atlantic catch limit was later increased in October 2012 as a response to the increased population. The 2013 limits in the souther U.S. Atlantic waters for the species, measured in gutted weight, is currently 405,971 pounds for longline and 135,324 pounds for hook-and-line fishing.
