Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 391 - RULES OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES › Chapter 391-2 - COASTAL RESOURCES › Subject 391-2-4 - SALTWATER FISHING REGULATIONS › Rule 391-2-4-.04 - Saltwater Finfishing

Current through Rules and Regulations filed
				through June 27, 2024
(1)
Purpose.
The purpose of
				these Rules is to implement the authority of the Board of Natural Resources to
				promulgate rules and regulations based on sound principles of wildlife research
				and management, establishing the seasons, methods of fishing, and disposition;
				size, possession, and creel limits; and gear and landing specifications for
				certain finfish.
(2)
Definitions
.
(a) "Billfish"
				means Blue Marlin (
Makaira nigricans
), White Marlin
				(
Tetrapturus albidus
) and Sailfish (
Istiophorus
				albicans
).
(b) "Daily
				creel limit" means the lawful amount of a species of finfish that a person may
				take in one day or possess at any one-time, except at one's place of abode or
				at a commercial storage facility provided the Board has not prohibited sale of
				that species.
(c) "Hammerhead
				Sharks" means a group of sharks inclusive of Great Hammerhead (
Sphyrna
				mokarran
), Scalloped Hammerhead (
Sphyrna lewini
) and
				Smooth Hammerhead (
Sphyrna zygaena
).
(d) "Handline" means a mainline to which no
				more than two hooks are attached and which is retrieved by hand without the aid
				of mechanical devices.
(e) "Landed"
				means to bring fish to shore in this state, regardless of the jurisdiction from
				which they were taken or harvested.
(f) "Minimum size" means the species'
				specific size in length, specified as fork length, lower jaw fork length or
				total length, below which size it is unlawful to possess that finfish
				species.
(g) "Maximum size" means
				the species' specific size in length, specified as fork length, lower jaw fork
				length or total length, above which size it is unlawful to possess that finfish
				species.
(h) "Open Season" means
				that specified period of time during which one may take from any of the waters
				of this state certain finfish species.
(i) "Prohibited Sharks" means a group of
				sharks inclusive of sand tiger (
Carcharias taurus
), sandbar
				shark (
Carcharhinus plumbeus
), silky shark
				(
Carcharhinus falciformis
), bigeye sandtiger
				(
Odontaspis noronhai
), whale shark (
Rhincodon
				typus
), basking shark (
Cetorhinus maximus
), white
				shark (
Carcharodon carcharias
), dusky shark
				(
Carcharhinus obscurus
), bignose shark (
Carcharhinus
				altimus
), Galapagos shark (
Carcharhinus
				galapagensis
), night shark (
Carcharhinus signatus
),
				reef shark (
Carcharhinus perezii
), narrowtooth shark
				(
Carcharhinus brachyurus
), Caribbean sharpnose shark
				(
Rhizoprionodon porosus
), smalltail shark
				(
Carcharhinus porosus
), Atlantic angel shark (
Squatina
				dumeril
), longfin mako (
Isurus paucus
), bigeye
				thresher (
Alopias superciliosus
), sharpnose sevengill shark
				(
Heptranchias perlo
), bluntnose sixgill shark
				(
Hexanchus griseus
), bigeye sixgill (
Carcharhinus
				longimanus
).
(j) "Sharks"
				means all species of sharks other than those comprising the small shark
				composite as defined in subparagraph 2(k), hammerhead sharks as defined in
				subparagraph 2(c), prohibited sharks as defined in subparagraph 2(i), and
				individual species regulated by this rule.
(k) "Small Shark Composite" means a group of
				sharks inclusive of Atlantic sharpnose shark (
Rhizoprionodon
				terraenovae
), bonnethead (
Sphyrna tiburo
), and spiny
				dogfish (
Squalus acanthias
).