Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List the Smalltail Shark (Carcharhinus porosus) as Threatened or Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act
Key claim: NMFS concluded that listing the smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus) as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Commerce Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) We, NMFS, have completed a comprehensive status review for the smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus) in response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity to list the species. After reviewing the best scientific and commercial data available, including the Status Review Report, we have determined that listing the smalltail shark as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is not warranted.
Why this matters
ESA 12-month listing determinations shape the regulatory baseline for marine species conservation, affecting fisheries bycatch rules and habitat protections even when — as here — the outcome is a negative finding. A ‘not warranted’ determination for the smalltail shark means no new federal take prohibitions or critical habitat obligations follow, leaving the species’ management to existing fisheries frameworks.