Shark fishing is increasingly regulated in the Caribbean region. We present new information on the characteristics, landings, species composition, and size composition of the shark fishery of Puerto Rico, a U.S. Caribbean territory, and discuss current regulatory issues. Sharks are mainly landed in a small-scale targeted fishery operating in territory jurisdiction (coast to 17 km) that supplies local demand for inexpensive fish. There are at least 16 species caught: a small number of large Tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) and Blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) sharks and many small but adult Sharpnose sharks (Rhizopriodon spp.) accounted for >80% of landed weight. The catch of Sharpnose sharks was significantly skewed to males. Juvenile Scalloped Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) were the second-most caught species but accounted for a small proportion of the landed weight and value given their small size. Differences between territory and U.S. federal regulations (17 km-370 km jurisdiction) leads to legal territory landings of federally prohibited species, especially Scalloped Hammerhead sharks, which might undermine the conservation potential of federal regulations. Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are also listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) making ongoing catches more problematic from a legal perspective. Scalloped Hammerhead shark catch reduction could have minimal livelihood impacts because of their low value, which presents an opportunity for stakeholders to engage on catch reduction measures. This study provides new details on how and why different shark species are caught in Puerto Rico, which could facilitate better management that protects threatened species and maintains livelihoods for people.

加勒比地区的鲨鱼捕捞活动受到越来越多的监管。我们提供有关美国加勒比领土波多黎各鲨鱼渔业的特征、上岸量、物种组成和规模组成的新信息，并讨论当前的监管问题。鲨鱼主要在领土管辖范围内（海岸至 17 公里）内经营的小规模目标渔场上岸，满足当地对廉价鱼类的需求。至少捕获了 16 种鲨鱼：少量大型虎鲨 ( Galeocerdo cuvier ) 和黑鳍鲨 ( Carcharhinuslimbatus ) 以及许多小型但成年的尖吻鲨 ( Rhizopriodon spp.)，其重量占到岸重量的 80% 以上。尖鼻鲨的捕获量明显偏向雄性。幼年扇贝双髻鲨 ( Sphyrna lewini ) 是捕获量第二多的物种，但由于体型较小，仅占上岸重量和价值的一小部分。领土与美国联邦法规之间的差异（17公里至370公里管辖范围）导致联邦禁止物种（尤其是扇贝双髻鲨）在合法领土上登陆，这可能会破坏联邦法规的保护潜力。扇贝双髻鲨也被列入美国濒危物种法案（ESA），从法律角度来看，持续的捕捞变得更加成问题。由于扇贝双髻鲨的价值较低，减少捕捞量对生计的影响微乎其微，这为利益相关者提供了参与减少捕捞措施的机会。这项研究提供了有关波多黎各如何以及为何捕获不同鲨鱼物种的新细节，这可以促进更好的管理，保护受威胁物种并维持人们的生计。