A fisheries database is currently being assembled by PSRC personnel that incorporates commercial and recreational landings for all elasmobranchs identified in the waters of the western continental United States. The database is subdivided by state (AK, CA, OR and WA) and contains landing data, fishery regulations, gear types, and market information. Fisheries-dependent data are being compiled from federal and state fishery agencies. Fisheries-independent data are being gathered primarily from the Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) database, which incorporates data from NMFS surveys throughout the US Pacific. Information derived from published literature will also be included, especially with regard to distribution and abundance. Once these data are assembled, long-term fishing trends will be analyzed (where possible). Special attention will be given to determining the amount and extent of shark (including skate and chimaera) bycatch and discard.