TITLE 50 - WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES

CHAPTER VI - FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

PART 622 - FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF, AND SOUTH ATLANTIC

subpart c - MANAGEMENT MEASURES

622.31 - Prohibited gear and methods.

In addition to the prohibited gear/methods specified in this section, see 622.33, 622.34, and 622.35 for seasonal/area prohibited gear/methods and 622.41 for species specific authorized and unauthorized gear/methods.

  (a) Explosives. An explosive (except an explosive in a powerhead) may not be used to fish in the Caribbean, Gulf, or South Atlantic EEZ. A vessel fishing in the EEZ for a species governed in this part, or a vessel for which a permit has been issued under 622.4, may not have on board any dynamite or similar explosive substance.

  (b) Chemicals and plants. A toxic chemical may not be used or possessed in a coral area, and a chemical, plant, or plant-derived toxin may not be used to harvest a Caribbean coral reef resource in the Caribbean EEZ.

  (c) Fish traps. (1) A fish trap may not be used in the South Atlantic EEZ.

  (2) A fish trap may not be used or possessed in the Gulf EEZ west of 8530' W. long. and, after February 7, 2007, may not be used or possessed in the Gulf EEZ.

  (3) A fish trap used other than where authorized in paragraph (c) (1) or (2) of this section may be disposed of in any appropriate manner by the Assistant Administrator or an authorized officer.

  (d) Longlines for wreckfish. A bottom longline may not be used to fish for wreckfish in the South Atlantic EEZ. A person aboard a vessel that has a longline on board may not retain a wreckfish in or from the South Atlantic EEZ. For the purposes of this paragraph, a vessel is considered to have a longline on board when a power-operated longline hauler, a cable of diameter suitable for use in the longline fishery longer than 1.5 mi (2.4 km) on any reel, and gangions are on board. Removal of any one of these three elements constitutes removal of a longline.

  (e) Poisons. (1) A poison, drug, or other chemical may not be used to fish for Caribbean reef fish in the Caribbean EEZ.

  (2) A poison may not be used to take Gulf reef fish in the Gulf EEZ.

  (3) A poison may not be used to fish for South Atlantic snapper-grouper in the South Atlantic EEZ.

  (f) Power-assisted tools. A power-assisted tool may not be used in the Caribbean EEZ to take a Caribbean coral reef resource or in the Gulf or South Atlantic EEZ to take allowable octocoral, prohibited coral, or live rock.

  (g) Powerheads. A powerhead may not be used in the Caribbean EEZ to harvest Caribbean reef fish or in the EEZ off South Carolina to harvest South Atlantic snapper-grouper. The possession of a mutilated Caribbean reef fish in or from the Caribbean EEZ, or a mutilated South Atlantic snapper-grouper in or from the EEZ off South Carolina, and a powerhead is prima facie evidence that such fish was harvested by a powerhead.

  (h) Rebreathers and spearfishing gear. In the South Atlantic EEZ, a person using a rebreather may not harvest South Atlantic snapper-grouper with spearfishing gear. The possession of such snapper-grouper while in the water with a rebreather is prima facie evidence that such fish was harvested with spearfishing gear while using a rebreather.

  (i) Sea bass pots. A sea bass pot may not be used in the South Atlantic EEZ south of 2835.1' N. lat. (due east of the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building, Cape Canaveral, FL). A sea bass pot deployed in the EEZ south of 2835.1' N. lat. may be disposed of in any appropriate manner by the Assistant Administrator or an authorized officer.

  (j) Spears and hooks. A spear, hook, or similar device may not be used in the Caribbean EEZ to harvest a Caribbean spiny lobster. The possession of a speared, pierced, or punctured Caribbean spiny lobster in or from the Caribbean EEZ is prima facie evidence of violation of this section.

  (k) Traps for royal red shrimp in the Gulf EEZ and transfer at sea. A trap may not be used to fish for royal red shrimp in the Gulf EEZ.

Possession of a trap and royal red shrimp on board a vessel is prohibited. A trap used to fish for royal red shrimp in the Gulf EEZ may be disposed of in any appropriate manner by the Assistant Administrator or an authorized officer. In addition, royal red shrimp cannot be transferred in the Gulf EEZ, and royal red shrimp taken in the Gulf EEZ cannot be transferred at sea regardless of where the transfer takes place.

  (l) Gillnets and trammel nets in the Caribbean EEZ. A gillnet or trammel net may not be used in the Caribbean EEZ to fish for Caribbean reef fish or Caribbean spiny lobster. Possession of a gillnet or trammel net and any Caribbean reef fish or Caribbean spiny lobster in or from the Caribbean EEZ is prima facie evidence of violation of this paragraph (l). A gillnet or trammel net used in the Caribbean EEZ to fish for any other species must be tended at all times.

  (m) Weak link. A bottom trawl that does not have a weak link in the tickler chain may not be used to fish in the Gulf EEZ. For the purposes of this paragraph, a weak link is defined as a length or section of the tickler chain that has a breaking strength less than the chain itself and is easily seen as such when visually inspected.

[61 FR 34934, July 3, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 13987, Mar. 25, 1997; 63 FR 10567, Mar. 4, 1998; 63 FR 57590, Oct. 28, 1998; 67 FR 51079, Aug. 7, 2002; 70 FR 62080, Oct. 28, 2005; 70 FR 76219, Dec. 23, 2005]