[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 50, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 50CFR622.18]

[Page 168-170]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 622--FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF, AND SOUTH ATLANTIC--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart B--Effort Limitations
 
Sec. 622.18  South Atlantic snapper-grouper limited access.

    (a) Applicability. Beginning December 14, 1998, the only valid 
commercial vessel permits for South Atlantic snapper-grouper are those 
that have been issued under the limited access criteria in this section. 
A vessel may have either a transferable commercial permit or a trip-
limited commercial permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper.
    (b) Initial eligibility. A vessel is eligible for an initial limited 
access commercial permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper if the owner 
owned a vessel with a commercial vessel permit for South Atlantic 
snapper-grouper at any time from February 11, 1996, through February 11, 
1997, and owned a permitted vessel that had at least one landing of 
snapper-grouper from the South Atlantic from January 1, 1993, through 
August 20, 1996, as reported on fishing vessel logbooks received by the 
SRD on or before August 20, 1996. An owner whose permitted vessels had 
landings of snapper-grouper from the South Atlantic of at least 1,000 lb 
(453.6 kg), whole weight, in any one of the years 1993, 1994, or 1995, 
or in 1996 through August 20, as reported on fishing vessel logbooks 
received by the SRD on or before August 20, 1996, is eligible for an 
initial transferable permit. All other qualifying owners are eligible 
for an initial trip-limited permit.
    (c) Determinations of eligibility--(1) Permit history. The sole 
basis for determining whether a vessel had a commercial vessel permit 
for South Atlantic snapper-grouper at any time from February 11, 1996, 
through February 11, 1997, is NMFS' permit records. An owner of a 
currently permitted vessel who believes he/she meets the February 11, 
1996, through February 11, 1997, permit history criterion based on 
ownership of a vessel under a different name, as may have occurred when 
ownership has changed from individual to corporate or vice versa, must 
document his/her continuity of ownership. No more than one owner of a 
currently permitted vessel will be credited with meeting the permit 
history criterion based on a vessel's permit history.
    (2) Landings. (i) Landings of snapper-grouper from the South 
Atlantic during the qualifying period are determined from fishing vessel 
logbooks received by the SRD on or before August 20, 1996. State trip 
ticket data may be considered in support of claimed landings provided 
such trip ticket data were received by the state on or before September 
20, 1996.
    (ii) Only landings when a vessel had a valid commercial permit for 
snapper-grouper and only landings that were harvested, landed, and sold 
in compliance with state and Federal regulations may be used to 
establish eligibility.
    (iii) For the purpose of eligibility for a limited access commercial 
permit for snapper-grouper, the owner of a vessel that had a commercial 
snapper-grouper permit during the qualifying period retains the snapper-
grouper landings record of that vessel during the time of his/her 
ownership unless a sale of the vessel included a written agreement that 
credit for such landings was transferred to the new owner. Such transfer 
of credit must be for the vessel's entire record of landings of snapper-
grouper from the South Atlantic.
    (d) Implementation procedures--(1) Notification of status. On or 
about July 27, 1998, the RA will notify each owner of a vessel that had 
a commercial permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper at any time from 
February 11, 1996, through February 11, 1997, and each owner of a vessel 
that has a commercial permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper on July 
16, 1998, of NMFS' initial determination of eligibility for either a 
transferable or a trip-limited, limited access commercial permit for

[[Page 169]]

South Atlantic snapper-grouper. Each notification will include an 
application for such permit. Addresses for such notifications will be 
based on NMFS' permit records. A vessel owner who believes he/she 
qualifies for a limited access commercial permit for South Atlantic 
snapper-grouper and who does not receive such notification must obtain 
an application from the RA.
    (2) Applications. (i) An owner of a vessel who desires a limited 
access commercial permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper must submit 
an application for such permit postmarked or hand-delivered not later 
than October 14, 1998. Failure to apply in a timely manner will preclude 
permit issuance even when the vessel owner meets the eligibility 
criteria for such permit.
    (ii) A vessel owner who agrees with NMFS' initial determination of 
eligibility, including type of permit (transferable or trip-limited), 
need provide no documentation of eligibility with his/her application.
    (iii) A vessel owner who disagrees with the initial determination of 
eligibility or type of permit must specify the type of permit applied 
for and provide documentation of eligibility. Documentation and other 
information submitted on or with an application are subject to 
verification by comparison with state, Federal, and other records and 
information. Submission of false documentation or information may 
disqualify an owner from initial participation in the limited access 
commercial South Atlantic snapper-grouper fishery and is a violation of 
the regulations in this part.
    (iv) If an application that is postmarked or hand delivered in a 
timely manner is incomplete, the RA will notify the vessel owner of the 
deficiency. If the owner fails to correct the deficiency within 20 days 
of the date of the RA's notification, the application will be considered 
abandoned.
    (3) Issuance. (i) If a complete application is submitted in a timely 
manner and the eligibility requirements specified in paragraph (b) of 
this section are met, the RA will issue an initial commercial vessel 
permit, transferable or trip-limited, as appropriate, and mail it to the 
vessel owner not later than December 3, 1998.
    (ii) If the eligibility requirements specified in paragraph (b) of 
this section are not met, the RA will notify the vessel owner, in 
writing, not later than November 13, 1998 of such determination and the 
reasons for it.
    (4) Reconsideration. (i) A vessel owner may request reconsideration 
of the RA's determination regarding initial permit eligibility by 
submitting a written request for reconsideration to the RA. Such request 
must be postmarked or hand delivered within 20 days of the date of the 
RA's notification denying initial permit issuance and must provide 
written documentation supporting permit eligibility.
    (ii) Upon receipt of a request for reconsideration, the RA will 
forward the initial application, the RA's response to that application, 
the request for reconsideration, and pertinent records to an Application 
Oversight Board consisting of state directors (or their designees) from 
each state in the Council's area of jurisdiction. Upon request, a vessel 
owner may make a personal appearance before the Application Oversight 
Board.
    (iii) If reconsideration by the Application Oversight Board is 
requested, such request constitutes the vessel owner's written 
authorization under section 402(b)(1)(F) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act for 
the RA to make available to the Application Oversight Board members such 
confidential catch and other records as are pertinent to the matter 
under reconsideration.
    (iv) The Application Oversight Board may only deliberate whether the 
eligibility criteria specified in paragraph (b) of this section were 
applied correctly in the vessel owner's case, based solely on the 
available record, including documentation submitted by the owner. The 
Application Oversight Board may not consider whether an owner should 
have been eligible for a commercial vessel permit because of hardship or 
other factors. The Application Oversight Board members will provide 
individual recommendations for each application for reconsideration to 
the RA.
    (v) The RA will make a final decision based on the eligibility 
criteria specified in paragraph (b) of this section and

[[Page 170]]

the available record, including documentation submitted by the vessel 
owner, and the recommendations and comments from members of the 
Application Oversight Board. The RA may not consider whether a vessel 
owner should have been eligible for a commercial vessel permit because 
of hardship or other factors. The RA will notify the owner of the 
decision and the reason for it, in writing, within 15 days of receiving 
the recommendations from the Application Oversight Board members. The 
RA's decision will constitute the final administrative action by NMFS.
    (e) Transfers of permits. A snapper-grouper limited access permit is 
valid only for the vessel and owner named on the permit. To change 
either the vessel or the owner, an application for transfer must be 
submitted to the RA.
    (1) Transferable permits. (i) An owner of a vessel with a 
transferable permit may request that the RA transfer the permit to 
another vessel owned by the same entity.
    (ii) A transferable permit may be transferred upon a change of 
ownership of a permitted vessel with such permit from one to another of 
the following: Husband, wife, son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, or 
father.
    (iii) A transferable permit may be transferred to a vessel whose 
owner had, as of August 20, 1996, a written contract for the purchase of 
a vessel that included a provision transferring to the new owner the 
rights to any limited access permit to which the former owner might 
become entitled under the provisions for initial issue of limited access 
permits. To be considered, any such written contract must be submitted 
to the RA postmarked or hand-delivered on or before December 14, 1998.
    (iv) Except as provided in paragraphs (e)(1)(i), (ii), and (iii) of 
this section, a person desiring to acquire a limited access, 
transferable permit for South Atlantic snapper-grouper must obtain and 
exchange two such permits for one new permit.
    (v) A transfer of a permit that is undertaken under paragraph 
(e)(1)(ii), (e)(1)(iii), or (e)(1)(iv) of this section will constitute a 
transfer of the vessel's entire catch history to the new owner.
    (2) Trip-limited permits. An owner of a vessel with a triplimited 
permit may request that the RA transfer the permit to another vessel 
owned by the same entity.
    (f) Renewal. NMFS will not reissue a commercial vessel permit for 
South Atlantic snapper-grouper if the permit is revoked or if the RA 
does not receive an application for renewal within 60 days of the 
permit's expiration date.

[63 FR 38301, July 16, 1998, as amended at 64 FR 59126, Nov. 2, 1999; 65 
FR 51252, Aug. 23, 2000]