[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: 50CFR635.30]

[Page 249-250]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 635--ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart C--Management Measures
 
Sec. 635.30  Possession at sea and landing.

    (a) Atlantic tunas. Persons that own or operate a fishing vessel 
that possesses an Atlantic tuna in the Atlantic Ocean or that lands an 
Atlantic tuna in an Atlantic coastal port must maintain such Atlantic 
tuna through offloading either in round form or eviscerated with the 
head and fins removed, provided one pectoral fin and the tail remain 
attached.
    (b) Billfish. Any person that possesses a blue marlin or a white 
marlin taken from its management unit or a sailfish taken shoreward of 
the outer boundary of the EEZ or lands a blue marlin or a white marlin 
in an Atlantic coastal port must maintain such billfish with its head, 
fins, and bill intact through offloading. Persons may eviscerate such 
billfish, but it must otherwise be maintained whole.
    (c) Shark. (1) Not withstanding the regulations issued at part 600 
(subpart M) of this chapter, no person who owns or operates a vessel 
issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited access permit shall 
possess or offload wet shark fins in a quantity that exceeds 5 percent 
of the dressed weight of the shark carcasses. No person shall possess a 
shark fin on board a fishing vessel after the vessel's first point of 
landing. While shark fins are on board and when shark fins are being 
offloaded, persons issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited 
access permit are subject to the regulations at part 600, subpart M, of 
this chapter.

[[Page 250]]

    (2) A person who owns or operates a vessel that has been issued a 
Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited access permit may not fillet a 
shark at sea. A person may eviscerate and remove the head and fins, but 
must retain the fins with the dressed carcasses. While on board and when 
offloaded, wet shark fins may not exceed 5 percent of the dressed weight 
of the carcasses, in accordance with the regulations at part 600, 
subpart M, of this chapter.
    (3) A person who owns or operates a vessel that has been issued a 
Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited access permit and who lands 
shark in an Atlantic coastal port must have all fins and carcasses 
weighed and recorded on the weighout slips specified in Sec. 635.5(a)(2) 
and in accordance with regulations at part 600, subpart M, of this 
chapter. Persons may not possess a shark fin on board a fishing vessel 
after the vessel's first point of landing. The wet fins may not exceed 5 
percent of the dressed weight of the carcasses.
    (4) Persons aboard a vessel that does not have a commercial permit 
for shark must maintain a shark in or from the EEZ intact through 
landing--the head, tail, or fins may not be removed. The shark may be 
bled.
    (d) Swordfish. Persons that own or operate a fishing vessel that 
possesses a swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean or lands a swordfish in an 
Atlantic coastal port must maintain such swordfish in round or dressed 
form through off-loading.

[64 FR 29135, May 28, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 6201, Feb. 11, 2002]