[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: 50CFR648.15]

[Page 334]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 648--FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart A--General Provisions
 
Sec. 648.15  Facilitation of enforcement.

    (a) General. See Sec. 600.504 of this chapter.
    (b) Special notification requirements applicable to surf clam and 
ocean quahog vessel owners and operators. (1) Vessel owners or operators 
are required to call the NMFS Office of Law Enforcement nearest to the 
point of offloading (contact the Regional Administrator for locations 
and phone numbers) and accurately provide the following information 
prior to the departure of their vessel from the dock to fish for surf 
clams or ocean quahogs in the EEZ: Name of the vessel; NMFS permit 
number assigned to the vessel; expected date and time of departure from 
port; whether the trip will be directed on surf clams or ocean quahogs; 
expected date, time, and location of landing; and name of the individual 
providing notice.
    (2) Owners or operators that have given notification of a fishing 
trip under this paragraph (b) who decide to cancel or postpone the trip 
prior to departure must immediately provide notice of cancellation by 
telephone to the Office of Law Enforcement to which the original 
notification was provided. A separate notification shall be provided for 
the next fishing trip. Owners or operators that discontinue a fishing 
trip in the EEZ must immediately provide notice of discontinuance by 
telephone to the Office of Law Enforcement to which the original 
notification was provided. The owner or operator providing notice of 
discontinuance shall advise of any changes in landing time or port of 
landing. The owner or operator discontinuing a fishing trip in the EEZ 
must return to port and offload any surf clams or ocean quahogs prior to 
commencing fishing operations in the waters under the jurisdiction of 
any state.
    (3) The vessel permits, the vessel, its gear, and catch shall be 
subject to inspection upon request by an authorized officer.
    (4) Suspension of notification requirements. The Regional 
Administrator may suspend notification requirements for vessels fishing 
under a Maine mahogany quahog permit issued pursuant to 
Sec. 648.4(a)(4)(i) if he determines that such notification is not 
necessary to enforce effectively the management measures in the Maine 
mahogany quahog zone. The Regional Administrator may rescind such 
suspension if he concludes that the original determination is no longer 
valid. A suspension or recision of suspension of the notification 
requirements by the Regional Administrator shall be published in the 
Federal Register.
    (c) Radio hails. Permit holders, while underway, must be alert for 
communication conveying enforcement instructions and immediately answer 
via VHF-FM radio, channel 16 when hailed by an authorized officer. 
Vessels not required to have VHF-FM radios by the Coast Guard are exempt 
from this requirement.

[61 FR 34968, July 3, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 14648, Mar. 27, 1997; 63 
FR 27485, May 19, 1998]