[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: 50CFR648.17] [Page 334-335] TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PART 648--FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES--Table of Contents Subpart A--General Provisions Sec. 648.17 Exemptions for vessels fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area for Multispecies vessels. A vessel issued a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance permit under 50 CFR part 300 is exempt from multispecies permit, mesh size, effort- control, and possession limit restrictions, specified in Secs. 648.4, 648.80, 648.82 and Sec. 648.86, respectively, while transiting the EEZ with multispecies on board the vessel, or landing multispecies in U.S. ports that were caught while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area, provided: [[Page 335]] (a) The vessel operator has a letter of authorization issued by the Regional Administrator on board the vessel; (b) For the duration of the trip, the vessel fishes, except for transiting purposes, exclusively in the NAFO Regulatory Area and does not harvest fish in, or possess fish harvested in, or from, the EEZ; (c) When transiting the EEZ, all gear is properly stowed in accordance with one of the applicable methods specified in Sec. 648.23(b); and (d) The vessel operator complies with the High Seas Fishing Compliance permit and all NAFO conservation and enforcement measures while fishing in the NAFO Regulatory Area. [63 FR 11595, Mar. 10, 1998, as amended at 65 FR 37911, June 19, 2000]