[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: 50CFR660.33]

[Page 484-486]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 660--FISHERIES OFF WEST COAST STATES AND IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC--Table of Contents
 
              Subpart C--Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries
 
Sec. 660.33  Western Pacific longline fishing restrictions.

    (a) Owners and operators of vessels registered for use under a 
Hawaii longline limited access permit or a longline general permit may 
not use longline gear to fish for or target swordfish (Xiphias gladius) 
north of the equator (0 deg. lat.).

[[Page 485]]

    (b) A person aboard a vessel registered for use under a Hawaii 
longline limited access permit or a western Pacific general longline 
permit that is fishing for Pacific pelagic management unit species north 
of the equator (0 deg. lat.) may not possess or deploy any float line 
that is shorter than or equal to 20 m (65.6 ft or 10.9 fm). As used in 
this paragraph ``float line'' means a line used to suspend the main 
longline beneath a float.
    (c) From April 1 through May 31, owners and operators of vessels 
registered for use under a Hawaii longline limited access permit or a 
longline general permit may not use longline gear in waters bounded on 
the south by 0 deg. lat., on the north by 15 deg. N. lat., on the east 
by 145 deg. W. long., and on the west by 180 long. (see Figure 1 to this 
section).
    (d) From April 1 through May 31, owners and operators of vessels 
registered for use under a receiving vessel permit may not receive from 
another vessel Pacific pelagic management unit species that were 
harvested by longline gear in waters bounded on the south by 0 deg. 
lat., on the north by 15 deg. N. lat., on the east by 145 deg. W. long., 
and on the west by 180 deg. long. (see Figure 1 to this section).
    (e) From April 1 through May 31, owners and operators of vessels 
registered for use under a Hawaii longline limited access permit, a 
longline general permit, or a receiving vessel permit, may not land or 
transship shoreward of the outer boundary of the EEZ around Hawaii, 
American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
Midway, Johnston or Palmyra Atolls, Kingman Reef, and Wake, Jarvis, 
Baker, or Howland Islands, Pacific pelagic management unit species that 
were harvested by longline gear in waters bounded on the south by 0 
latitude, on the north by 15 deg. N. lat., on the east by 145 deg. W. 
long., and on the west by 180 deg. long. (see Figure 1 to this section).
    (f) No light stick may be possessed on board a vessel registered for 
use under either a Hawaii longline limited access permit or a longline 
general permit, during fishing trips that include any fishing north of 
the equator (0 deg. lat.). A light stick as used in this paragraph is 
any type of light emitting device, including any flourescent ``glow 
bead,'' chemical, or electrically powered light that is affixed 
underwater to the longline gear.
    (g) When a conventional monofilament longline is deployed in the 
water north of 0 deg. lat. by a vessel registered for use under a Hawaii 
longline limited access permit or a longline general permit, no fewer 
than 15 branch lines may be set between any 2 floats when fishing north 
of the equator. Vessel operators using basket-style longline gear must 
set a minimum of 10 branch lines between any 2 floats when fishing north 
of the equator.
    (h) Longline gear deployed north of 0 deg. lat. by a vessel 
registered for use under a Hawaii longline limited access permit or a 
longline general permit must be deployed such that the deepest point of 
the main longline between any 2 floats, i.e., the deepest point in each 
sag of the main line, is at a depth greater than 100 m (328.1 ft or 54.6 
fm) below the sea surface.
    (i) Owners and operators of longline vessels registered for use 
under a Hawaii longline limited access permit or a longline general 
permit may land or possess no more than 10 swordfish from a fishing trip 
where any part of the trip included fishing north of the equator (0 deg. 
lat.).

[[Page 486]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR12JN02.028


[67 FR 40236, June 12, 2002]