[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: 50CFR679.1]

[Page 558-559]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
                         DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
 
PART 679--FISHERIES OF THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE OFF ALASKA--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 679.1  Purpose and scope.


    Regulations in this part were developed by the Council under the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the 
Northern Pacific Halibut Act. Along with part 600 of this chapter, these 
regulations implement the following:
    (a) Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska. 
(1) Regulations in this part govern commercial fishing for groundfish in 
the GOA by vessels of the United States (see subparts A, B, D, and E of 
this part).
    (2) The following State of Alaska regulations are not preempted by 
this part for vessels regulated under this part fishing for demersal 
shelf rockfish in the Southeast Outside District, and which are 
registered under the laws of the State of Alaska: 5 AAC 28.110, fishing 
seasons; 5 AAC 28.130, gear; 5 AAC 28.160, harvest guidelines; 5 AAC 
28.190, harvest of bait by commercial permit holders.
    (b) Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering 
Sea and Aleutian Islands Area. Regulations in this part govern 
commercial fishing for groundfish in the BSAI by vessels of the United 
States (see subparts A, B, C, D, and E of this part).
    (c) [Reserved]
    (d) IFQ Program for sablefish and halibut. The IFQ management 
measures for the commercial fisheries that use fixed gear to harvest 
sablefish and halibut (see subparts A, B, D, and E of this part).
    (1) Sablefish. (i) Regulations in this part govern commercial 
fishing for sablefish by vessels of the United States:
    (A) Using fixed gear within that portion of the GOA and the BSAI 
over which the United States exercises exclusive fishery management 
authority; and
    (B) Using fixed gear in waters of the State of Alaska adjacent to 
the BSAI and the GOA, provided that aboard such vessels are persons who 
currently hold quota shares, IFQ permits, or IFQ cards.
    (ii) Regulations in this part do not govern commercial fishing for 
sablefish in Prince William Sound or under a State of Alaska limited 
entry program.
    (2) Halibut. Regulations in this part govern commercial fishing for 
halibut by vessels of the United States using fixed gear, as that term 
is defined in 50 CFR 679.2, in and off of Alaska.
    (e) Western Alaska CDQ Program. The goals and purpose of the CDQ 
program are to allocate CDQ to eligible Western Alaska communities to 
provide the means for starting or supporting commercial fisheries 
business activities that will result in an ongoing, regionally based, 
fisheries-related economy.
    (f) Groundfish Observer Program (applicable through December 31, 
2002). Regulations in this part govern elements of the Groundfish 
Observer Program for the BSAI groundfish and GOA groundfish fisheries 
under the Council's authority (see subpart E of this part).

[[Page 559]]

    (g) Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and 
Tanner Crabs. Regulations in this part govern commercial fishing for 
king and Tanner crab in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area by 
vessels of the United States, including regulations superseding State of 
Alaska regulations applicable to the commercial king and Tanner crab 
fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area EEZ that are 
determined to be inconsistent with the FMP (see subparts A, B, and E of 
this part).
    (h) Fishery Management Plan for the Scallop Fishery off Alaska. (1) 
Regulations in this part govern commercial fishing for scallops in the 
Federal waters off Alaska by vessels of the United States (see subpart A 
of this part).
    (2) State of Alaska laws and regulations that are consistent with 
the FMP and with the regulations in this part apply to vessels of the 
United States that are fishing for scallops in the Federal waters off 
Alaska.
    (i) Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ off 
the Coast of Alaska (Salmon FMP). Regulations in this part govern 
fishing for salmon by fishing vessels of the United States in the EEZ 
seaward of Alaska east of 175 deg. E. long., referred to as the High 
Seas Salmon Management Area.
    (j) License Limitation Program. (1) Regulations in this part 
implement the license limitation program for the commercial groundfish 
fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska and for the commercial crab fisheries in 
the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area.
    (2) Regulations in this part govern the commercial fishing for 
license limitation groundfish by vessels of the United States using 
authorized gear within the GOA and the BSAI and the commercial fishing 
for crab species by vessels of the United States using authorized gear 
within the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area.
    (3) Regulations in this part implement the license limitation 
program for the commercial scallop fishery in the EEZ off Alaska.
    (4) Regulations in this part govern the commercial fishing for 
scallops by vessels of the United States using authorized gear within 
the EEZ off Alaska.
    (k) This part also governs payment and collection of the loan, under 
the American Fisheries Act (AFA), the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and Title XI 
of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, made to all persons who harvest 
pollock from the directed fishing allowance allocated to the inshore 
component under section 206(b)(1) of the AFA.

[61 FR 31230, June 19, 1996, as amended at 61 FR 38103, July 23, 1996; 
61 FR 56429, Nov. 1, 1996; 62 FR 2045, Jan. 15, 1997; 62 FR 19687, Apr. 
23, 1997; 62 FR 59298, Nov. 3, 1997; 63 FR 30398, June 4, 1998; 63 FR 
38502, July 17, 1998; 63 FR 52652, Oct. 1, 1998; 64 FR 3652, Jan. 25, 
1999; 65 FR 5281, Feb. 3, 2000; 65 FR 45317, July 21, 2000; 65 FR 78115, 
Dec. 14, 2000; 66 FR 27909, May 21, 2001; 66 FR 4148, Jan. 28, 2002; 67 
FR 13293, Mar. 22, 2002; 67 FR 44094, July 1, 2002]