[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 50, Volume 6] [Revised as of October 1, 2003] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 50CFR223.202] [Page 112-143] TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES SERVICE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PART 223--THREATENED MARINE AND ANADROMOUS SPECIES--Table of Contents Subpart B--Restrictions Applicable to Threatened Marine and Anadromous Species Sec. 223.202 Steller sea lion. (a) General prohibitions. The prohibitions of section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1538) and the following regulatory provisions shall apply to the eastern population of Steller sea lions: (1) No discharge of firearms. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States may discharge a firearm at or within 100 yards (91.4 meters) of a Steller sea lion. A firearm is any weapon, such as a pistol or rifle, capable of firing a missile using an explosive charge as a propellant. (2) No approach in buffer areas. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section: (i) No owner or operator of a vessel may allow the vessel to approach within 3 nautical miles (5.5 kilometers) of a Steller sea lion rookery site listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section; (ii) No person may approach on land not privately owned within one- half statutory miles (0.8 kilometers) or within sight of a Steller sea lion rookery site listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, whichever is greater, except on Marmot Island; and (iii) No person may approach on land not privately owned within one and one-half statutory miles (2.4 kilometers) or within sight of the eastern shore of Marmot Island, including the Steller sea lion rookery site listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, whichever is greater. (3) Listed sea lion rookery sites. Listed Steller sea lion rookery sites consist of the rookeries in the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska listed in Table 1. Table 1 to Sec. 223.202--Listed Steller Sea Lion Rookery Sites \1\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From To Island ---------------------------------------------- NOAA chart Notes Lat. Long. Lat. Long. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Outer I....................... 59[deg]20. 150[deg]23 59[deg]21 150[deg]2 16681 S quadrant. 5 N .0 W .0 N 4.5 W 2. Sugarloaf I................... 58[deg]53. 152[deg]02 ......... ......... 16580 Whole island. 0 N .0 W 3. Marmot I...................... 58[deg]14. 151[deg]47 58[deg]10 151[deg]5 16580 SE quadrant. 5 N .5 W .0 N 1.0 W 4. Chirikof I.................... 55[deg]46. 155[deg]39 55[deg]46 155[deg]4 16580 S quadrant. 5 N .5 W .5 N 3.0 W 5. Chowiet I..................... 56[deg]00. 156[deg]41 56[deg]00 156[deg]4 16013 S quadrant. 5 N .5 W .5 N 2.0 W 6. Atkins I...................... 55[deg]03. 159[deg]18 ......... ......... 16540 Whole island. 5 N .5 W 7. Chernabura I.................. 54[deg]47. 159[deg]31 54[deg]45 159[deg]3 16540 SE corner. 5 N .0 W .5 N 3.5 W 8. Pinnacle Rock................. 54[deg]46. 161[deg]46 ......... ......... 16540 Whole island. 0 N .0 W 9. Clubbing Rks (N).............. 54[deg]43. 162[deg]26 ......... ......... 16540 Whole island. 0 N .5 W Clubbing Rks (S)................. 54[deg]42. 162[deg]26 ......... ......... 16540 Whole Island. 0 N .5 W 10. Sea Lion Rks................. 55[deg]28. 163[deg]12 ......... ......... 16520 Whole island. 0 N .0 W 11. Ugamak I..................... 54[deg]14. 164[deg]48 54[deg]13 164[deg]4 16520 E end of island. 0 N .0 W .0 N 8.0 W 12. Akun I....................... 54[deg]18. 165[deg]32 54[deg]18 165[deg]3 16547 Billings Head 0N .5W .0N 1.5W Bight. 13. Akutan I..................... 54[deg]03. 166[deg]00 54[deg]05 166[deg]0 16520 SW corner, Cape 5 N .0 W .5 N 5.0 W Morgan. 14. Bogoslof I................... 53[deg]56. 168[deg]02 ......... ......... 16500 Whole island. 0 N .0 W 15. Ogchul I..................... 53[deg]00. 168[deg]24 ......... ......... 16500 Whole island. 0 N .0 W 16. Adugak I..................... 52[deg]55. 169[deg]10 ......... ......... 16500 Whole island. 0 N .5 W 17. Yunaska I.................... 52[deg]42. 170[deg]38 52[deg]41 170[deg]3 16500 NE end. 0 N .5 W .0 N 4.5 W 18. Seguam I..................... 52[deg]21. 172[deg]35 52[deg]21 172[deg]3 16480 N coast, 0 N .0 W .0 N 3.0 W Saddleridge Pt. 19. Agligadak I.................. 52[deg]06. 172[deg]54 ......... ......... 16480 Whole island. 5 N .0 W 20. Kasatochi I.................. 52[deg]10. 175[deg]31 52[deg]10 175[deg]2 16480 N half of island. 0N .5W .5N 9.0W 21. Adak I....................... 51[deg]36. 176[deg]59 51[deg]38 176[deg]5 16460 SW Point, Lake 5N .0W .0N 9.5W Point. 22. Gramp rock................... 51[deg]29. 178[deg]20 ......... ......... 16460 Whole island. 0 N .5 W 23. Tag I........................ 51[deg]33. 178[deg]34 ......... ......... 16460 Whole island. 5 N .5 W 24. Ulak I....................... 51[deg]20. 178[deg]57 51[deg]18 178[deg]5 16460 SE corner, Hasgox 0 N .0 W .5 N 9.5 W Pt. 25. Semisopochnoi................ 51[deg]58. 179[deg]45 51[deg]57 179[deg]4 16440 E quadrant, Pochnoi 5 N .5 E .0 N 6.0 E Pt. Semisopochnoi.................... 52[deg]01. 179[deg]37 52[deg]01 179[deg]3 16440 N quadrant, Petrel 5 N .5 E .5 N 9.0 E Pt. 26. Amchitka I................... 51[deg]22. 179[deg]28 51[deg]21 179[deg]2 16440 East Cape. 5N .0E .5N 5.0E 27. Amchitka I................... 51[deg]32. 178[deg]49 ......... ......... 16440 Column Rocks. 5N .5E 28. Ayugadak Pt.................. 51[deg]45. 178[deg]24 ......... ......... 16440 SE coast of Rat 5 N .5 E Island. 29. Kiska I...................... 51[deg]57. 177[deg]21 51[deg]56 177[deg]2 16440 W central, Lief 5 N .0 E .5 N 0.0 E Cove. 30. Kiska I...................... 51[deg]52. 177[deg]13 51[deg]53 177[deg]1 16440 Cape St. Stephen. 5 N .0 E .5 N 2.0 E 31. Walrus I..................... 57[deg]11. 169[deg]56 ......... ......... 16380 Whole island. 0 N .0 W 32. Buldir I..................... 52[deg]20. 175[deg]57 52[deg]23 175[deg]5 16420 Se point to NW 5 N .0 E .5 N 1.0 E point. 33. Agattu I..................... 52[deg]24. 173[deg]21 ......... ......... 16420 Gillion Point. 0 N .5 E 34. Agattu I..................... 52[deg]23. 173[deg]43 52[deg]22 173[deg]4 16420 Cape Sabak. 5 N .5 E .0 N 1.0 E [[Page 113]] 35. Attu I....................... 52[deg]54. 172[deg]28 52[deg]57 172[deg]3 16681 S Quadrant. 5N .5E .5N 1.5E ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ Each site extends in a clockwise direction from the first set of geographic coordinates along the shoreline at mean lower low water to the second set of coordinates; or, if only one set of geographic coordinates is listed, the site extends around the entire shoreline of the island at mean lower low water. [[Page 114]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.016 [[Page 115]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.017 [[Page 116]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.018 [[Page 117]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.019 [[Page 118]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.020 [[Page 119]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.021 [[Page 120]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.022 [[Page 121]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.023 [[Page 122]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.024 [[Page 123]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.025 [[Page 124]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.026 [[Page 125]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.027 [[Page 126]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.028 [[Page 127]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.029 [[Page 128]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.030 [[Page 129]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.031 [[Page 130]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.032 [[Page 131]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.033 [[Page 132]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.034 [[Page 133]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.035 [[Page 134]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.036 [[Page 135]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.037 [[Page 136]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.038 [[Page 137]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.039 [[Page 138]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.040 [[Page 139]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.041 [[Page 140]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.042 [[Page 141]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.043 [[Page 142]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC01JY91.044 (4) Commercial Fishing Operations. The incidental mortality and serious injury of endangered and threatened Steller sea lions in commercial fisheries can be authorized in compliance with sections 101(a)(5) and 118 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. (b) Exceptions--(1) Permits. The Assistant Administrator may issue permits authorizing activities that would otherwise be prohibited under paragraph (a) of this section in accordance with and subject to the provisions of part 222, subpart C--General Permit Procedures. [[Page 143]] (2) Official activities. The taking of Steller sea lions must be reported within 30 days to the Regional Administrator, Alaska Region. Paragraph (a) of this section does not prohibit or restrict a Federal, state or local government official, or his or her designee, who is acting in the course of official duties from: (i) Taking a Steller sea lion in a humane manner, if the taking is for the protection or welfare of the animal, the protection of the public health and welfare, or the nonlethal removal of nuisance animals; or (ii) Entering the buffer areas to perform activities that are necessary for national defense, or the performance of other legitimate governmental activities. (3) Subsistence takings by Alaska natives. Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to the taking of Steller sea lions for subsistence purposes under section 10(e) of the Act. (4) Emergency situations. Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply to an emergency situation in which compliance with that provision presents a threat to the health, safety, or life of a person or presents a significant threat to the vessel or property. (5) Exemptions. Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply to any activity authorized by a prior written exemption from the Director, Alaska Region, National Marine Fisheries Service. Concurrently with the issuance of any exemption, the Assistant Administrator will publish notice of the exemption in the Federal Register. An exemption may be granted only if the activity will not have a significant adverse affect on Steller sea lions, the activity has been conducted historically or traditionally in the buffer zones, and there is no readily available and acceptable alternative to or site for the activity. (6) Navigational transit. Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not prohibit a vessel in transit from passing through a strait, narrows, or passageway listed in this paragraph if the vessel proceeds in continuous transit and maintains a minimum of 1 nautical mile from the rookery site. The listing of a strait, narrows, or passageway does not indicate that the area is safe for navigation. The listed straits, narrows, or passageways include the following: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rookery Straits, narrows, or pass ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Akutan Island.......................... Akutan Pass between Cape Morgan and Unalga Island. Clubbing Rocks......................... Between Clubbing Rocks and Cherni Island. Outer Island........................... Wildcat Pass between Rabbit and Ragged Islands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (c) Penalties. (1) Any person who violates this section or the Act is subject to the penalties specified in section 11 of the Act, and any other penalties provided by law. (2) Any vessel used in violation of this section or the Endangered Species Act is subject to forfeiture under section 11(e)(4)(B) of the Act. [55 FR 49210, Nov. 26, 1990, as amended at 56 FR 42542, Aug. 28, 1991; 56 FR 58184, Nov. 18, 1991; 58 FR 16371, Mar. 26, 1993; 58 FR 53139, 53141, Oct. 14, 1993; 58 FR 58594, Nov. 2, 1993; 62 FR 24355, May 5, 1997. Redesignated and amended at 64 FR 14068-14069, Mar. 23, 1999]