[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 50, Volume 7]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 50CFR300.31]

[Page 720-724]
 
                    TITLE 50--WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES
 
        CHAPTER III--INTERNATIONAL FISHING AND RELATED ACTIVITIES
 
PART 300_INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
                 Subpart D_South Pacific Tuna Fisheries
 
Sec. 300.31  Definitions.

    In addition to the terms defined in Sec. 300.2, in the Act, and in 
the Treaty, and unless the context requires otherwise, the terms used in 
this subpart have the following meanings. If a term is defined 
differently in Sec. 300.2, the Act, or the Treaty, the definition in 
this section shall apply.
    Administrator means the individual or organization designated by the 
Pacific Island Parties to act on their behalf under the Treaty and 
notified to the United States.
    Applicable national law means any of the laws of Pacific Island 
Parties in the following table and any regulations or other instruments 
having the force of law implemented pursuant to these laws:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Pacific Island Party                         Laws
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIA                              Antarctic Marine Living Resources
                                        Conservation Act, 1981.
                                       Fisheries Management Act, 1991.
                                       Fisheries Administration Act,
                                        1991.
                                       Statutory Fishing Rights Charge
                                        Act, 1991.
                                       Fisheries Legislation
                                        (Consequential Provisions) Act,
                                        1991.
                                       Foreign Fishing Licences Levy
                                        Act, 1991.
                                       Fishing Levy Act, 1991.
                                       Fisheries Agreements (Payments)
                                        Act, 1991.
                                       Torres Strait Fisheries Act,
                                        1984.
                                       Whale Protection Act, 1980.
COOK ISLANDS                           Exclusive Economic Zone (Foreign
                                        Fishing Craft) Regulations,
                                        1979.
                                       Territorial Sea and Exclusive
                                        Economic Zone Act, 1977.
                                       Marine Resources Act, 1989.
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA         Titles 18 and 24 of the Code of
                                        the Federated States of
                                        Micronesia, as amended by Public
                                        Law Nos. 2-28, 2-31, 3-9, 3-10,
                                        3-34, and 3-80.

[[Page 721]]

 
FIJI                                   Fisheries Act (Cap. 158).
                                       Fisheries Regulations (Cap. 158).
                                       Marine Spaces Act (Cap. 158A).
                                       Marine Spaces (Foreign Fishing
                                        Vessels) Regulations, 1979.
KIRIBATI                               Fisheries Ordinance, 1979.
                                       Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1984.
                                       Marine Zones (Declaration) Act,
                                        1983.
                                       Fisheries (Pacific Island States'
                                        Treaty with the United States)
                                        Act 1988.
MARSHALL ISLANDS                       Title 33, Marine Resources Act,
                                        as amended by P.L. 1989-56, P.L.
                                        1991-43, and P.L. 1992-25 of the
                                        Marshall Islands Revised Code.
NAURU                                  Interpretation Act, 1971.
                                       Interpretation Act (Amendment)
                                        Act No. 1 1975.
                                       Interpretation Act (Amendment)
                                        Act No. 2 1975.
                                       Marine Resources Act, 1978.
NEW ZEALAND                            Antarctic Marine Living Resources
                                        Act, 1981.
                                       Continental Shelf Act, 1964.
                                       Conservation Act, 1987.
                                       Driftnet Prohibition Act, 1991.
                                       Exclusive Economic Zone (Foreign
                                        Fishing Craft) Regulations,
                                        1978.
                                       Fishing Industry Board Act, 1963.
                                       Fisheries Act, 1983.
                                       Marine Mammals Protection Act,
                                        1978.
                                       Marine Reserves Act, 1971.
                                       Marine Pollution Act, 1974.
                                       Meat Act, 1964.
                                       Territorial Sea and Exclusive
                                        Economic Zone Act, 1977.
                                       Tokelau (Territorial Sea and
                                        Exclusive Economic Zone) Act,
                                        1977.
                                       Submarine Cables and Pipelines
                                        Protection Act, 1966.
                                       Sugar Loaf Islands Marine
                                        Protected Area Act, 1991.
                                       Wildlife Act, 1953.
NIUE                                   Niue Fish Protection Ordinance
                                        1965.
                                       Sunday Fishing Prohibition Act
                                        1980.
                                       Territorial Sea and Exclusive
                                        Economic Zone Act 1978.
PALAU                                  Palau National Code, Title 27.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA                       Fisheries Act (Cap 214).
                                       Fisheries Regulations (Cap 214).
                                       Fisheries (Torres Strait
                                        Protected Zone) Act, 1984.
                                       National Seas Act (Cap 361).
                                       Tuna Resources Management Act
                                        (Cap 224).
                                       Whaling Act (Cap 225).
SOLOMON ISLANDS                        Delimitation of Marine Waters
                                        Act, 1978.
                                       Fisheries Act, 1972.
                                       Fisheries Limits Act, 1977.
                                       Fisheries Regulations, 1972.
                                       Fisheries (Foreign Fishing
                                        Vessels) Regulations, 1981.
                                       Fisheries (United States of
                                        America) (Treaty) Act 1988.
TONGA                                  Fisheries Act, 1989.
TUVALU                                 Fisheries Act (Cap 45).
                                       Fisheries (Foreign Fishing
                                        Vessel) Regulations, 1982.
                                       Marine Zones (Declaration) Act,
                                        1983.
                                       Foreign Fishing Vessels Licensing
                                        (US Treaty) Order 1987.
VANUATU                                Fisheries Act 1982 (Cap 158).
                                       Fisheries Regulations, 1983.
                                       Maritime Zones Act 1981 (Cap
                                        138).
SAMOA                                  Exclusive Economic Zone Act,
                                        1977.
                                       Territorial Sea Act, 1971.
                                       Fisheries Act, 1988.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Authorized inspector means any individual authorized by a Pacific 
Island Party or the Secretary to conduct inspections, to remove samples 
of fish, and to gather any other information relating to fisheries in 
the Licensing Area.
    Authorized officer means any officer who is authorized by the 
Secretary, or the Secretary of Transportation, or the head of any 
Federal or state agency that has entered into an enforcement agreement 
with the Secretary under section 10(a) of the Act.
    Authorized party officer means any officer authorized by a Pacific 
Island Party to enforce the provisions of the Treaty.
    Closed area means any of the areas in the following table, as 
depicted on

[[Page 722]]

charts provided by the Regional Administrator and as further described 
in additional information that may be provided by the Regional 
Administrator:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Pacific Island Party                         Area
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUSTRALIA                              All waters within the seaward
                                        boundary of the Australian
                                        Fishing Zone (AFZ) west of a
                                        line connecting the point of
                                        intersection of the outer limit
                                        of the AFZ by the parallel of
                                        latitude 25[deg] 30[min] South
                                        with the point of intersection
                                        of the meridian of longitude
                                        151[deg] East by the outer limit
                                        of the AFZ and all waters south
                                        of the parallel of latitude
                                        25[deg] 30[min] South.
COOK ISLANDS                           Territorial Sea.
FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA         Three nautical mile territorial
                                        sea and nine nautical mile
                                        exclusive fishery zone and on
                                        all named banks and reefs as
                                        depicted on the following
                                        charts:
                                       DMAHTC NO 81019 (2nd. ed., Mar.
                                        1945; revised 7/17/72; corrected
                                        through NM 3/78 of 21 June
                                        1978).
                                       DMAHTC NO 81023 (3rd. ed., 7 Aug.
                                        1976).
                                       DMAHTC NO 81002 (4th. ed., 26
                                        Jan. 1980; corrected through NM
                                        4/80).
FIJI                                   Internal waters, archipelagic
                                        waters and territorial seas of
                                        Fiji and Rotuma and its
                                        Dependencies.
KIRIBATI                               Within archipelagic waters as
                                        established in accordance with
                                        Marine Zones (Declaration) Act
                                        1983; within 12 nautical miles
                                        drawn from the baselines from
                                        which the territorial seas is
                                        measured; and within 2 nautical
                                        miles of any anchored fish
                                        aggregating device within the
                                        Kiribati exclusive economic zone
                                        for which notification of its
                                        location shall be given by
                                        geographical coordinates.
MARSHALL ISLANDS                       12 nautical mile territorial sea
                                        and area within two nautical
                                        miles of any anchored fish
                                        aggregating device within the
                                        Marshall Islands exclusive
                                        economic zone for which
                                        notification of its location
                                        shall be given by geographical
                                        coordinates.
NAURU                                  The territorial waters as defined
                                        by Nauru Interpretation Act,
                                        1971, Section 2.
NEW ZEALAND                            Territorial waters; waters within
                                        6 nautical miles of outer
                                        boundary of territorial waters;
                                        all waters to west of New
                                        Zealand main islands and south
                                        of 39[deg] South latitude; all
                                        waters to east of New Zealand
                                        main islands south of 40[deg]
                                        South latitude; and in respect
                                        of Tokelau: areas within 12
                                        nautical miles of all island and
                                        reef baselines; twelve and one
                                        half nautical miles either side
                                        of a line joining Atafu and
                                        Nukunonu and Faka'ofo; and
                                        coordinates as follows:
                                       Atafu: 8[deg]35[min]10[sec] S,
                                        172[deg]29[min]30[sec] W
                                       Nukunonu: 9[deg]06[min]25[sec] S,
                                        171[deg]52[min]10[sec] W
                                        9[deg]11[min]30[sec] S,
                                        171[deg]47[min]00[sec] W
                                       Faka'ofo: 9[deg]22[min]30[sec] S,
                                        171[deg]16[min]30[sec] W
NIUE                                   Territorial sea and within 3
                                        nautical miles of Beveridge
                                        Reef, Antiope Reef and Haran
                                        Reef as depicted by appropriate
                                        symbols on NZ 225F (chart
                                        showing the territorial sea and
                                        exclusive economic zone of Niue
                                        pursuant to the Niue Territorial
                                        Sea and Exclusive Economic Zone
                                        Act of 1978).
PALAU                                  Within 12 nautical miles of all
                                        island baselines in the Palau
                                        Islands; and the area:
                                       commencing at the north-
                                        easternmost intersection of the
                                        outer limit of the 12 nautical
                                        mile territorial sea of Palau by
                                        the arc of a circle having a
                                        radius of 50 nautical miles and
                                        its center at Latitude
                                        07[deg]16[min]34[sec] North,
                                        longitude 134[deg]28[min]25[sec]
                                        East, being at about the center
                                        of the reef entrance to Malakal
                                        Pass; running thence generally
                                        south-easterly, southerly, south-
                                        westerly, westerly, north-
                                        westerly, northerly and north-
                                        easterly along that arc to its
                                        intersection by the outer limit
                                        of the 12 nautical mile
                                        territorial sea; and thence
                                        generally northerly, north-
                                        easterly, easterly, south-
                                        easterly and southerly along
                                        that outer limit to the point of
                                        commencement.
                                       Where for the purpose of these
                                        specifications it is necessary
                                        to determine the position on the
                                        surface of the Earth of a point,
                                        line or area, it shall be
                                        determined by reference to the
                                        World Geodetic System 1984; that
                                        is to say, by reference to a
                                        spheroid having its center at
                                        the center of the Earth and a
                                        major (equatorial) radius of
                                        6,378,137 meters and a
                                        flattening of 1/298.2572.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA                       All territorial seas,
                                        archipelagic and internal
                                        waters.
SOLOMON ISLANDS                        All internal waters, territorial
                                        seas and archipelagic waters;
                                        and such additional waters
                                        around the main group
                                        archipelago, as defined under
                                        the Delimitation of Marine
                                        Waters Act 1978, not exceeding
                                        sixty nautical miles.
TONGA                                  All waters with depths of not
                                        more than 1,000 meters, within
                                        the area bounded by the
                                        fifteenth and twenty third and
                                        one half degrees of south
                                        latitudes and the one hundred
                                        and seventy third and the one
                                        hundred and seventy seventh
                                        degrees of west longitudes; also
                                        within a radius of twelve
                                        nautical miles from the islands
                                        of Teleki Tonga and Teleki
                                        Tokelau.
TUVALU                                 Territorial sea and waters within
                                        two nautical miles of all named
                                        banks, that is Macaw, Kosciusko,
                                        Rose, Bayonnaise and Hera, in
                                        Tuvalu exclusive economic zone,
                                        as depicted on the chart
                                        entitled ``Tuvalu Fishery
                                        Limits'' prepared by the United
                                        Kingdom Hydrographic Department,
                                        Taunton, January 11, 1981.
VANUATU                                Archipelagic waters and the
                                        territorial sea, and internal
                                        waters.
SAMOA                                  Territorial sea; reefs, banks and
                                        sea-mounts and within 2 nautical
                                        miles of any anchored fish
                                        aggregating device within the
                                        Samoa exclusive economic zone
                                        for which notification of its
                                        location shall be given by
                                        geographical coordinates.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 723]]

    FFA Vessel Register means the registry of fishing vessels maintained 
by the FFA, comprising those vessels which are in good standing and 
licensed to fish in the waters of FFA member countries, including those 
vessels licensed under Sec. 300.32.
    Fishing means searching for, catching, taking, or harvesting fish; 
attempting to search for, catch, take, or harvest fish; engaging in any 
other activity that can reasonably be expected to result in the 
locating, catching, taking, or harvesting of fish; placing, searching 
for, or recovering fish aggregating devices or associated electronic 
equipment such as radio beacons; any operations at sea directly in 
support of, or in preparation for, any activity described in this 
paragraph; or aircraft use, relating to the activities described in this 
definition, except for flights in emergencies involving the health or 
safety of crew members or the safety of a vessel.
    Fishing arrangement means an arrangement between a Pacific Island 
Party and the owner of a U.S. fishing vessel that complies with section 
6(b) of the Act.
    Fishing vessel or vessel means any boat, ship, or other craft that 
is used for, equipped to be used for, or of a type normally used for 
commercial fishing, and that is documented under the laws of the United 
States.
    Licensing Area means all waters in the Treaty Area except for:
    (1) Those waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States in 
accordance with international law.
    (2) Those waters within closed areas.
    (3) Those waters within limited areas closed to fishing.
    Licensing period means the period of validity of licenses issued in 
accordance with the Treaty.
    Operator means any person who is in charge of, directs or controls a 
vessel, including the owner, charterer and master.
    Pacific Island Party means a Pacific island nation that is a party 
to the Treaty.
    Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency or FFA means the organization 
established by the 1979 South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency Convention.
    Regional Administrator means the Regional Administrator, Pacific 
Islands Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1110, Honolulu, HI 
96814, or a designee.
    Transship means to unload any or all of the fish on board a licensed 
vessel either ashore or onto another vessel.
    Treaty Area means all waters north of 60[deg] S. lat. and east of 
90[deg] E. long., subject to the fisheries jurisdiction of Pacific 
Island Parties, and all other waters within rhumb lines connecting the 
following points, except for waters subject to the jurisdiction in 
accordance with international law of a State which is not a party to the 
Treaty:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
       Point                Latitude                  Longitude
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A                    2[deg]35[min]39[Sec. 141[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      S
B                    1[deg]01[min]35[Sec. 140[deg]48[min]35[sec] E
                      N
C                    1[deg]01[min]35[Sec. 129[deg]30[min]00[sec] E
                      N
D                    10[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 129[deg]30[min]00[sec] E
                      N
E                    14[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 140[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
F                    14[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 142[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
G                    12[deg]30[min]00[Sec. 142[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
H                    12[deg]30[min]00[Sec. 158[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
I                    15[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 158[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
J                    15[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 165[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
K                    18[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 165[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
L                    18[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 174[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
M                    12[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 174[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
N                    12[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 176[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
O                    5[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 176[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      N
P                    1[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 180[deg]00[min]00[sec]
                      N
Q                    1[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 164[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      N
R                    8[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 164[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      N
S                    8[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 158[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      N
T                    0[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 150[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
U                    6[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 150[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
V                    6[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 146[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
W                    12[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 146[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
X                    26[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 157[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
Y                    26[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 174[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
Z                    40[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 174[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
AA                   40[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 171[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
AB                   46[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 171[deg]00[min]00[sec] W
                      S
AC                   55[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 180[deg]00[min]00[sec]
                      S
AD                   59[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 160[deg]00[min]00[sec] E
                      S
AE                   59[deg]00[min]00[Sec. 152[deg]00[min]00[sec] E and
                      S                      north along the 152 degrees
                                             of East longitude until
                                             intersecting the Australian
                                             200-nautical-mile limit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    UTC means Universal Coordinated Time.
    Vessel Monitoring System Unit or VMS unit means Administrator-
approved VMS unit hardware and software installed on a vessel and 
required under Sec. 300.45 as a component of the regional VMS 
administered by the FFA to

[[Page 724]]

transmit information between the vessel and the Administrator and/or 
other reporting points designated by NMFS.

[61 FR 35550, July 5, 1996, as amended at 72 FR 6149, Feb. 9, 2007]