1000-1999.9

2000 and over

5. Area designation: Enter the five digit code which indicates the latitude, longitude and quadrant of the 30 minute latitude by 30 minute longitude area for which the report is submitted. The first two digits of the code are determined from the latitude in degrees (disregarding minutes); the second two digits are determined by the longitude in degrees (disregarding minutes); and the fifth digit is determined from the quadrant within the one degree latitude by one degree longitude area as follows: southeast-1, southwest-2, northeast-3, and northwest-4. For example, the 30 minute latitude by 30 minute longitude areas 45601, 45602, 45603, and 45604 are shown in the following diagram:

Enter

the

7. Target species/codes: common names and species codes (as listed in Appendix I to § 611.9) of the main species sought in the area designated during the period of the report.

8. Page numbering: Sequentially number each page and the total number of pages in the submission for each vessel. For example, if a stern trawler fished during the period of the report by bottom trawl in three different 30 minute latitude by 30 minute longitude areas and by off-bottom trawl in two of those same areas, the pages of that vessel's report would be numbered "page 1 of 5" through "page 5 of 5".

9. Semimonthly periods: Enter the designation for each semimonthly period of the quarter during which fishing effort was expended in the area designated and using the gear indicated. The designation is a three digit number consisting of the numerical equivalent of the month (01 for January through 12 for December) followed by the numeral for days 1-15 of each month or the number 2 for days 16 through the end of the month. Thus, the semimonthly period June 16-30 would be designated 062 and the semimonthly period July 1-15 would be designated 071.

10. Effort by standard units: Whenever possible, enter the effort expended during each semimonthly period in the standard units shown below for the fishing gear indicated on the report.

Computation

Number of times the gear has been set or shot, whether or not a catch was made.

Number of hours during which the trawl was in the water fishing.

Fishing gear

Standard effort units

Computation

Gill.nets (set or drift).

Gillnets (fixed).

Traps

Longlines (set or drift).

No. of 100 meter net

clearings. Pot-days.

Hook-days per thousand hooks.

Length of nets in meters divided by 100 multiplied by the number of times the net was cleared.

Number of days pots are in the water and fishing multipled by the number of pots hauled.

Number of hooks fished divided by 1000 multiplied by number of days fished.

11. Days on grounds: Enter the number of days the vessel was on the fishing grounds. Any portion of a day on the grounds shall be counted as one day on the grounds.

12. Days fished: Enter the number of days the vessel fished. Any portion of a day fished shall be counted as one day fished.

13. Hours fished: Enter the number of hours fished to the nearest hour.

14. Species name: Enter the common names of each species caught in the area designated during the period of the report by the gear indicated. Attach additional sheets as necessary to include all species caught.

15. Species code: Enter the species code (as listed in Appendix I to §611.9) corresponding to each species named.

16. Catch data: For each species, enter the live round weight to the nearest hundredth of a metric ton (0.01 m.t.) of fish cought, by semimonthly period. For quantities which are not retained, add the suffix "D" (for discarded) following the specific semimonthly catch figure for such discarded quantities.

17. Total during the semimonthly period: Enter the total of all species caught in the area and by the gear indicated during the semimonthly period.

18. Total by species: Enter the total for each species caught in the area and by the gear indicated.

19. Grand total: Enter the total fish caught in the area and by the gear indicated during the period of the report.

B. Submission instructions. Submission of the QSR by magnetic tape, computer cards, or printouts will be accepted in lieu of the report form shown in Figure 1. Data may also be reported using the 1977 version of the STATLANT 21-B form and the procedures established for that form. Questions regarding submission should be directed to: Director, Northeast Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543.

[43 FR 59293, Dec. 19, 1978, as amended at 44 FR 15727, Mar. 15, 1979; 44 FR 17184, Mar. 21, 1979; 44 FR 46286, Aug. 2, 1979]

Subpart D-Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico

§ 611.60 Atlantic billfish and sharks fishery.

(a) Purpose. This section regulates all foreign longline fishing conducted under a Governing International Fishery Agreement which involves the catching of any species of billfishes, sharks, or other fish in the fishery conservation zone (FCZ) of the United States in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea.

(b) Authorized fishery-(1) Allocations. Foreign vessels may engage in fishing for sharks only in accordance with applicable national allocations.

(2) TALFF. The total allowable level of foreign fishing (TALFF) for sharks is set forth in Table I to § 611.20(c).

(3) Open season and closures. Foreign fishing authorized under this subpart may be conducted throughout the year, except that any retention of shark shall terminate when the applicable national allocation has been reached. The fishery closure provisions of § 611.15(a) do not apply to this section.

(c) Prohibited species. (1) All species of fish over which the United States exercises exclusive fishery management authority and for which there is no applicable national allocation are prohibited species and shall be treated in accordance with § 611.13. Sharks caught in excess of an applicable national allocation are prohibited species.

(2) Unless otherwise specifically instructed by a U.S. observer or authorized officer:

(i) All prohibited species must be released with a minimum of injury regardless of the condition of the fish.

(ii) All billfish and all prohibited sharks must be released by cutting the

40-146 0-80-46

line (or by other appropriate means) without removing the fish from the water.

(3) As a means of rebutting the presumption of § 611.13(c), a vessel may store all prohibited species caught outside the FCZ in a separate part of the hold that can be sealed, and may have its holds inspected and sealed before commencing fishing in the FCZ. Seals affixed during such inspection shall be maintained in an unbroken condition during the time the fishing vessel is in the FCZ. Such inspections may be obtained at Venice or New Orleans, La., Key West, Fla., Mayaguez, P.R., or Norfolk, Va., upon 48 hours advance notification to the: Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, Duval Building, 9450 Koger Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33702. Telephone: 813-893-3145.

(4) Additional ports for hold inspection may be arranged with the Regional Director.

(5) The designation of ports for hold inspections does not modify the port entry arrangements or requirements (if any) of Governing International Fishery Agreements or the notification requirements or other requirements of any other laws or regulations of the United States.

(d) Open area. Except for the closed area set forth in paragraph (e) of this section, foreign fishing authorized under this subpart may be conducted in that portion of the FCZ in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea beyond 12 nautical miles from the baseline used to measure the U.S. territorial sea.

(e) Closed area. The area known as East and West Flower Garden Banks, a proposed marine sanctuary, is closed to directed foreign fishing for sharks. Flower Garden Banks is the ocean space including the water column and the surface waters within two intersecting circles 9 nautical miles in radius from the center of each bank. The area of this proposed sanctuary is 432 square nautical miles.

The geographical centers of the banks are as follows. For the West Flower Garden Bank, the center point, is located at 27°52'14.21" N. lat., 93°48'54.79" W. long. For the East Flower Garden Bank, the center point,

P2, is located at 27°55'07.44" N. lat., 93°36'08.49" W. long.

(f) Gear restrictions. Foreign vessels participating in a directed fishery for sharks must use a minimum sized hook of 7 inches shank length and 2.5 inches gap (distance between tip and shank) when fishing inside the 100fathom depth contour. There is no hook size restriction seaward of the 100-fathom depth contour.

(g) Statistical reporting. (1) In addition to the requirements of § 611.9, a vessel of a nation with an applicable allocation shall submit the following additional quarterly reports:

(i) Catch and effort data, summarized weekly by one degree squares, containing the following information:

(A) Number of hooks set,

(B) Number of sharks caught under allocation,

(C) Number of prohibited species (by species code from Appendix I to § 611.9) caught and released, (D) Number of prohibited species (by species code) released alive.

(ii) Summary of vessel activities containing the following information: (A) Permit number of each vessel fishing,

(B) For each successive day of the reporting period, the noon-day location (within 0.1 degree of latitude and longitude) of each vessel in the fish

ery.

(2) A vessel of a nation with no applicable allocation is exempt from the requirements of § 611.9 (d) and (e) but shall provide the reports required by § 611.9 (f) and (g), when applicable. In addition, a vessel of a nation with no applicable allocation shall submit the quarterly reports described in paragraph (g)(1)(i) ((A), (C), and (D), only) and (ii) of this section.

(3) The quarterly reports required by paragraphs (g) (1) and (2) of this section shall be submitted, not later than 60 days from the end of the quarter for which the report is being made, to: Director, Southeast Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, 75 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149. Telephone: 305361-5761.

Subpart E-Northeast Pacific Ocean

§ 611.70 Washington, Oregon, and California trawl fishery.

(a) Purpose. This subpart regulates all foreign fishing conducted under a Governing International Fishery Agreement in the fishery conservation zone seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California.

(b) Authorized fishery—(1) TALFFS and reserves—(i) TALFFS. The total allowable levels of foreign fishing (TALFFS) and the amounts of fish set aside as reserve are set forth in Table I of this section.

TABLE 1.-Washington, Oregon, and California Trawl Fishery: TALFF and Reserve by Species 1

1

'The TALFFS specified in this table may be modified during the year if reserves are apportioned to TALFF.

"Unavoidable incidental catch only. Reserve amounts may be apportioned to TALFFS to the extent the Pacific hake reserve is apportioned to TALFF during the year.

'The category "other species" includes all species of fish except: (A) the other fish listed in the table; and (B) billfish, Pacific halibut, salmon, scallops, sharks (except dogfish), shrimp, steelhead trout, and Continental Shelf fishery re

sources.

'Due to August 1 Release of Reserve by Regional Director, TALFF equals Total.

(ii) Reserves—(A) Apportionment of reserves. As soon as practicable after August 1, the Regional Director shall apportion all or a part of the reserves to TALFF. The Regional Director may withhold all or part of the Pacific hake reserve based on the criteria in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(B) of this section. Apportionment of the reserves for other species shall be based on the following maximum incidental catch rates, expressed as a percentage of the Pacific hake TALFF.

(B) Criteria. The Regional Director may withhold all or part of the Pacific hake reserves if, as of July 15:

(1) the average catch rate of Pacific hake by vessels of the U.S.S.R. is less than 27 m.t. per trawler per day; or

(2) all or part of the Pacific hake reserve will be harvested by vessels of the United States during the rest of the fishing year, as determined by the following factors:

(i) Reported U.S. catch and effort compared to previously projected U.S. harvesting capacity; and

(ii) Projected U.S. catch and effort for the rest of the fishing year; or

(3) the all-nation catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Columbia Area (see Appendix II to § 611.9) is greater than 80 percent of the equilibrium yield for that species in that area and the regional Director determines that further catch of Pacific ocean perch by foreign vessels would not be consistent with conservation of that species. Factors which shall be considered in this determination are:

(i) Catch per unit of effort;

(ii) Any new or proposed State restrictions on domestic catch of Pacific ocean perch in the Columbia Area during the rest of the fishing year;

(iii) Condition of the stocks within the Columbia Area; and

(iv) Any other factors relevant to abundance of Pacific ocean perch.

(C) Public comment—(1) Comments may be submitted to the Regional Director concerning all matters relevant to the determinations made by the Re

gional Director under paragraph

(b)(1)(ii)(B) of this section. (Address: NMFS, 1700 Westlake Avenue North, Seattle, Washington 98109.)

(2) Comments must be submitted no later than July 15.

(3) The Regional Director shall consider any timely comment filed in accordance with this section in making the determinations specified in paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(B) of this section.

(4) The Regional Director shall compile, in aggregate form, the most recent available reports on:

(i) Foreign catch of Pacific hake per unit of effort;

(ii) Catch and effort by vessels of the U.S. fishing for hake seaward of