300.21—Definitions.

In addition to the terms defined in § 300.2, in the Act, and in the Convention for the Establishment of an Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (Convention), the terms used in this subpart have the following meanings. If a term is defined differently in § 300.2, in the Act, or in the Convention, the definition in this section shall apply.

Bigeye tuna means the species Thunnus obesus.

Commercial passenger fishing vessel means any vessel licensed for commercial passenger fishing purposes within the State out of which it is operating and from which, while under charter or hire, persons are legally permitted to conduct sportfishing activities.

Commission's Yellowfin Regulatory Area (CYRA) means the waters bounded by a line extending westward from the mainland of North America along the 40° N. latitude parallel, and connecting the following coordinates:

40° N. lat., 125° W. long.;

20° N. lat., 125° W. long.;

20° N. lat., 120° W. long.;

5° N. lat., 120° W. long.;

5° N. lat., 110° W. long.;

10° S. lat., 110° W. long.;

10° S. lat., 90° W. long.;

30° S. lat., 90° W. long.; and then eastward along the 30° S. latitude parallel to the coast of South America.

Convention Area means the waters within the area bounded by the mainland of the Americas, lines extending westward from the mainland of the Americas along the 40° N. lat. and 40° S. lat., and 150° W. long.

Fish aggregating device (FAD) means a manmade raft or other floating object used to attract tuna and make them available to fishing vessels.

Fishing trip means a period that a fishing vessel spends at sea between port visits and during which any fishing occurs.

Fishing vessel means any vessel, boat, ship, or other craft that is used for, equipped to be used for, or of a type that is normally used for fishing or for assisting or supporting a vessel engaged in fishing, except purse seine skiffs.

Floating object means any natural object or FAD around which fishing vessels may catch tuna.

Incidental catch or incidental species means species caught while fishing with the primary purpose of catching a different species. An incidental catch is expressed as a percentage of the weight of the total fish on board.

Land or Landing means to begin transfer of fish from a fishing vessel. Once transfer begins, all fish on board the vessel are counted as part of the landing.

Longline gear means a type of fishing gear consisting of a main line that exceeds 1 nautical mile in length, is suspended horizontally in the water column anchored, floating, or attached to a vessel, and from which branch or dropper lines with hooks are attached.

Observer means an individual placed aboard a fishing vessel under the IATTC observer program or any other international observer program in which the United States may participate.

Regional Administrator means the Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, NMFS, 501 West Ocean Boulevard, Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213, or a designee.

Regional Vessel Register (hereafter referred to as Vessel Register) means the regional register of vessels authorized to fish for tuna and tuna-like species in the Convention Area, as established by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission in June 2000.

South Pacific Tuna Treaty means the Treaty on Fisheries Between the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America ( 50 CFR part 300, subpart D).

Tender vessel means a vessel that does not engage in purse seine fishing but tends to FADs in support of tuna fishing operations.

Transship means to unload fish from a vessel that caught fish to another vessel.

Transshipment receiving vessel means any vessel, boat, ship, or other craft that is used to receive fish from a fishing vessel.

Tuna means any fish of the genus Thunnus and the species Euthynnus (Katsuwonus) pelamis.

[61 FR 35550, July 5, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 29133, May 28, 1999; 64 FR 44430, Aug. 16, 1999; 69 FR 67277, Nov. 17, 2004; 70 FR 19010, Apr. 12, 2005; 74 FR 1618, Jan. 13, 2009; 74 FR 61050, Nov. 23, 2009]