CFR
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- Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries
635.71—Prohibitions.
In addition to the prohibitions specified in § 600.725 of this chapter, it is unlawful for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to violate any provision of this part, ATCA, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, or any other rules promulgated under ATCA or the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
(a) General.
It is unlawful for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to:
(1)
Falsify information required on an application for a permit submitted under § 635.4 or § 635.32.
(2)
Fish for, catch, possess, retain, or land Atlantic HMS without the appropriate valid vessel permit, LAP, EFP, scientific research permit, display permit, chartering permit, or shark research permit on board the vessel, as specified in §§ 635.4 and 635.32.
(3)
Purchase, receive, or transfer or attempt to purchase, receive, or transfer, for commercial purposes, any Atlantic HMS landed by owners of vessels not permitted to do so under § 635.4, or purchase, receive, or transfer, or attempt to purchase, receive, or transfer, for commercial purposes, any Atlantic HMS without the appropriate valid dealer permit issued under § 635.4, except that this does not apply to a shark harvested from a vessel that has not been issued a permit under this part and that fishes exclusively within the waters under the jurisdiction of any state.
(4)
Sell or transfer or attempt to sell or transfer, for commercial purposes, an Atlantic tuna, shark, or swordfish other than to a dealer that has a valid dealer permit issued under § 635.4, except that this does not apply to a shark harvested by a vessel that has not been issued a permit under this part and that fishes exclusively within the waters under the jurisdiction of any state.
(5)
Fail to possess and make available for inspection a vessel permit on board the permitted vessel or upon transfer of HMS to a dealer or a dealer permit at the dealer's place of business, or to alter any such permit as specified in § 635.4(a).
(6)
Falsify or fail to record, report, or maintain information required to be recorded, reported, or maintained, as specified in §§ 635.5 and 635.32 or in the terms and conditions of a permit issued under § 635.4 or an EFP, scientific research permit, display permit, chartering permit, or shark research permit issued under § 635.32.
(7)
Fail to allow an authorized agent of NMFS to inspect and copy reports and records, as specified in § 635.5(e) and (f) or § 635.32.
(8)
Fail to make available for inspection an Atlantic HMS or its area of custody, as specified in § 635.5(e) and (f).
(9)
Fail to report the catching of any Atlantic HMS to which a conventional tag has been affixed under a tag and release program.
(10)
Falsify or fail to display and maintain vessel and gear identification, as specified in § 635.6.
(11)
Fail to comply with the requirements for at-sea observer coverage, as specified in § 635.7 and § 600.746.
(12)
For any person to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, interfere with, obstruct, delay, or prevent, by any means, any authorized officer in the conduct of any search, inspection, seizure or lawful investigation made in connection with enforcement of this part.
(13)
Interfere with, delay, or prevent by any means, the apprehension of another person, knowing that such person has committed any act prohibited by this part.
(14)
Fail to install, activate, repair, or replace a vessel monitoring system prior to leaving port with pelagic longline gear, bottom longline gear, or gillnet gear on board the vessel as specified in § 635.69.
(15)
Tamper with, or fail to operate and maintain a vessel monitoring system as specified in § 635.69.
(16)
Fail to contact NMFS or follow NMFS instructions when automatic position reporting has been interrupted as specified in § 635.69.
(17)
Fish for Atlantic tunas or swordfish with a gillnet or possess Atlantic tunas or swordfish on board a vessel with a gillnet on board, as specified in § 635.21 (b), (e)(1), and (e)(4)(ii).
(18)
Fail to retrieve fishing gear and move after an interaction with a protected species, as specified in § 635.21 (c)(3) or (d)(2).
(19)
Utilize secondary gears as specified in § 635.21(b) to capture, or attempt to capture, any undersized or free swimming Atlantic HMS, or fail to release a captured Atlantic HMS in the manner specified in § 635.21(a).
(20)
Fail to report the retention of an Atlantic HMS that has an archival tag, as specified in § 635.33.
(22)
Fish for, catch, retain, or possess an Atlantic HMS that is less than its minimum size limit specified in § 635.20.
(23)
Fail to comply with the restrictions on use of pelagic longline, bottom longline, gillnet, buoy gear, speargun gear, or green-stick gear as specified in § 635.21(c), (d), (e)(1), (e)(3), (e)(4), (f), or (g).
(24)
Import, or attempt to import, any fish or fish products regulated under this part in a manner contrary to any import requirements or import restrictions specified at § 635.40 or 635.41.
(25)
Dispose of fish or parts thereof or other matter in any manner after any communication or signal from an authorized officer, or after the approach of an authorized officer.
(27)
Operate a charterboat or headboat without a valid U.S. Coast Guard merchant marine or uninspected passenger vessel license on board the vessel when fishing for or possessing Atlantic HMS as specified at § 635.4(b).
(28)
Violate any provision of this part, the Magnuson-Stevens Act, ATCA, or any regulations or permits issued under the Magnuson-Stevens Act or ATCA.
(29)
Land, transship, ship, transport, purchase, sell, offer for sale, import, export, or have in custody, possession, or control:
(i)
Any fish that the person knows, or should have known, was taken, retained, possessed, or landed contrary to this part, without regard to the citizenship of the person or registry of the fishing vessel that harvested the fish.
(ii)
Any fish of a species regulated pursuant to a recommendation of ICCAT that was harvested, retained, or possessed in a manner contrary to the regulations of another country.
(30)
Deploy or fish with any fishing gear from a vessel or anchor a fishing vessel, permitted or required to be permitted under this part, in any closed area as specified at § 635.21.
(31)
Deploy or fish with any fishing gear from a vessel with a pelagic longline on board in any closed area during the time periods specified at § 635.21(c)(2).
(32)
In the Gulf of Mexico, deploy or fish a pelagic longline with live bait affixed to the hooks or to possess live bait, or set up a well or tank to maintain live bait, aboard a vessel with pelagic longline gear on board as specified at § 635.21(c)(4).
(33)
Deploy or fish with any fishing gear from a vessel with pelagic or bottom longline gear on board without carrying the required sea turtle bycatch mitigation gear, as specified at § 635.21(c)(5)(i) for pelagic longline gear and § 635.21(d)(3)(i) for bottom longline gear. This equipment must be utilized in accordance with § 635.21(c)(5)(ii) and (d)(3)(ii) for pelagic and bottom longline gear, respectively.
(34)
Fail to disengage any hooked or entangled sea turtle with the least harm possible to the sea turtle as specified at § 635.21 (c)(5) or (d)(3).
(35)
For any person to assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, interfere with, obstruct, delay, or prevent, by any means, NMFS personnel or anyone collecting information for NMFS, under an agreement or contract, relating to the scientific monitoring or management of Atlantic HMS.
(36)
Fish with bottom or pelagic longline and shark gillnet gear for HMS without adhering to the gear operation and deployment restrictions required in 50 CFR 635.21.
(37)
Fail to report to NMFS, at the number designated by NMFS, the incidental capture of listed whales with shark gillnet gear as required by § 635.5.
(38)
Fish for, or possess on board a fishing vessel, species regulated under this part in unauthorized fishing areas as specified in § 635.25.
(39)
Deploy or fish with any fishing gear, from a vessel with a bottom longline on board, in any closed area during the time periods specified at § 635.21(d)(1).
(40)
Deploy or fish with any fishing gear, from a vessel with bottom longline gear on board, without carrying a dipnet, line clipper, and dehooking device as specified at § 635.21(d)(3).
(41)
Fail to immediately notify NMFS upon the termination of a chartering arrangement as specified in § 635.5(a)(5).
(42)
Count chartering arrangement catches against quotas other than those defined as the Contracting Party of which the chartering foreign entity is a member as specified in § 635.5(a)(5).
(43)
Fail to submit catch information regarding fishing activities conducted under a chartering arrangement with a foreign entity, as specified in § 635.5(a)(5).
(44)
Offload charter arrangement catch in ports other than ports of the chartering Contracting Party of which the foreign entity is a member or offload catch without the direct supervision of the chartering foreign entity as specified in § 635.5(a)(5).
(45)
Import or attempt to import tuna or tuna-like species harvested from the ICCAT convention area by a fishing vessel that is not listed in the ICCAT record of authorized vessels as specified in § 635.41(b).
(46)
Import or attempt to import tuna or tuna-like species harvested by a fishing vessel on the ICCAT illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing list as specified in § 635.41(c).
(47)
Import or attempt to import tuna or tuna-like species, placed in cages for farming and/or transshipment, harvested in the ICCAT convention area and caught by a fishing vessel included on the ICCAT list as engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing as specified in § 635.41(d).
(48)
Purchase any HMS that was offloaded from an individual vessel in excess of the retention limits specified in §§ 635.23 and 635.24.
(49)
Sell any HMS that was offloaded from an individual vessel in excess of the retention limits specified in §§ 635.23 and 635.24.
(50)
Fish without being certified for completion of a NMFS protected species safe handling, release, and identification workshop, as required in § 635.8.
(51)
Fish without having a valid protected species workshop certificates issued to the vessel owner and operator on board the vessel as required in § 635.8.
(52)
Falsify a NMFS protected species workshop certificate or a NMFS Atlantic shark identification workshop certificate as specified at § 635.8.
(53)
Fish for, catch, possess, retain, or land an Atlantic swordfish using, or captured on, “buoy gear”, as defined at § 635.2, unless the vessel owner has been issued a swordfish directed limited access permit or a swordfish handgear limited access permit in accordance with § 635.4(f).
(b) Atlantic tunas.
It is unlawful for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to:
(1)
Engage in fishing with a vessel that has been issued an Atlantic Tunas or Atlantic HMS permit under § 635.4, unless the vessel travels to and from the area where it will be fishing under its own power and the person operating that vessel brings any BFT under control (secured to the catching vessel and/or brought on board) with no assistance from another vessel, except as shown by the operator that the safety of the vessel or its crew was jeopardized or other circumstances existed that were beyond the control of the operator.
(3)
Fish for, catch, retain, or possess a BFT less than the large medium size class by a person aboard a vessel other than one that has on board a valid HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat permit, or an Atlantic tunas Purse Seine category permit as authorized under § 635.23 (b), (c), and (e)(2).
(4)
Fail to inspect a vessel's permit, fail to affix a dealer tag to a large medium or giant BFT, or fail to use such tag as specified in § 635.5(b)(2).
(6)
As the owner of a vessel permitted, or required to be permitted, in the Atlantic HMS Angling or Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat category, fail to report a BFT, as specified in § 635.5(c)(1) or (c)(3).
(7)
Fish for, catch, retain, or possess a BFT with gear not authorized for the category permit issued to the vessel or to have such gear on board when in possession of a BFT, as specified in § 635.21(e)(1).
(9)
Fish for or catch BFT in a directed fishery with purse seine nets without an allocation made under § 635.27(a)(4).
(10)
Fish for or catch any Atlantic tunas in a directed fishery with purse seine nets if there is no remaining BFT allocation made under § 635.27 (a)(4).
(12)
Exceed a catch limit for BFT specified for the appropriate permit category, as specified in § 635.23.
(13)
As a vessel with a General category Atlantic tuna permit, fail to immediately cease fishing and immediately return to port after catching a large medium or giant BFT on a commercial fishing day, as specified in § 635.23(a)(3).
(14)
As a person aboard a vessel issued an HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat permit, fail to immediately cease fishing and immediately return to port after catching a large medium or giant BFT or fail to report such catch, as specified in § 635.23(b)(1)(iii) and (c)(1) through (c)(3).
(15)
As a person aboard a vessel issued an HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat permit, sell, offer for sale, or attempt to sell a large medium or giant BFT retained when fishing under the circumstances specified in § 635.23(b)(1)(iii) and (c)(1) through (c)(3).
(17)
As a vessel with a Purse Seine category Atlantic tunas permit, catch, possess, retain, or land BFT in excess of its allocation of the Purse Seine category quota, or fish for BFT under that allocation prior to the commencement date of the directed BFT purse seine fishery, as specified in § 635.27(a)(4).
(18)
As a vessel with a Purse Seine category Atlantic tunas permit, land BFT smaller than the large medium size class except as specified under § 635.23(e)(2).
(19)
Fish for, retain, possess, or land a BFT when the fishery is closed, as specified in § 635.28(a), except as may be authorized for catch and release under § 635.26.
(20)
Approach to within 100 yd (91.5 m) of the cork line of a purse seine net used by a vessel fishing for Atlantic tuna, or for a purse seine vessel to approach to within 100 yd (91.5 m) of a vessel actively fishing for Atlantic tuna, except that two vessels that have Purse Seine category Atlantic tuna permits may approach closer to each other.
(21)
Transfer at sea an Atlantic tuna, except as may be authorized for the transfer of BFT between purse seine vessels, as specified in § 635.29(a).
(22)
As the owner or operator of a purse seine vessel, fail to comply with the requirement for possession at sea and landing of BFT under § 635.30(a).
(23)
Fish for, catch, possess, or retain a BFT from the Gulf of Mexico except as specified under § 635.23(f)(1), or if taken incidental to recreational fishing for other species and retained in accordance with § 635.23(b) and (c).
(24)
Fail to comply with the restrictions on sale and purchase of an Atlantic tuna, as specified in §§ 635.5(b), 635.23, and 635.31(a).
(26)
For any person to refuse to provide information requested by NMFS personnel or anyone collecting information for NMFS, under an agreement or contract, relating to the scientific monitoring or management of Atlantic tunas.
(27)
Possess a large medium or giant BFT, after it has been landed, that does not have a dealer tag affixed to it as specified in § 635.5(b)(2)(ii), unless the BFT is not to be sold and has been reported per the requirements specified in §§ 635.5(a)(3) or 635.5(c).
(28)
Participate in any HMS recreational fishing activity aboard a vessel issued an Atlantic Tunas General category permit unless, as specified at § 635.4(c)(2) and (3), the vessel has registered and paid an entry fee to, and is fishing under the rules of, a recreational HMS fishing tournament registered as required under § 635.5(d)
(29)
Import a bigeye tuna or bigeye tuna product into the United States from Bolivia or Georgia as specified in § 635.41.
(30)
Fish for any HMS, other than Atlantic BAYS tunas, with speargun fishing gear, as specified at § 635.21(f).
(31)
Harvest or fish for BAYS tunas using speargun gear with powerheads, or any other explosive devices, as specified in § 635.21(f).
(32)
Sell, purchase, barter for, or trade for an Atlantic BAYS tuna harvested with speargun fishing gear, as specified at § 635.31(a)(1).
(33)
Fire or discharge speargun gear without being physically in the water, as specified at § 635.21(f).
(34)
Use speargun gear to harvest a BAYS tuna restricted by fishing lines or other means, as specified at § 635.21(f).
(35)
Use speargun gear to fish for BAYS tunas from a vessel that does not possess either a valid HMS Angling or HMS Charter/Headboat permit, as specified at § 635.21(f).
(36)
Possess J-hooks onboard a vessel that has pelagic longline gear onboard, and that has been issued, or is required to have, a limited access swordfish, shark, or tuna longline category permit for use in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, except when green-stick gear is onboard, as specified at § 635.21(c)(2)(v)(A) and (c)(5)(iii)(C) (3 ).
(37)
Use or deploy J-hooks with pelagic longline gear from a vessel that has been issued, or is required to have, a limited access swordfish, shark, or tuna longline category permit for use in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
(38)
Possess more than 20 J-hooks onboard a vessel that has been issued, or is required to have, a limited access swordfish, shark, or tuna longline category permit for use in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, when possessing onboard both pelagic longline gear, as described at § 635.21(c), and green-stick gear as defined at § 635.2.
(40)
Possess, use, or deploy J-hooks smaller than 1.5 inch (38.1 mm), when measured in a straight line over the longest distance from the eye to any other part of the hook, when fishing with or possessing green-stick gear onboard a vessel that has been issued, or is required to have, a limited access swordfish, shark, or tuna longline category permit for use in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
(c) Billfish.
It is unlawful for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to:
(1)
As specified in § 635.21(e)(2), retain a billfish harvested by gear other than rod and reel, or retain a billfish on board a vessel unless that vessel has been issued an Atlantic HMS Angling or Charter/Headboat permit or has been issued an Atlantic Tunas General category permit and is participating in a tournament in compliance with § 635.4(c).
(5)
Retain on board a vessel a longbill spearfish, or a blue marlin, white marlin or sailfish that is less than the minimum size specified in § 635.20(d).
(6)
As the owner of a vessel permitted, or required to be permitted, in the Atlantic HMS Angling or Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat category, fail to report a billfish, as specified in § 635.5(c)(2) or (c)(3).
(7)
Deploy a J-hook or an offset circle hook in combination with natural bait or a natural bait/artificial lure combination when participating in a tournament for, or including, Atlantic billfish, as specified in § 635.21(e)(2).
(8)
Take, retain, or possess an Atlantic blue or white marlin when the fishery for these species has been restricted to catch and release fishing only, as specified in § 635.27(d).
(d) Shark.
It is unlawful for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to:
(3)
Retain, possess, or land a shark of a species group when the fishery for that species group and/or region is closed, as specified in § 635.28(b).
(4)
Sell or purchase a shark of a species group when the fishery for that species group and/or region is closed, as specified in § 635.28(b).
(6)
Fail to maintain a shark in its proper form, as specified in § 635.30(c). Fail to maintain naturally attached shark fins through offloading as specified in § 635.30(c).
(7)
Sell or purchase shark fins that are disproportionate to the weight of shark carcasses, as specified in § 635.30(c) and § 600.1204(e) and (l) of this chapter.
(9)
Fail to comply with the restrictions on sale and purchase of a shark, as specified in § 635.31(c).
(10)
Retain, possess, sell, or purchase a prohibited shark, including parts or pieces of prohibited sharks, as specified under §§ 635.22(c), 635.24(a), and 635.27(b), or fail to disengage any hooked or entangled prohibited shark with the least harm possible to the animal as specified at § 635.21(d).
(11)
Receive, purchase, trade, or barter for Atlantic sharks without a valid dealer or proxy Atlantic shark identification workshop certificate issued to the dealer or proxy or fail to be certified for completion of a NMFS Atlantic shark identification workshop in violation of § 635.8.
(12)
Fish for Atlantic sharks with unauthorized gear or possess Atlantic sharks on board a vessel with unauthorized gear on board as specified in § 635.21(e)(3).
(13)
Fish for Atlantic sharks with a gillnet or possess Atlantic sharks on board a vessel with a gillnet on board, except as specified in § 635.21(e)(3).
(14)
Receive, purchase, trade, or barter for Atlantic sharks without making available for inspection, at each of the dealer's places of business listed on the dealer permit which first receives Atlantic sharks by way of purchase, barter, or trade, a valid dealer or proxy Atlantic shark identification workshop certificate issued by NMFS to the dealer or proxy in violation of § 635.8(b), except that trucks or other conveyances of the business must possess a copy of such certificate.
(15)
Sell or transfer or attempt to sell or transfer a shark or sharks or part of a shark or sharks in excess of the retention limits specified in § 635.24(a).
(16)
Purchase, receive, or transfer or attempt to purchase, receive, or transfer a shark or sharks or part of a shark or sharks landed in excess of the retention limits specified in § 635.24(a).
(17)
Replace sharks that are onboard the vessel for retention with sharks of higher quality or size that are caught later in a particular trip as specified in § 635.24(a).
(e) Swordfish.
It is unlawful for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to:
(1)
Purchase, barter for, or trade for a swordfish from the north or south Atlantic swordfish stock without a dealer permit as specified in § 635.4(g).
(2)
Fail to comply with the restrictions on use of a pelagic longline specified in § 635.21(b) and (c).
(3)
When the directed fishery for swordfish is closed, exceed the limits specified in § 635.28(c)(1)(i) and (c)(1)(ii).
(4)
When the incidental catch fishery for swordfish is closed, possess, land, sell, or purchase a swordfish, as specified in § 635.28(c)(2).
(7)
Fail to comply with the restrictions on sale and purchase of a swordfish, as specified in § 635.31(d).
(8)
Fish for North Atlantic swordfish from, possess North Atlantic swordfish on board, or land North Atlantic swordfish from a vessel using or having on board gear other than pelagic longline or handgear.
(9)
Fish for swordfish from the South Atlantic swordfish stock using any gear other than pelagic longline.
(10)
Fish for, catch, possess, retain, or land an Atlantic swordfish using, or captured on, “buoy gear” as defined at § 635.2, unless the vessel owner has been issued a swordfish directed limited access permit or a swordfish handgear limited access permit in accordance with § 635.4(f).
(11)
As the owner of a vessel permitted, or required to be permitted, in the swordfish directed or swordfish handgear limited access permit category and utilizing buoy gear, to possess or deploy more than 35 individual floatation devices, to deploy more than 35 individual buoy gears per vessel, or to deploy buoy gear without affixed monitoring equipment, as specified at § 635.21(e)(4)(iii).
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