CFR

CFR

679.84—Rockfish Program recordkeeping, permits, monitoring, and catch accounting.

(a) Recordkeeping and reporting. See § 679.5(r).

(b) Permits. See § 679.4(n).

(c) Catch monitoring requirements for catcher/processors assigned to a rockfish cooperative or rockfish limited access fishery. The requirements under paragraphs (c)(1) through (9) of this section apply to any catcher/processor vessel participating in a rockfish cooperative or the rockfish limited access fishery, and that is subject to a sideboard limit as described in this section. At all times when a vessel has groundfish onboard that were harvested under a CQ permit that were harvested during a rockfish limited access fishery, or that were harvested by a vessel subject to a sideboard limit as described under § 679.82(d) through (g), as applicable, the vessel owner or operator must ensure that:

(1) Catch weighing. All groundfish are weighed on a NMFS-approved scale in compliance with the scale requirements at § 679.28(b). Each haul must be weighed separately and all catch must be made available for sampling by a NMFS-certified observer.

(2) Observer sampling station. An observer sampling station meeting the requirements at § 679.28(d) is available at all times.

(3) Observer coverage requirements. The vessel is in compliance with the observer coverage requirements described at § 679.50(c)(7)(i).

(4) Operational line. The vessel has no more than one operational line or other conveyance for the mechanized movement of catch between the scale used to weigh total catch and the location where the observer collects species composition samples.

(5) Fish on deck. No fish are allowed to remain on deck unless an observer is present, except for fish inside the codend and fish accidentally spilled from the codend during hauling and dumping. Fish accidentally spilled from the codend must be moved to the fish bin.

(6) Sample storage. The vessel owner or operator provides sufficient space to accommodate a minimum of 10 observer sampling baskets. This space must be within or adjacent to the observer sample station.

(7) Pre-cruise meeting. The Observer Program Office is notified by phone at 1-907-271-1702 at least 24 hours prior to departure when the vessel will be carrying an observer who had not previously been deployed on that vessel within the last 12 months. Subsequent to the vessel's departure notification, but prior to departure, NMFS may contact the vessel to arrange for a pre-cruise meeting. The pre-cruise meeting must minimally include the vessel operator or manager, and any observers assigned to the vessel.

(8) Belt and flow operations. The vessel operator stops the flow of fish and clear all belts between the bin doors and the area where the observer collects samples of unsorted catch when requested to do so by the observer.

(9) Vessel crew in tanks or bins. The vessel owner or operator must comply with the bin monitoring standards specified in § 679.28(i).

(d) Catch monitoring requirements for catcher/processors assigned to the opt-out fishery. At all times any catcher/processor vessel assigned to the opt-out fishery has groundfish onboard that vessel that were harvested subject to a sideboard limit as described under § 679.82(d) through (h), as applicable, the vessel owner or operator must ensure catch from an individual haul is not mixed with catch from another haul prior to sampling by a NMFS-certified observer, that all catch be made available for sampling by a NMFS-certified observer, and that the requirements in paragraphs (c)(3), (4), (5), (8), and (9) of this section are met.

(e) Catch monitoring requirements for catcher vessels. The owner or operator of a catcher vessel must ensure the vessel complies with the observer coverage requirements described at § 679.50(c)(7)(ii) at all times the vessel is participating in a rockfish cooperative, rockfish limited access fishery, or rockfish sideboard fishery described in this section.

(f) Catch monitoring requirements for shoreside and stationary floating processors— (1) Catch monitoring and control plan (CMCP). The owner or operator of a shoreside or stationary floating processor receiving deliveries from a catcher vessel described at § 679.50(c)(7)(ii) must ensure the shoreside or stationary floating processor complies with the CMCP requirements described at § 679.28(g).

(2) Catch weighing. All groundfish landed by catcher vessels described at § 679.50(c)(7)(ii) must be sorted, weighed on a scale approved by the State of Alaska as described at § 679.28(c), and be made available for sampling by a NMFS-certified observer. The observer must be allowed to test any scale used to weigh groundfish to determine its accuracy.

(3) Notification requirements. The plant manager or plant liaison must notify the observer of the offloading schedule for each delivery of groundfish harvested in a Rockfish Program fishery at least 1 hour prior to offloading. An observer must be available to monitor each delivery of groundfish harvested in a Rockfish Program fishery. The observer must be available the entire time the delivery is being weighed or sorted.

(g) Catch accounting— (1) Primary rockfish species and secondary species. All primary rockfish species and secondary species harvested by a vessel, including harvests in adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, that is named on an LLP license that is assigned to a rockfish cooperative and fishing under a CQ permit will be debited against the CQ for that rockfish cooperative from May 1:

(i) Until November 15; or

(ii) Until that rockfish cooperative has submitted a rockfish cooperative termination of fishing declaration that has been approved by NMFS.

(2) Rockfish halibut PSC. All rockfish halibut PSC used by a vessel, including halibut PSC used in the adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, that is named on an LLP license that is assigned to a rockfish cooperative and fishing under a CQ permit will be debited against the CQ for that rockfish cooperative from May 1:

(i) Until November 15; or

(ii) Until the designated representative of that rockfish cooperative has submitted a rockfish cooperative termination of fishing declaration that has been approved by NMFS.

(3) Groundfish sideboard limits. All groundfish harvested by a vessel, except groundfish harvested by a vessel fishing under a CQ permit in the Central GOA including groundfish harvested in the adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, that is subject to a sideboard limit for that groundfish species as described under § 679.82(d) through (h), as applicable, from July 1 until July 31 will be debited against the sideboard limit established for that sector or rockfish cooperative, as applicable.

(4) Halibut sideboard limits. All halibut PSC used by a vessel, except halibut PSC used by a vessel fishing under a CQ permit, or in a rockfish limited access fishery including halibut PSC used in the adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, that is subject to a sideboard limit as described under § 679.82(d) through (h), as applicable, from July 1 until July 31 will be debited against the sideboard limit established for that sector or rockfish cooperative, as applicable.

[71 FR 67252, Nov. 20, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 37681, July 11, 2007; 72 FR 52726, Sept. 14, 2007; 73 FR 76166, Dec. 15, 2008]

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