CFR

CFR

679.93—Amendment 80 Program recordkeeping, permits, monitoring, and catch accounting.

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

(b) Permits. See § 679.4(o).

(c) Catch monitoring requirements for Amendment 80 vessels and catcher/processors not listed in The requirements under paragraphs (c)(1) through (9) of this section apply to all Amendment 80 vessels except Amendment 80 vessels using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops, and any other catcher/processor not listed in § 679.4(l)(2)(i) using trawl gear and fishing or receiving fish in the BSAI and in adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season. Except when using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops, at all times when an Amendment 80 vessel or a catcher/processor not listed in § 679.4(l)(2)(i) using trawl gear has BSAI groundfish onboard the vessel, 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)(6).

(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. There is 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 has 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 clears 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)(1).

(d) Catch monitoring requirements for Amendment 80 vessels fishing in the GOA. The requirements under this section apply to any Amendment 80 vessel fishing in the GOA and in adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season except Amendment 80 vessels using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops. At all times when an Amendment 80 vessel is not using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops and has GOA groundfish onboard the vessel owner or operator must ensure that:

(1) Catch from an individual haul is not mixed with catch from another haul prior to sampling by a NMFS-certified observer, and all catch is made available for sampling by a NMFS-certified observer;

(2) The vessel is in compliance with the observer coverage requirements described at § 679.50(c)(6)(ii) ;

(3) Operational Line. The vessel has no more than one operational line or other conveyance for the mechanized movement of catch at the location where the observer collects species composition samples; and

(4) The requirements in § 679.93(c)(5), (8), and (9) are met.

(e) Catch accounting— (1) Amendment 80 species— All Amendment 80 species caught in the BSAI, including catch in adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, by an Amendment 80 vessel assigned to an Amendment 80 cooperative will be debited from the CQ permit for that Amendment 80 cooperative for that calendar year unless that Amendment 80 vessel is using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops.

(ii) Amendment 80 limited access fishery. All Amendment 80 species caught in the BSAI, including catch in adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, by an Amendment 80 vessel assigned to the Amendment 80 limited access fishery will be debited against the ITAC for that Amendment 80 species in the Amendment 80 limited access fishery for that calendar year unless that Amendment 80 vessel is using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops.

(2) Crab PSC and halibut PSC— (i) Amendment 80 cooperative. All crab PSC or halibut PSC used by an Amendment 80 vessel assigned to an Amendment 80 cooperative in the BSAI, including crab PSC or halibut PSC used in the adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, will be debited against the CQ permit for that Amendment 80 cooperative for that calendar year unless that Amendment 80 vessel is using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops.

(ii) Amendment 80 limited access fishery. All crab PSC or halibut PSC used by an Amendment 80 vessel assigned to the Amendment 80 limited access fishery in the BSAI, including crab PSC or halibut PSC used in the adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, will be debited against the crab PSC or halibut PSC limit assigned to the Amendment 80 limited access fishery for that calendar year, unless that Amendment 80 vessels is using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops.

(3) GOA groundfish sideboard limits. All Amendment 80 sideboard species defined in Table 37 to this part caught in the GOA, including catch in adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, by an Amendment 80 vessel will be debited against the Amendment 80 sideboard limit for that Amendment 80 sideboard species for that calendar year except Amendment 80 sideboard species caught by Amendment 80 vessel using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops.

(4) GOA halibut sideboard limits. All halibut PSC used by all Amendment 80 vessels in the GOA, including halibut PSC used in the adjacent waters open by the State of Alaska for which it adopts a Federal fishing season, will be debited against the sideboard limit established for the Amendment 80 sector, except:

(i) Halibut PSC CQ used by the catcher/processor sector in the Rockfish Program in the Central GOA;

(ii) Halibut PSC used by the fishing vessel GOLDEN FLEECE (USCG Documentation number 609951); and

(iii) Halibut PSC used by an Amendment 80 vessel using dredge gear while directed fishing for scallops.

[72 FR 52726, Sept. 14, 2007, as amended at 75 FR 53069, Aug. 30, 2010]