§ 622.492 50 CFR Ch. VI (10–1–14 Edition)

the Regional Administrator will close valid commercial fishing license issued the Caribbean EEZ to the harvest and by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Is- possession of queen conch, in the area lands. east of 64°34′ W. longitude which in- (b) Bag limit. The bag limit for queen cludes Lang Bank, east of St. Croix, conch in or from the Caribbean EEZ is U.S. Virgin Islands, by filing a notifica- 3 per person or, if more than 4 persons tion of closure with the Office of the are aboard, 12 per boat. Federal Register. During the closure, no person may fish for or possess on § 622.495 Commercial trip limit. board a fishing vessel, a Caribbean Commercial trip limits are limits on queen conch, in or from the Caribbean the amount of the applicable species EEZ, in the area east of 64°34′ W. lon- that may be possessed on board or gitude which includes Lang Bank, east landed, purchased, or sold from a vessel of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. per day. A person who fishes in the [78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 78 EEZ may not combine a trip limit FR 56173, Sept. 12, 2013] specified in this section with any trip or possession limit applicable to state § 622.492 Minimum size limit. waters. A species subject to a trip limit (a) The minimum size limit for Carib- specified in this section taken in the bean queen conch is 9 inches (22.9 cm) EEZ may not be transferred at sea, re- in length, that is, from the tip of the gardless of where such transfer takes spire to the distal end of the shell, and place, and such species may not be 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm) in lip width at its transferred in the EEZ. widest point. A queen conch with a (a) Applicability. The trip limit of length of at least 9 inches (22.9 cm) or paragraph (b) of this section applies to a lip width of at least 3⁄8 inch (9.5 mm) a vessel that has at least one person on is not undersized. board with a valid commercial fishing (b) A Caribbean queen conch not in license issued by Puerto Rico or the compliance with its size limit, as speci- U.S. Virgin Islands. If no person on fied in this section, in or from the Car- board the vessel has a valid commer- ibbean EEZ, may not be possessed, cial fishing license issued by Puerto sold, or purchased and must be released Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, the bag immediately with a minimum of harm. limit specified in § 622.494(b) applies. The operator of a vessel that fishes in (b) Trip limit. The trip limit for queen the EEZ is responsible for ensuring conch in or from the Caribbean EEZ is that Caribbean queen conch on board 200 queen conch per day. are in compliance with the size limit [78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 78 specified in this section. FR 56173, Sept. 12, 2013]

§ 622.493 Landing Caribbean queen § 622.496 Annual catch limits (ACLs), conch intact. annual catch targets (ACTs), and (a) A Caribbean queen conch in or accountability measures (AMs). from the Caribbean EEZ must be main- See § 622.12 for applicable ACLs and tained with meat and shell intact. AMs. (b) The operator of a vessel that fishes in the EEZ is responsible for en- § 622.497 Adjustment of management suring that Caribbean queen conch on measures. that vessel in the EEZ are maintained In accordance with the framework intact and, if taken from the EEZ, are procedure of the Fishery Management maintained intact through offloading Plan for Queen Conch Resources of ashore, as specified in this section. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Is- lands, the RA may establish or modify § 622.494 Bag limit. the following items: (a) Applicability. Section 622.11(a) pro- (a) Quotas, trip limits, bag limits, vides the general applicability for bag size limits, closed seasons or areas, and possession limits. However, gear restrictions, fishing year, MSY, § 622.11(a)(1) notwithstanding, the bag OY, TAC, MFMT, MSST, OFL, ABC limit of paragraph (b) of this section control rules, ACLs, AMs, ACTs, and does not apply to a person who has a actions to minimize the interaction of

382

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:08 Jan 26, 2015 Jkt 232239 PO 00000 Frm 00392 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Q:\50\50V12.TXT 31 Fishery Conservation and Management Pt. 622, App. A

fishing gear with endangered species or Pseudoplexaura crucis marine mammals. P. flagellosa (b) [Reserved] P. porosa, Porous sea rod P. wagenaari APPENDIX A TO PART 622—SPECIES 3. Hard — Family Acroporidae TABLES cervicornis, Staghorn TABLE 1 OF APPENDIX A TO PART 622— A. palmata, CARIBBEAN RESOURCES A. prolifera, Fused staghorn Family Agaricidae I. Coelenterates— Coelenterata agaricites, Lettuce leaf coral A. Hydrocorals—Class Hydrozoa A. fragilis, Fragile saucer 1. Hydroids—Order Anthoathecata A. lamarcki, Lamarck’s sheet Family Milleporidae A. tenuifolia, Thin leaf lettuce Millepora spp., Fire corals Leptoseris cucullata, Sunray lettuce Family Stylasteridae Family Astrocoeniidae Stylaster roseus, Rose lace corals Stephanocoenia michelinii, Blushing star B. Anthozoans—Class Family Caryophylliidae 1. Soft corals—Order Eusmilia fastigiata, Flower coral Family Anthothelidae Tubastrea aurea, Cup coral Erythropodium caribaeorum, Encrusting Family Faviidae gorgonian Cladocora arbuscula, Tube coral , Deepwater sea fan Colpophyllia natans, Boulder coral Family Briareidae clivosa, Knobby Briareum asbestinum, Corky sea finger D. labyrinthiformis, Grooved brain Family Clavulariidae D. strigosa, Symmetrical brain Favia fragum, Golfball coral Telesto spp. Manicina areolata, Rose coral 2. Gorgonian corals—Order Gorgonacea M. mayori, Tortugas rose coral Family Ellisellidae Montastrea annularis, Boulder star coral Ellisella spp., Sea whips M. cavernosa, Great star coral Family Gorgoniidae Solenastrea bournoni, Smooth star coral flabellum, Venus sea fan Family G. mariae, Wide-mesh sea fan Dendrogyra cylindrus, G. ventalina, Common sea fan stellaris, Pancake star acerosa, Sea plume D. stokesi, Elliptical star P. albatrossae Meandrina meandrites, Maze coral P. americana, Slimy sea plume Family Mussidae P. bipinnata, Bipinnate plume Isophyllastrea rigida, Rough star coral P. rigida Isophyllia sinuosa, Sinuous cactus Pterogorgia anceps, Angular sea whip Mussa angulosa, Large flower coral P. citrina, Yellow sea whip Mycetophyllia aliciae, Thin fungus coral Family Plexauridae M. danae, Fat fungus coral Eunicea calyculata, Warty sea rod M. ferox, Grooved fungus E. clavigera M. lamarckiana, Fungus coral E. fusca, Doughnut sea rod Scolymia cubensis, Artichoke coral E. knighti S. lacera, Solitary disk E. laciniata Family E. laxispica Oculina diffusa, bush coral E. mammosa, Swollen-knob Family Pocilloporidae E. succinea, Shelf-knob sea rod Madracis decactis, Ten-ray star coral E. touneforti M. mirabilis, Yellow pencil Muricea atlantica Family Poritidae M. elongata, Orange spiny rod Porites astreoides, Mustard hill coral M. laxa, Delicate spiny rod P. branneri, Blue crust coral M. muricata, Spiny sea fan P. divaricata, Small finger coral M. pinnata, Long spine sea fan P. porites, Finger coral Muriceopsis spp. Family M. flavida, Rough sea plume solitaria, Dwarf cup coral M. sulphurea Phyllangia americana, Hidden cup coral Plexaura flexuosa, Bent sea rod Family Siderastreidae P. homomalla, Black sea rod Siderastrea radians, Lesser starlet Plexaurella dichotoma, Slit-pore sea rod S. siderea, Massive starlet P. fusifera 4. Black Corals—Order Antipatharia P. grandiflora spp., Bushy black coral P. grisea Stichopathes spp., Wire coral P. nutans, Giant slit-pore II. [Reserved]

383

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:08 Jan 26, 2015 Jkt 232239 PO 00000 Frm 00393 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8002 Q:\50\50V12.TXT 31