Conservation and Management § 635.27

this part only in or from those manage- his or her name, address, phone number ment areas for which the United States and, if applicable, the identity of the has received an allocation. alternate source of tags. (b) Exemptions. Persons and vessels (b) . NMFS is encouraging fur- subject to the jurisdiction of the ther of Atlantic bill- United States intending to for reg- fish by establishing a recreational ulated species in areas not oth- catch-and-release fishery management erwise authorized under this part, program, consistent with the guidance whether for the purposes of scientific of § 600.350(c). research or under a (c) Sharks. Notwithstanding the other chartering arrangement, must have a provisions of this part, a person may permit from NMFS issued under fish for white sharks (Carcharodon § 635.32. carcharias) with rod and reel, provided (c) Atlantic bluefin tuna. No person the person releases such fish to the sea aboard a U.S. shall fish immediately with a minimum of in- for bluefin tuna in, or possess on board jury, and that such fish may not be re- that fishing vessel a bluefin tuna taken moved from the water. from, the Mediterranean Sea. [64 FR 29135, May 28, 1999, as amended at 65 [67 FR 70026, Nov. 20, 2002] FR 42887, July 12, 2000; 70 FR 10900, Mar. 7, 2005] § 635.26 Catch and release. § 635.27 Quotas. (a) BFT. (1) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this part, a person (a) BFT. Consistent with ICCAT rec- aboard a vessel issued a permit under ommendations, and with paragraph this part, other than a person aboard a (a)(10)(iv) of this section, NMFS may vessel permitted in the General cat- subtract the most recent, complete, egory on a designated RFD, may fish and available estimate of dead discards with rod and reel or handline gear for from the annual U.S. BFT quota, and BFT under a catch-and-release or tag- make the remainder available to be re- and-release program. When fishing tained, possessed, or landed by persons under a tag-and-release program, vessel and vessels subject to U.S. jurisdiction. owner/operators should use tags issued The remaining baseline annual U.S. or approved by NMFS. If a BFT is BFT quota will be allocated among the tagged, the tag information, including General, , Harpoon, Purse information on any previously applied Seine, Longline, Trap, and Reserve cat- tag remaining on the fish, must be re- egories. BFT may be taken by persons ported to NMFS. All BFT caught under aboard vessels issued Atlantic Tunas the catch-and-release or tag-and-re- permits, HMS Angling permits, or HMS lease programs must be returned to the Charter/Headboat permits. The base- sea immediately with a minimum of line annual U.S. BFT quota is 923.7 mt, injury. not including an additional annual 25 (2) Persons may obtain NMFS-issued mt allocation provided in paragraph conventional tags, reporting cards, and (a)(3) of this section. The baseline an- detailed instructions for their use from nual U.S. BFT quota is divided among the NMFS Cooperative Tagging Center. the categories as follows: General—47.1 Persons may use a conventional tag ob- percent (435.1 mt); Angling—19.7 per- tained from a source other than NMFS cent (182.0 mt), which includes the to tag BFT, provided the use of such school BFT held in reserve as described tags is registered each year with the under paragraph (a)(7)(ii) of this sec- Cooperative Tagging Center and the tion; Harpoon—3.9 percent (36.0 mt); NMFS program manager has approved Purse Seine—18.6 percent (171.8 mt); the use of a conventional tag from that Longline—8.1 percent (74.8 mt), which source. An angler using an alternative does not include the additional annual source of tags wishing to tag BFT may 25 mt allocation provided in paragraph contact the NMFS Cooperative Tag- (a)(3) of this section; and Trap—0.1 per- ging Center at the Southeast Fishery cent (0.9 mt). The remaining 2.5 percent Science Center. (23.1 mt) of the baseline annual U.S. (3) An angler registering for the HMS BFT quota will be held in reserve for tagging program is required to provide inseason or annual adjustments based

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