50 C.F.R. § 635.30 Possession at sea and landing.
Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries
(a) Atlantic tunas. Persons that own or operate a fishing vessel that possesses an Atlantic tuna in the Atlantic Ocean or that lands an Atlantic tuna in an Atlantic coastal port must maintain such Atlantic tuna through offloading either in round form or eviscerated with the head and fins removed, provided one pectoral fin and the tail remain attached. (b) Billfish. Any person that possesses a blue marlin or a white marlin taken from its management unit or a sailfish taken shoreward of the outer boundary of the EEZ or lands a blue marlin or a white marlin in an Atlantic coastal port must maintain such billfish with its head, fins, and bill intact through offloading. Persons may eviscerate such billfish, but it must otherwise be maintained whole. (c) Shark. (1) Not withstanding the regulations issued at part 600, subpart N of this chapter, no person who owns or operates a vessel issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited access permit shall possess or offload wet shark fins in a quantity that exceeds 5 percent of the dressed weight of the shark carcasses. No person shall possess a shark fin on board a fishing vessel after the vessel's first point of landing. While shark fins are on board and when shark fins are being offloaded, persons issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited access permit are subject to the regulations at part 600, subpart N, of this chapter. (2) A person who owns or operates a vessel that has been issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited access permit may not fillet a shark at sea. A person may eviscerate and remove the head and fins, but must retain the fins with the dressed carcasses. While on board and when offloaded, wet shark fins may not exceed 5 percent of the dressed weight of the carcasses, in accordance with the regulations at part 600, subpart N, of this chapter. (3) A person who owns or operates a vessel that has been issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark limited access permit and who lands shark in an Atlantic coastal port must have all fins and carcasses weighed and recorded on the weighout slips specified in §635.5(a)(2) and in accordance with regulations at part 600, subpart N, of this chapter. Persons may not possess a shark fin on board a fishing vessel after the vessel's first point of landing. The wet fins may not exceed 5 percent of the dressed weight of the carcasses. (4) Persons aboard a vessel that does not have a commercial permit for shark must maintain a shark in or from the EEZ intact through landing—the head, tail, or fins may not be removed. The shark may be bled. (d) Swordfish. Persons that own or operate a fishing vessel that possesses a swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean or lands a swordfish in an Atlantic coastal port must maintain such swordfish in round or dressed form through off-loading. [64 FR 29135, May 28, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 6201, Feb. 11, 2002; 69 FR 53362, Sept. 1, 2004]
Title 50: Wildlife and Fisheries
PART 635—ATLANTIC HIGHLY MIGRATORY SPECIES
Subpart C—Management Measures
§ 635.30 Possession at sea and landing.
