US LAWS, STATUTES & CODES ON-LINE

(3) The southern boundary of the fishery management area is the U.S.-Mexico International Boundary, which is a line connecting the following coordinates:

(4) The inner boundaries of the fishery management area are subject to change if the Secretary assumes responsibility for the regulation of the salmon fishery within state waters under section 306(b) of the Magnuson Act.

Freezer trolling vessel means a fishing vessel, equipped with troll fishing gear, that has a present capability for:

(1) On board freezing of the catch.

(2) Storage of the fish in a frozen condition until they are landed.

Land or landing means to begin transfer of fish from a fishing vessel. Once transfer begins, all fish onboard the vessel are counted as part of the landing.

Pacific Coast Salmon Plan (PCSP or Salmon FMP) means the Fishery Management Plan, as amended, for commercial and recreational ocean salmon fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)(3 to 200 nautical miles offshore) off Washington, Oregon, and California. The Salmon FMP was first developed by the Council and approved by the Secretary in 1978. The Salmon FMP was amended on October 31, 1984, to establish a framework process to develop and implement fishery management actions. Other names commonly used include: Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan, West Coast Salmon Plan, West Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan.

Plugs means artificial fishing lures made of wood or hard plastic with one or more hooks attached. Lures commonly known as “spoons,” “wobblers,” “dodgers,” and flexible plastic lures are not considered plugs, and may not be used where “plugs only” are specified.

Recreational fishing means fishing with recreational fishing gear as defined annually under §660.408 and not for the purpose of sale or barter.

Recreational fishing gear will be defined annually under §660.408.

Regional Administrator means the Director, Northwest Region, NMFS, or a designee. For fisheries occurring primarily or exclusively in the fishery management area seaward of California, Regional Administrator means the Director, Northwest Region, NMFS, acting in consultation with the Director, Southwest Region, NMFS.

Salmon means any anadromous species of the family Salmonidae and genus Oncorhynchus, commonly known as Pacific salmon, including, but not limited to:

Chinook (king) salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Total length of salmon means the shortest distance between the tip of the snout or jaw (whichever extends furthest while the mouth is closed) and the tip of the longest lobe of the tail, without resort to any force or mutilation of the salmon other than fanning or swinging the tail.

Treaty Indian fishing means fishing for salmon and steelhead in the fishery management area by a person authorized by the Makah Tribe to exercise fishing rights under the Treaty with the Makah, or by the Quileute, Hoh, or Quinault Tribes to exercise fishing rights under the Treaty of Olympia.

Troll fishing gear will be defined annually under §660.408.

Whole bait means a hook or hooks baited with whole natural bait with no device to attract fish other than a flasher.

[61 FR 34572, July 2, 1996, as amended at 66 FR 29241, May 30, 2001]

§ 660.403   Relation to other laws.

(a) The relation of this part to other laws is set forth in §600.705 of this chapter, §660.2, and paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section.

(b) Any person fishing subject to this subpart who also engages in fishing for groundfish should consult Federal regulations in subpart G for applicable requirements of that subpart, including the requirement that vessels engaged in commercial fishing for groundfish (except commercial passenger vessels) have vessel identification in accordance with §660.305.

(c) Any person fishing subject to this subpart is bound by the international boundaries of the fishery management area described in §660.402, notwithstanding any dispute or negotiation between the United States and any neighboring country regarding their respective jurisdictions, until such time as new boundaries are published by the United States.

§ 660.404   Recordkeeping and reporting.

(a) This subpart recognizes that catch and effort data necessary for implementation of any applicable fishery management plan are collected by the States and Indian tribes of Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho under existing data collection requirements. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no additional catch reports will be required of fishermen or processors so long as the data collection and reporting systems operated by State agencies and Indian tribes continue to provide NMFS with statistical information adequate for management.

(b) Persons engaged in commercial fishing may be required to submit catch reports that are specified annually under §660.408.

Effective Date Note:  At 61 FR 34600, July 2, 1996, §660.404 was added. This section contains information collection and recordkeeping requirements and will not become effective until approval has been given by the Office of Management and Budget.

§ 660.405   Prohibitions.

(a) In addition to the general prohibitions specified in §600.725 of this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to do any of the following:

(1) Take and retain or land salmon caught with a net in the fishery management area, except that a hand-held net may be used to bring hooked salmon on board a vessel.

(2) Fish for, or take and retain, any species of salmon:

(i) During closed seasons or in closed areas;

(ii) While possessing on board any species not allowed to be taken in the area at the time;

(iii) Once any catch limit is attained;

(iv) By means of gear or methods other than recreational fishing gear or troll fishing gear, or gear authorized under §660.408(k) for treaty Indian fishing;

(v) In violation of any action issued under this subpart; or

(vi) In violation of any applicable area, season, species, zone, gear, daily bag limit, or length restriction.

(3) Fish for salmon in an area when salmon of less than the legal minimum length for that area are on board the fishing vessel, except that this provision does not prohibit transit of an area when salmon of less than the legal minimum length for that area are on board, so long as no fishing is being conducted.

(4) Remove the head of any salmon caught in the fishery management area, or possess a salmon with the head removed, if that salmon has been marked by removal of the adipose fin to indicate that a coded wire tag has been implanted in the head of the fish.

(5) Take and retain or possess on board a fishing vessel any species of salmon that is less than the applicable minimum total length, including the applicable minimum length for dressed, head-off salmon.

(6) Possess on board a fishing vessel a salmon, for which a minimum total length is extended or cannot be determined, except that dressed, head-off salmon may be possessed on board a freezer trolling vessel, unless the adipose fin of such salmon has been removed.

(7) Fail to return to the water immediately and with the least possible injury any salmon the retention of which is prohibited by this subpart.

(8) Engage in recreational fishing while aboard a vessel engaged in commercial fishing. This restriction is not intended to prohibit the use of fishing gear otherwise permitted under the definitions of troll and recreational fishing gear, so long as that gear is legal in the fishery for which it is being used.

(9) Take and retain, possess, or land any steelhead taken in the course of commercial fishing in the fishery management area, unless such take and retention qualifies as treaty Indian fishing.

(10) Sell, barter, offer to sell, offer to barter, or purchase any salmon taken in the course of recreational salmon fishing.

(11) Refuse to submit fishing gear or catch subject to such person's control to inspection by an authorized officer, or to interfere with or prevent, by any means, such an inspection.

(12) Take and retain Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) except in accordance with regulations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission at part 300 of this title. Pacific halibut that cannot be retained lawfully must be returned to the water immediately and with the least possible injury.

(13) Violate any other provision of this subpart.

(b) The fishery management area is closed to salmon fishing except as opened by this subpart or superseding regulations or notices. All open fishing periods begin at 0001 hours and end at 2400 hours local time on the dates specified.

§ 660.406   Exempted fishing.

(a) NMFS may allow such exempted fishing in the fishery management area as may be recommended by the Council, the Federal Government, state government, or treaty Indian tribes having usual and accustomed fishing grounds in the fishery management area.

(b) NMFS will not allow any exempted fishery recommended by the Council unless NMFS determines that the purpose, design, and administration of the exempted fishery are consistent with the goals and objectives of the Council's fishery management plan, the national standards (section 301(a) of the Magnuson Act), and other applicable law.

(c) Each vessel participating in any exempted fishery recommended by the Council and allowed by NMFS is subject to all provisions of this subpart, except those portions which relate to the purpose and nature of the exempted fishery. These exceptions will be specified in a permit issued by the Regional Director to each vessel participating in the exempted fishery and that permit must be carried aboard each participating vessel.

§ 660.407   Treaty Indian fishing.

Except as otherwise provided in this subpart, treaty Indian fishing in any part of the fishery management area is subject to the provisions of this subpart, the Magnuson Act, and any other regulations issued under the Magnuson Act.

§ 660.408   Annual actions.

(a) General. NMFS will annually establish or, as necessary, adjust management specifications for the commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian fisheries by publishing the action in the Federal Register under §660.411. Management specifications are set forth in paragraphs (b) through (n) of this section.

(b) Allowable ocean harvest levels. The allowable ocean harvest for commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian fishing may be expressed in terms of season regulations expected to achieve a certain optimum harvest level or in terms of a particular number of fish. Procedures for determining allowable ocean harvest vary by species and fishery complexity, and are documented in the fishery management plan and Council documents.

(c) Allocation of ocean harvest levels—(1) Coho and chinook from the U.S.-Canada border to Cape Falcon—(i) Overall allocation schedule. Initial allocation of coho and chinook salmon north of Cape Falcon, OR, will be based on the following schedule:

(ii) Deviations from allocation schedule. The initial allocation may be modified annually in accordance with paragraphs (c)(1)(iii) through (viii) of this section. These deviations from the allocation schedule provide flexibility to account for the dynamic nature of the fisheries and better achieve the allocation objectives and fishery allocation priorities in paragraphs (c)(1)(ix) and (x) of this section. Total allowable ocean harvest will be maximized to the extent possible consistent with treaty obligations, state fishery needs, and spawning requirements. Every effort will be made to establish seasons and gear requirements that provide troll and recreational fleets a reasonable opportunity to catch the available harvest. These may include single-species directed fisheries with landing restrictions for other species.

(iii) Preseason trades. Preseason species trades (chinook and coho) may be made if they are based upon the recommendation of the commercial and recreational Salmon Advisory Subpanel representatives for the area north of Cape Falcon; simultaneously benefit both the commercial and recreational fisheries or benefit one fishery without harming the other; and are supported by a socio-economic analysis that compares the impacts of the recommendation to those of the standard allocation schedule to determine the allocation that best meets the allocation objectives. This analysis will be made available to the public during the preseason process for establishing annual management measures. Preseason trades will use an exchange ratio of four coho to one chinook as a desirable guideline.

(iv) Commercial allocation. The commercial allowable ocean harvest of chinook and coho derived during the preseason allocation process may be varied by major subareas (i.e., north of Leadbetter Point and south of Leadbetter Point) if there is need to do so to decrease impacts on weak stocks. Deviations in each major subarea will generally not exceed 50 percent of the allowable ocean harvest of each species that would have been established without a geographic deviation in the distribution of the allowable ocean harvest. Deviation of more than 50 percent will be based on a conservation need to protect the weak stocks and will provide larger overall harvest for the entire fishery north of Cape Falcon than would have been possible without the deviation.

(v) Recreational allocation. The recreational allowable ocean harvest of chinook and coho derived during the preseason allocation process will be distributed among the four major recreational subareas as described in the coho and chinook distribution sections below. The Council may deviate from subarea quotas to meet recreational season objectives, based on agreement of representatives of the affected ports and/or in accordance with section 6.5.3.2 of the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan, regarding certain selective fisheries. Additionally, based upon the recommendation of the recreational Salmon Advisory Subpanel representatives for the area north of Cape Falcon, the Council will include criteria in its preseason salmon management recommendations to guide any inseason transfer of coho among the recreational subareas to meet recreational season duration objectives.

(A) Coho distribution. The preseason recreational allowable ocean harvest of coho north of Cape Falcon will be distributed to provide 50 percent to the area north of Leadbetter Point and 50 percent to the area south of Leadbetter Point. In years with no fishery in Washington State management area 4B, the distribution of coho north of Leadbetter Point will be divided to provide 74 percent to the subarea between Leadbetter Point and the Queets River (Westport), 5.2 percent to the subarea between Queets River and Cape Flattery (La Push), and 20.8 percent to the area north of the Queets River (Neah Bay). In years when there is an Area 4B (Neah Bay) fishery under state management, 25 percent of the numerical value of that fishery shall be added to the recreational allowable ocean harvest north of Leadbetter Point prior to applying the sharing percentages for Westport and La Push. The increase to Westport and La Push will be subtracted from the Neah Bay ocean share to maintain the same total harvest allocation north of Leadbetter Point. Each of the four recreational port area allocations will be rounded, to the nearest hundred fish, with the largest quotas rounded downward, if necessary, to sum to the preseason recreational allowable ocean harvest of coho north of Cape Falcon.

(B) Chinook distribution. Subarea distributions of chinook will be managed as guidelines based on calculations of the Salmon Technical Team with the primary objective of achieving all-species fisheries without imposing chinook restrictions (i.e., area closures or bag limit reductions). Chinook in excess of all-species fisheries needs may be utilized by directed chinook fisheries north of Cape Falcon or by negotiating a preseason species trade of chinook and coho between commercial and recreational allocations in accordance with paragraph (c)(1)(iii) of this section.

(vi) Inseason trades and transfers. Inseason transfers, including species trades of chinook and coho, may be permitted in either direction between commercial and recreational fishery quotas to allow for uncatchable fish in one fishery to be reallocated to the other. Fish will be deemed uncatchable by a respective commercial or recreational fishery only after considering all possible annual management actions to allow for their harvest that are consistent with the harvest management objectives specific in the fishery management plan including consideration of single species fisheries. Implementation of inseason transfers will require consultation with the pertinent commercial and recreational Salmon Advisory Subpanel representatives from the area involved and the Salmon Technical Team, and a clear establishment of available fish and impacts from the transfer. Inseason trades or transfers may vary from the guideline ratio of four coho to one chinook to meet the allocation objectives in paragraph (c)(1)(ix) of this section.

(vii) Other inseason provisions. Any increase or decrease in the recreational or commercial allowable ocean harvest resulting from an inseason restructuring of a fishery or other inseason management action does not require reallocation of the overall non-treaty allowable ocean harvest north of Cape Falcon between the recreational and commercial fisheries. Inseason redistribution of subarea quotas within the recreational fishery or the distribution of allowable coho catch transfers from the commercial fishery among subareas may deviate from the preseason distribution. Inseason management actions may be taken by the Regional Director to assure meeting the primary objective of achieving all-species fisheries without imposing chinook restrictions in each of the recreational subareas north of Cape Falcon. Such actions might include, but are not limited to: Closure from 0 to 3, 0 to 6, 3 to 200, or 5 to 200 nm from shore; closure from a point extending due west from Tatoosh Island for 5 nm, then south to a point due west of Umatilla Reef Buoy, then due east to shore; closure from North Head at the Columbia River mouth north to Leadbetter Point; change in species that may be landed; or other actions as prescribed in the annual management measures.

(viii) Selective fisheries. Deviations from the initial gear and port area allocations may be allowed to implement selective fisheries for marked salmon stocks as long as the deviations are within the constraints and process specified in section 6.5.3.2 of the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan.

(ix) Allocation objectives. The goal of allocating ocean harvest north of Cape Falcon is to achieve, to the greatest degree possible, the following objectives for the commercial and recreational fisheries. When deviation from the allocation schedule is being considered, these objectives will serve as criteria to help determine whether a user group will benefit from the deviation.

(A) Provide recreational opportunity by maximizing the duration of the fishing season while minimizing daily and area closures and restrictions on gear and daily limits.

(B) Maximize the value of the commercial harvest while providing fisheries of reasonable duration.

(x) Fishery allocation priorities. The following fishery allocation priorities will provide guidance in the preseason process of establishing final harvest allocations and structuring seasons that best achieve the allocation objectives. To the extent fish are provided to each fishery by the allocation schedule, these priorities do not favor one user group over the other and should be met simultaneously for each fishery. Seasons may be structured that deviate from these priorities consistent with the allocation objectives.

(A) At total allowable harvest levels up to 300,000 coho and 100,000 chinook: For the recreational fishery, provide coho for a late June through early September all-species season; provide chinook to allow access to coho and, if possible, a minimal chinook-only fishery prior to the all-species season; and adjust days per week and/or institute area restrictions to stabilize season duration. For the commercial fishery, provide chinook for a May and early June chinook season and provide coho for hooking mortality and/or access to a pink fishery, and ensure that part of the chinook season will occur after June 1.

(B) At total allowable harvest levels above 300,000 coho and above 100,000 chinook: For the recreational fishery, relax any restrictions in the all-species fishery and/or extend the all-species season beyond Labor Day as coho quota allows; provide chinook for a Memorial Day through late June chinook-only fishery; and adjust days per week to ensure continuity with the all-species season. For the commercial fishery, provide coho for an all-species season in late summer and/or access to a pink fishery; and leave adequate chinook from the May through June season to allow access to coho.

(2) Coho south of Cape Falcon—(i) Allocation schedule. Preseason allocation shares of coho salmon south of Cape Falcon, OR, will be determined by an allocation schedule, which is based on the following formula. The formula will be used to interpolate between allowable harvest levels as shown in the table below.

(A) Up to 350,000 allowable ocean harvest: The first 150,000 fish will be allocated to the recreational fishery. Additional fish will be allocated 66.7 percent to troll and 33.3 percent to recreational. The incidental coho mortality for a commercial all-salmon-except-coho fishery will be deducted from the troll allocation. If the troll allocation is insufficient for this purpose, the remaining number of coho needed for this estimated incidental coho mortality will be deducted from the recreational share.

(B) From 350,000 to 800,000 allowable ocean harvest: The recreational allocation is equal to 14 percent of the allowable harvest above 350,000 fish, plus 217,000 fish. The remainder of the allowable ocean harvest will be allocated to the troll fishery.

(C) Above 800,000 allowable ocean harvest: The recreational allocation is equal to 10 percent of the allowable harvest above 800,000 fish, plus 280,000 fish. The remainder of the allowable ocean harvest will be allocated to the troll fishery.

(ii) Geographic distribution. Allowable harvest south of Cape Falcon may be divided and portions assigned to subareas based on considerations including, but not limited to, controlling ocean harvest impacts on depressed, viable natural stocks within acceptable maximum allowable levels; stock abundance; allocation considerations; stock specific impacts; relative abundance of the salmon species in the fishery; escapement goals; and maximizing harvest potential.

(iii) Recreational allocation at 167,000 fish or less. When the recreational allocation is at 167,000 fish or less, the total recreational allowable ocean harvest of coho will be divided between two major subareas with independent impact quotas. The initial allocation will be 70 percent from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain and 30 percent south of Humbug Mountain. Coho transfers between the two impact quotas may be permitted on a one-for-one basis, if chinook constraints preclude access to coho. Horse Mountain to Point Arena will be managed for an impact guideline of 3 percent of the south of Cape Falcon recreational allocation. The recreational coho fishery between Humbug Mountain and Point Arena may be closed when it is projected that the harvest impact between Humbug Mountain and Point Arena, combined with the projected harvest impact that will be taken south of Point Arena to the end of the season, equals the impact quota for south of Humbug Mountain. The recreational fishery for coho salmon south of Point Arena will not close upon attainment of the south of Humbug Mountain impact quota.

(iv) Oregon coastal natural coho. At Oregon coastal natural coho spawning escapements of 28 or fewer adults per mile, the allocation provisions of paragraph (c)(2)(i) of this section do not apply. Fisheries will be established that will provide only the minimum incidental harvest of Oregon coastal natural coho necessary to prosecute other fisheries, and that under no circumstances will cause irreparable harm to the Oregon coastal natural coho stock.

Editorial Note:  At 64 FR 26328, May 14, 1999, the following paragraph (c)(2)(iv) was revised, effective June 14, 1999, however, the effectiveness of §660.408 has never been established since approval of the information collection requirements has not been published in the Federal Register.

(iv) Oregon coastal natural coho. The allocation provisions in paragraph (c)(2) of this section provide guidance only when coho abundance permits a directed coho harvest, not when the allowable harvest impacts are insufficient to allow coho retention south of Cape Falcon. At such low levels, allowable harvest impacts will be allocated during the Council's preseason process.

(v) Inseason reallocation. No later than August 15 each year, the Salmon Technical Team will estimate the number of coho salmon needed to complete the recreational seasons. Any coho salmon allocated to the recreational fishery that are not needed to complete the recreational seasons will be reallocated to the commercial fishery. Once reallocation has taken place, the remaining recreational quota will change to a harvest guideline. If the harvest guideline for the recreational fishery is projected to be reached on or before Labor Day, the Regional Director may allow the recreational fishery to continue through the Labor Day weekend only if there is no significant danger of impacting the allocation of another fishery or of failing to meet an escapement goal.

(d) Management boundaries and zones. Management boundaries and zones will be established or adjusted to achieve a conservation purpose. A conservation purpose protects a fish stock, simplifies management of a fishery, or promotes wise use of fishery resources by, for example, separating fish stocks, facilitating enforcement, separating conflicting fishing activities, or facilitating harvest opportunities. Management boundaries and zones will be described by geographical references, coordinates (latitude and longitude), LORAN readings, depth contours, distance from shore, or similar criteria.

(e) Minimum harvest lengths. The minimum harvest lengths for commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian fishing may be changed upon demonstration that a useful purpose will be served. For example, an increase in minimum size for commercially caught salmon may be necessary for conservation or may provide a greater poundage and monetary yield from the fishery while not substantially increasing hooking mortality. The removal of a minimum size for the recreational fishery may prevent wastage of fish and outweigh the detrimental impacts of harvesting immature fish.

(f) Recreational daily bag limits. Recreational daily bag limits for each fishing area will be set equal to one, two, or three salmon of some combination of species. The recreational daily bag limits for each fishing area will be set to maximize the length of the fishing season consistent with the allowable level of harvest in the area.

(g) Fishing gear restrictions. Gear restrictions for commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian fishing may be established or modified upon demonstration that a useful purpose will be served. For example, gear restrictions may be imposed or modified to facilitate enforcement, reduce hooking mortality, or reduce gear expenses for fishermen.

(h) Seasons—(1) In general. Seasons for commercial and recreational fishing will be established or modified taking into account allowable ocean harvest levels and quotas, allocations between the commercial and recreational fisheries, and the estimated amount of effort required to catch the available fish based on past seasons.

(2) Commercial seasons. Commercial seasons will be established or modified taking into account wastage of fish that cannot legally be retained, size and poundage of fish caught, effort shifts between fishing areas, and protection of depressed stocks present in the fishing areas. All-species seasons will be established to allow the maximum allowable harvest of pink and sockeye salmon without exceeding allowable chinook or coho harvest levels and within conservation and allocation constraints of the pink and sockeye stocks.

(3) Recreational seasons. If feasible, recreational seasons will be established or modified to encompass Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, and to avoid the need for inseason closures.

(i) Quotas (by species, including fish caught 0–3 nm seaward of Washington, Oregon, and California). Quotas for commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian fishing may be established or modified to ensure that allowable ocean harvests are not exceeded. Quotas may be fixed or adjustable and used in conjunction with seasons. Any quota established does not represent a guaranteed ocean harvest, but a maximum ceiling on catch.

(j) Selective fisheries. In addition to the all-species seasons and the all-species-except-coho seasons established for the commercial and recreational fisheries, selective coho-only, chinook-only, or pink-only fisheries may be established if harvestable fish of the target species are available; harvest of incidental species will not exceed allowable levels; proven, documented selective gear exists; significant wastage of incidental species will not occur; and the selective fishery will occur in an acceptable time and area where wastage can be minimized and target stocks are primarily available.

(k) Treaty Indian fishing. (1) NMFS will establish or modify treaty Indian fishing seasons and/or fixed or adjustable quotas, size limits, gear restrictions, and/or area restrictions taking into account recommendations of the Council, proposals from affected tribes, and relevant Federal court proceedings.

(2) The combined treaty Indian fishing seasons will not be longer than necessary to harvest the allowable treaty Indian catch, which is the total treaty harvest that would occur if the tribes chose to take their total entitlement of the weakest stock in the fishery management area, assuming this level of harvest did not create conservation or allocation problems on other stocks.

(3) Any fixed or adjustable quotas established will be consistent with established treaty rights and will not exceed the harvest that would occur if the entire treaty entitlement to the weakest run were taken by treaty Indian fisheries in the fishery management area.

(4) If adjustable quotas are established for treaty Indian fishing, they may be subject to inseason adjustment because of unanticipated coho hooking mortality occurring during the season, catches in treaty Indian fisheries inconsistent with those unanticipated under Federal regulations, or a need to redistribute quotas to ensure attainment of an overall quota.

(l) Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribal fishing rights. For purposes of section 303 of the Magnuson Act, the federally reserved fishing rights of the Yurok and Hoopa Valley Indian Tribes as set out in a legal opinion² dated October 4, 1993, by the Office of the Solicitor, Department of the Interior, are applicable law. Under section 303 of the Magnuson Act, allowable ocean harvest must be consistent with all applicable laws.

(m) Inseason notice procedures. Telephone hotlines and USCG broadcasts will provide actual notice of inseason actions for commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian fishing.

(n) Reporting requirements. Reporting requirements for commercial fishing may be imposed to ensure timely and accurate assessment of catches in regulatory areas subject to quota management. Such reports are subject to the limitations described herein. Persons engaged in commercial fishing in a regulatory area subject to quota management and landing their catch in another regulatory area open to fishing may be required to transmit a brief radio report prior to leaving the first regulatory area. The regulatory areas subject to these reporting requirements, the contents of the radio reports, and the entities receiving the reports will be specified annually.

[61 FR 34601, July 2, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 26328, May 14, 1999; 66 FR 29241, May 30, 2001]

Effective Date Note:  At 61 FR 34601, July 2, 1996, §660.408 was added. This section contains information collection and recordkeeping requirements and will not become effective until approval has been given by the Office of Management and Budget.

§ 660.409   Inseason actions.

(a) Fixed inseason management provisions. NMFS is authorized to take the following inseason management actions annually, as appropriate.

(1) Automatic season closures based on quotas. When a quota for the commercial or the recreational fishery, or both, for any salmon species in any portion of the fishery management area is projected by the Regional Administrator to be reached on or by a certain date, NMFS will, by an inseason action issued under §660.411, close the commercial or recreational fishery, or both, for all salmon species in the portion of the fishery management area to which the quota applies as of the date the quota is projected to be reached.

(2) Rescission of automatic closure. If a fishery is closed under a quota before the end of a scheduled season based on overestimate of actual catch, NMFS will reopen that fishery in as timely a manner as possible for all or part of the remaining original season provided NMFS finds that a reopening of the fishery is consistent with the management objectives for the affected species and the additional open period is no less than 24 hours. The season will be reopened by an inseason action issued under §660.411.

(3) Adjustment for error in preseason estimates. NMFS may, by an inseason action issued under §660.411, make appropriate changes in relevant seasons or quotas if a significant computational error or errors made in calculating preseason estimates of salmon abundance are identified, provided that such correction can be made in a timely manner to affect the involved fishery without disrupting the capacity to meet the objectives of the fishery management plan.

(b) Flexible inseason management provisions. (1) The Regional Administrator will consult with the Chairman of the Council and the appropriate State Directors prior to taking any of the following flexible inseason management provisions, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Modification of quotas and/or fishing seasons.

(ii) Modification of the species that may be caught and landed during specific seasons and the establishment or modification of limited retention regulations.

(iii) Modification of recreational bag limits and recreational fishing days per calendar week.

(iv) Establishment or modification of gear restrictions.

(v) Modification of boundaries, including landing boundaries, and establishment of closed areas.

(2) Fishery managers must determine that any inseason adjustment in management measures is consistent with fishery regimes established by the U.S.-Canada Pacific Salmon Commission, ocean escapement goals, conservation of the salmon resource, any adjudicated Indian fishing rights, and the ocean allocation scheme in the fishery management plan. All inseason adjustments will be based on consideration of the following factors:

(i) Predicted sizes of salmon runs.

(ii) Harvest quotas and hooking mortality limits for the area and total allowable impact limitations, if applicable.

(iii) Amount of commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian catch for each species in the area to date.

(iv) Amount of commercial, recreational, and treaty Indian fishing effort in the area to date.

(v) Estimated average daily catch per fisherman.

(vi) Predicted fishing effort for the area to the end of the scheduled season.

(vii) Other factors, as appropriate.

§ 660.410   Conservation objectives.

(a) The conservation objectives are summarized in Table 3-1 of the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan.

(b) Modification of escapement goals. NMFS is authorized, through an action issued under §660.411, to modify an escapement goal if—

(1) A comprehensive technical review of the best scientific information available provides conclusive evidence that, in the view of the Council, the Scientific and Statistical Committee, and the Salmon Technical Team, justifies modification of a conservation objective; except that the 35,000 natural spawner floor for Klamath River fall chinook may be changed only by amendment.

(2) For Oregon coastal chinook, specific goals are developed within the overall goal for north coast and south coast stocks; or

(3) Action by a Federal court indicates that modification of an escapement goal is appropriate.

(4) A comprehensive technical review of the best scientific information available provides conclusive evidence that, in the view of the Council, the Scientific and Statistical Committee, and the Salmon Technical Team, justifies modification of a conservation objective.

(c) The annual management measures will be consistent with NMFS jeopardy standards or NMFS recovery plans for species listed under the Endangered Species Act.

(d) The conservation objectives are summarized in Table 3–1 of the Pacific Coast Salmon Plan, except that in 2006, the Klamath River fall Chinook will not be managed to meet the spawning escapement floor. Klamath River fall Chinook will be managed to protect its long-term productivity.

[61 FR 34572, July 2, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 35451, July 1, 1997; 66 FR 29241, May 30, 2001]

Effective Date Note:  At 71 FR 26266, May 4, 2006, in §660.410, paragraphs (a) and (b)(1) are suspended and paragraphs (b)(4) and (d) are added, effective May 1, 2006, through Aug. 31, 2006.

§ 660.411   Notification and publication procedures.

(a) Notification and effective dates. (1) Annual and certain other actions taken under §§660.408 and 660.410 will be implemented by an action published in the Federal Register, and will be effective upon filing, unless a later time is specified in the action.

(2) Inseason actions taken under §660.409 will be by actual notice available from telephone hotlines and USCG broadcasts, as specified annually. Inseason actions will also be published in the Federal Register as soon as practicable. Inseason actions will be effective from the time specified in the actual notice of the action (telephone hotlines and USCG broadcasts), or at the time the inseason action published in the Federal Register is effective, whichever comes first.

(3) Any action issued under this section will remain in effect until the expiration date stated in the action or until rescinded, modified, or superseded. However, no inseason action has any effect beyond the end of the calendar year in which it is issued.

(b) Public comment. If time allows, NMFS will invite public comment prior to the effective date of any action published in the Federal Register. If NMFS determines, for good cause, that an action must be filed without affording a prior opportunity for public comment, public comments on the action will be received by NMFS for a period of 15 days after filing of the action with the Office of the Federal Register.

(c) Availability of data. The Regional Administrator will compile in aggregate form all data and other information relevant to the action being taken and will make them available for public review during normal office hours at the Northwest Region, NMFS. For actions affecting fisheries occurring primarily or exclusively in the fishery management area seaward of California, information relevant to the action also will be made available for public review during normal office hours at the Southwest Region, NMFS.

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