Title 50

SECTION 697.18

697.18 Lobster management areas.

§ 697.18 Lobster management areas.

The following lobster management areas are established for purposes of implementing the management measures specified in this part. (A copy of a chart showing the American lobster EEZ management areas is available upon request to the Office of the Regional Administrator, NMFS, 1 Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930.)

(a) EEZ Nearshore Management Area 1. EEZ Nearshore Management Area 1 is defined by the area, including state and Federal waters that are nearshore in the Gulf of Maine, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated, and the coastline of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts to the northernmost point of Cape Cod:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
A	43°58′ N.	67°22′ W.
B	43°41′ N.	68°00′ N.
C	43°12′ N.	69°00′ W.
D	42°49′ N.	69°40′ W.
E	42°15.5′ N.	70°40′ W.
F	42°10′ N.	69°56′ W.
G	42°05.5′ N.	70°14′ W.
G1	42°04.25′ N.	70°17.22′ W.
G2	42°02.84′ N.	70°16.1′ W.
G3	42°03.35′ N.	70°14.2′ W.

(1) From point “G3” along the coastline of Massachusetts, including the southwestern end of the Cape Cod Canal, continuing along the coastlines of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and the seaward EEZ boundary back to Point A.

(2) [Reserved]

(b) EEZ Nearshore Management Area 2. EEZ Nearshore Management Area 2 is defined by the area, including state and Federal waters that are nearshore in Southern New England, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
H	41°40′ N.	70°05′ W.
I	41°15′ N.	70°05′ N.
J	41°21.5′ N.	69°16.5′ W.
K	41°10′ N.	69°06.5′ W.
L	40°55′ N.	68°54′ W.
M	40°27.5′ N.	71°14′ W.
N	40°45.5′ N.	71°34′ W.
O	41°07′ N.	71°43′ W.
P	41°06.5′ N.	71°47′ W.
Q	41°11.5′ N.	71°47.25′ W.
R	41°18.5′ N.	71°54.5′ W

(1) From point “R” along the maritime boundary between Connecticut and Rhode Island to the coastal Connecticut/Rhode Island boundary and then back to point “H” along the Rhode Island and Massachusetts coast, including the northeastern end of the Cape Cod Canal.

(2) [Reserved]

(c) Area 2/3 Overlap. The Area 2/3 Overlap is defined by the area, comprised entirely of Federal waters, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
K	41°10′ N.	69°06.5′ W.
L	40°55′ N.	68°54′ W.
M	40°27.5′ N.	72°14′ W.
N	40°45.5′ N.	71°34′ W.

(d) EEZ Offshore Management Area 3. EEZ Offshore Management Area 3 is defined by the area, comprised entirely of Federal waters, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
A	43°58′ N.	67°22′ W.
B	43°41′ N.	68°00′ W.
C	43°12′ N.	69°00′ W.
D	42°49′ N.	69°40′ W.
E	42°15.5′ N.	69°40′ W.
F	42°10′ N.	69°56′ W.
K	41°10′ N.	69°06.5′ W.
N	40°45.5′ N.	71°34′ W.
M	40°27.5′ N.	72°14′ W.
U	40°12.5′ N.	72°48.5′ W.
V	39°50′ N.	73°01′ W.
X	38°39.5′ N.	73°40′ W.
Y	38°12′ N.	73°55′ W.
Z	37°12′ N.	74°44′ W.
ZA	35°34′ N.	74°51′ W.
ZB	35°14.5′ N.	75°31′ W.
ZC	35°14.5′ N.	71°24′ W.
From point “ZC” along the seaward EEZ boundary to point “A”.

(e) EEZ Nearshore Management Area 4. EEZ Nearshore Management Area 4 is defined by the area, including state and Federal waters that are near-shore in the northern Mid-Atlantic, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
M	40°27.5′ N.	72°14′ W.
N	40°45.5′ N.	71°34′ W.
O	41°07′ N.	71°43′ W.
P	41°06.5′ N.	71°47′ W.
S	40°58′ N.	72°00′ W.
T	41°00.5′ N.	72°00′ W.
From Point “T”, along the New York/New Jersey coast to Point “W”
W	39°50′ N.	74°09′ W.
V	39°50′ N.	73°01′ W.
U	40°12.5′ N.	72°48.5′ W.
From Point “U” back to Point “M”.

(f) EEZ Nearshore Management Area 5. EEZ Nearshore Management Area 5 is defined by the area, including state and Federal waters that are near-shore in the southern Mid-Atlantic, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
W	39°50′ N.	74°09′ W.
V1	39°50′ N.	72°55′ W.
X1	38°38.2′ N.	73°33.8′ W.
Y1	38°10.4′ N.	73°49′ W.
Z1	37°10.6′ N.	74°38′ W.
ZA1	35°31.9′ N.	74°45.5′ W.
ZB1	35°14.5′ N.	75°19.3′ W.
ZB	35°14.5′ N.	75°31′ W.

From Point “ZB”, along the coasts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey back to Point “W”.

(g) Nearshore Management Area 6. The Nearshore Management Area 6 is defined by the area, including New York and Connecticut state waters, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
T	41°00.5′ N.	72°00′ W.
S	40°58′ N.	72°00′ W.
From Point “S”, boundary follows the 3 mile limit of New York as it curves around Montauk Point to Point “P”
P	41°06.5′ N.	71°47′ W.
Q	41°11′30″ N.	71°47′15″ W.
R	41°18′30″ N.	71°5′30″ W.
From point “R”, along the maritime boundary between Connecticut and Rhode Island to the coast; then west along the coast of Connecticut to the western entrance of Long Island Sound; then east along the New York coast of Long Island Sound and back to Point “T”.

(h) EEZ Nearshore Outer Cape Lobster Management Area. EEZ Nearshore Outer Cape Lobster Management Area is defined by the area, including state and Federal waters off Cape Cod, bounded by straight lines connecting the following points, in the order stated:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
F	42°10′ N.	69°56′ W.
G	42°05.5′ N.	70°14′ W.
G1	42°04.25′ N.	70°17.22′ W.
G2	42°02.84′ N.	70°16.1′ W.
G4	41°52.′ N.	70°07.49′ W.
G5	41°54.46′ N.	70°03.99′ W.

(1) From Point “G5” along the outer Cape Cod coast to Point “H”:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
H	41°40′ N.	70°05′ W.
H1	41°18′ N.	70°05′ W.

(2) From Point “H1” along the eastern coast of Nantucket Island to Point “I”:

Point	Latitude	Longitude
I	41°15′ N.	70°00′ W.
J	41°21.5′ N.	69°16′ W.

(3) From Point “J” back to Point “F”.

(i) NMFS may, consistent with § 697.25, implement management measures necessary for each management area, in order to end overfishing and rebuild stocks of American lobster.

[64 FR 68248, Dec. 6, 1999, as amended at 68 FR 14930, Mar. 27, 2003; 71 FR 13037, Mar. 14, 2006]