Title 50

SECTION 665.252

665.252 Harvest limitation program.

§ 665.252 Harvest limitation program.

(a) General. Harvest guidelines for the Necker Island Lobster Grounds, Gardner Pinnacles Lobster Grounds, Maro Reef Lobster Grounds, and General NWHI Lobster Grounds for Permit Area 1 will be set annually for the calendar year and shall:

(1) Apply to the total catch of spiny and slipper lobsters.

(2) Be expressed in terms of numbers of lobsters.

(b) Harvest guideline. (1) The Regional Administrator shall use information from daily lobster catch reports and lobster sales reports from previous years, and may use information from research sampling and other sources to establish the annual harvest guideline in accordance with the FEP after consultation with the Council.

(2) NMFS shall publish a document indicating the annual harvest guideline in the Federal Register by February 28 of each year and shall use other means to notify permit holders of the harvest guideline for the year.

(3) The Regional Administrator shall determine, on the basis of the information reported to NMFS by the operator of each vessel fishing, when the harvest guideline for each lobster ground will be reached.

(4) Notice of the date when the harvest guideline for a lobster ground is expected to be reached and specification of the closure date of the lobster grounds will be provided to each permit holder and/or operator of each permitted vessel at least 24 hours in advance of the closure. After a closure, the harvest of lobster in that lobster ground is prohibited, and the possession of lobster traps on board the vessel in that lobster ground is prohibited unless allowed under § 665.245(a)(8).

(5) With respect to the notification in paragraph (b)(4) of this section, NMFS shall provide each permit holder and operator of each permitted vessel with the following information, as appropriate:

(i) Determination of when the overall harvest guideline for Crustacean Permit Area 1 will be reached;

(ii) Closure date after which harvest of lobster or possession of lobster traps on board the vessel in a lobster grounds is prohibited;

(iii) Closure date after which the possession of lobster traps on board the vessel in Crustacean Permit Area 1 is prohibited by any permitted vessel that is not operating a VMS unit certified by NMFS; and

(iv) Specification of when further landings of lobster will be prohibited by permitted vessels not carrying an operational VMS unit, certified by NMFS, on board.

(c) Monitoring and adjustment. The operator of each vessel fishing during the open season shall report lobster catch (by species) and effort (number of trap hauls) data while at sea to NMFS in Honolulu. The Regional Administrator shall notify permit holders of the reporting method, schedule, and logistics at least 30 days prior to the opening of the fishing season.

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