§ 622.206 - Area and seasonal closures.

§ 622.206 Area and seasonal closures.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 67310, Oct. 22, 2020.

(a) South Atlantic shrimp cold weather closure.

(1) Pursuant to the procedures and criteria established in the FMP for the Shrimp Fishery of the South Atlantic Region, when Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, or South Carolina closes all or a portion of its waters of the South Atlantic to the harvest of brown, pink, and white shrimp, the Assistant Administrator may concurrently close the South Atlantic EEZ adjacent to the closed state waters by filing a notification of closure with the Office of the Federal Register. Closure of the adjacent EEZ will be effective until the ending date of the closure in state waters, but may be ended earlier based on the state's request. In the latter case, the Assistant Administrator will terminate a closure of the EEZ by filing a notification to that effect with the Office of the Federal Register.

(2) During a closure, as specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section -

(i) No person may trawl for brown shrimp, pink shrimp, or white shrimp in the closed portion of the EEZ (closed area); and no person may possess on board a fishing vessel brown shrimp, pink shrimp, or white shrimp in or from a closed area, except as authorized in paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section.

(ii) No person aboard a vessel trawling in that part of a closed area that is within 25 nm of the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured may use or have on board a trawl net with a mesh size less than 4 inches (10.2 cm), as measured between the centers of opposite knots when pulled taut.

(iii) Brown shrimp, pink shrimp, or white shrimp may be possessed on board a fishing vessel in a closed area, provided the vessel is in transit and all that the shrimp fishing gear with trawl nets with having a mesh size less than 4 inches (10.2 cm), as measured between the centers of opposite knots when pulled taut, are stowed below deck while transiting the closed areais appropriately stowed. For the purpose purposes of this paragraph , a vessel is in transit when it is on a direct and continuous course through a closed area(a), transit means a non-stop progression through a closed area and appropriately stowed means trawl doors out of the water and in the rack/cradle on deck, the nets must be out of the water and in the rigging and tied down, and any try net must be on deck.

(b) [Reserved]

[78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 85 FR 67310, Oct. 22, 2020]