§ 622.436 - Anchoring restrictions.

§ 622.436 Size limits.

All size limits in this section are minimum size limits unless specified otherwise. A fish not in compliance with its size limit, as specified in this section,

Anchoring restrictions.

The owner or operator of any fishing vessel, recreational or commercial, that fishes for or possesses reef fish in or from the Caribbean EEZ, may not be possessed, sold, or purchased. A fish not in compliance with its size limit must be released immediately with a minimum of harm. The operator of a vessel that fishes in the EEZ is responsible for ensuring that fish on board are in compliance with the size limits specified in this section. See § 622.10 regarding requirements for landing fish intact.

(a) Yellowtail snapper. The minimum size limit for yellowtail snapper is 12 inches (30.5 cm), TL.

(b) Parrotfishes. The minimum size limit for parrotfishes, except for redband parrotfish, in the St. Croix Management Area only (as defined in table 2 of appendix E to part 622) is 9 inches (22.9 cm), fork length. See § 622.434(c) for the current prohibition on the harvest and possession of midnight parrotfish, blue parrotfish, or rainbow parrotfish.

(c) Redband parrotfish. The minimum size limit for red band parrotfish in the St. Croix Management Area only (as defined in table 2 of appendix E to part 622) is 8 inches (20.3 cm), fork length.

[78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 78 FR 45896, July 30, 2013]

EEZ around Puerto Rico must ensure that the vessel uses only an anchor retrieval system that recovers the anchor by its crown, thereby preventing the anchor from dragging along the bottom during recovery. For a grapnel hook, this could include an incorporated anchor rode reversal bar that runs parallel along the shank, which allows the rode to reverse and slip back toward the crown. For a fluke- or plow-type anchor, a trip line consisting of a line from the crown of the anchor to a surface buoy is required.