§ 660.381 - Limited entry trawl fishery management measures.

(a) General. Limited entry trawl vessels include those vessels registered to a limited entry permit with a trawl endorsement. Most species taken in limited entry trawl fisheries will be managed with cumulative trip limits (see trip limits in Tables 3 (North) and 3 (South) of this subpart), size limits (see § 660.370 (h)(5)), seasons (see Pacific whiting at § 660.373), gear restrictions (see paragraph (b) of this section) and closed areas (see paragraph (d) of this section and §§ 660.390 through 660.399). The trawl fishery has gear requirements and trip limits that differ by the type of trawl gear on board and the area fished. Cowcod retention is prohibited in all fisheries and groundfish vessels operating south of Point Conception must adhere to CCA restrictions (see paragraph (d)(1) of this section and § 660.390). The trip limits in Table 3 (North) and Table 3 (South) of this subpart apply to vessels participating in the limited entry groundfish trawl fishery and may not be exceeded. Federal commercial groundfish regulations are not intended to supersede any more restrictive state commercial groundfish regulations relating to federally-managed groundfish.

(b) Trawl gear requirements and restrictions. Trawl nets may be fished with or without otter boards, and may use warps or cables to herd fish.

(1) Codends. Only single-walled codends may be used in any trawl. Double-walled codends are prohibited.

(2) Mesh size. Groundfish trawl gear must meet the minimum mesh size requirements in this paragraph. Mesh size requirements apply throughout the net. Minimum trawl mesh sizes are: bottom trawl, 4.5 inches (11.4 cm); midwater trawl, 3.0 inches (7.6 cm). Minimum trawl mesh size requirements are met if a 20-gauge stainless steel wedge, less one thickness of the metal wedge, can be passed with only thumb pressure through at least 16 of 20 sets of two meshes each of wet mesh.

(3) Chafing gear. Chafing gear may encircle no more than 50 percent of the net′s circumference. No section of chafing gear may be longer than 50 meshes of the net to which it is attached. Chafing gear may be used only on the last 50 meshes, measured from the terminal (closed) end of the codend. Except at the corners, the terminal end of each section of chafing gear on all trawl gear must not be connected to the net. (The terminal end is the end farthest from the mouth of the net.) Chafing gear must be attached outside any riblines and restraining straps. There is no limit on the number of sections of chafing gear on a net.

(4) Large footrope trawl gear. Large footrope gear is bottom trawl gear with a footrope diameter larger than 8 inches (20 cm) (including rollers, bobbins or other material encircling or tied along the length of the footrope). Fishing with bottom trawl gear with a footrope diameter greater than 19 inches (48 cm) (including rollers, bobbins, or other material encircling or tied along the length of the footrope) is prohibited anywhere in EFH within the EEZ, as defined by latitude/longitude coordinates at § 660.395.

(5) Small footrope trawl gear. Small footrope gear is bottom trawl gear with a footrope diameter of 8 inches (20 cm) or smaller (including rollers, bobbins or other material encircling or tied along the length of the footrope). Other lines or ropes that run parallel to the footrope may not be augmented with material encircling or tied along their length such that they have a diameter larger than 8 inches (20 cm). For enforcement purposes, the footrope will be measured in a straight line from the outside edge to the opposite outside edge at the widest part on any individual part, including any individual disk, roller, bobbin, or any other device.

(i) Selective flatfish trawl gear is a type of small footrope trawl gear. The selective flatfish trawl net must be a two-seamed net with no more than two riblines, excluding the codend. The breastline may not be longer than 3 ft (0.92 m) in length. There may be no floats along the center third of the headrope or attached to the top panel except on the riblines. The footrope must be less than 105 ft (32.26 m) in length. The headrope must be not less than 30 percent longer than the footrope. An explanatory diagram of a selective flatfish trawl net is provided as Figure 1 of part 660, subpart G.

(ii) [Reserved]

(6) Midwater (or pelagic) trawl gear. Midwater trawl gear must have unprotected footropes at the trawl mouth, and must not have rollers, bobbins, tires, wheels, rubber discs, or any similar device anywhere on any part of the net. The footrope of midwater gear may not be enlarged by encircling it with chains or by any other means. Ropes or lines running parallel to the footrope of midwater trawl gear must be bare and may not be suspended with chains or any other materials. Sweep lines, including the bottom leg of the bridle, must be bare. For at least 20 ft (6.15 m) immediately behind the footrope or headrope, bare ropes or mesh of 16-inch (40.6-cm) minimum mesh size must completely encircle the net. A band of mesh (a “skirt”) may encircle the net under transfer cables, lifting or splitting straps (chokers), but must be: over riblines and restraining straps; the same mesh size and coincide knot-to-knot with the net to which it is attached; and no wider than 16 meshes.

(c) Cumulative trip limits and prohibitions by limited entry trawl gear type. Management measures may vary depending on the type of trawl gear (i.e., large footrope, small footrope, selective flatfish, or midwater trawl gear) used and/or on board a vessel during a fishing trip, cumulative limit period, and the area fished. Trawl nets may be used on and off the seabed. For some species or species groups, Table 3 (North) and Table 3 (South) provide cumulative and/or trip limits that are specific to different types of trawl gear: large footrope, small footrope (including selective flatfish), selective flatfish, midwater, and multiple types. If Table 3 (North) and Table 3 (South) provide gear specific limits for a particular species or species group, it is unlawful to take and retain, possess or land that species or species group with limited entry trawl gears other than those listed.

(1) Large footrope trawl gear. It is unlawful for any vessel using large footrope gear to fish for groundfish shoreward of the RCAs defined at paragraph (d) of this section and at §§ 660.390 through 660.394. The use of large footrope gear is permitted seaward of the RCAs coastwide.

(2) Small footrope trawl gear. North of 40°10′ N. lat., it is unlawful for any vessel using small footrope gear (except selective flatfish gear) to fish for groundfish or have small footrope trawl gear (except selective flatfish gear) onboard while fishing shoreward of the RCA defined at paragraph (d) of this section and at §§ 660.390 through 660.394. South of 40°10′ N. lat., small footrope gear is required shoreward of the RCA. Small footrope gear is permitted seaward of the RCA coastwide.

(i) North of 40°10′ N. lat., selective flatfish gear is required shoreward of the RCA defined at paragraph (d) of this section and at §§ 660.390 through 660.394. South of 40°10′ N. lat., selective flatfish gear is permitted, but not required, shoreward of the RCA. The use of selective flatfish trawl gear is permitted seaward of the RCA coastwide.

(ii) [Reserved]

(3) Midwater trawl gear. North of 40°10′ N. lat., midwater trawl gear is permitted only for vessels participating in the primary Pacific whiting fishery (for details on the Pacific whiting fishery see § 660.373). South of 40°10′ N. lat., the use of midwater trawl gear is prohibited shoreward of the RCA and permitted seaward of the RCA.

(4) More than one type of trawl gear on board. The cumulative trip limits in Table 3 (North) or Table 3 (South) of this subpart must not be exceeded.

(i) The following restrictions apply to vessels operating north of 40°10′ N. lat.:

(A) A vessel may not have both groundfish trawl gear and non-groundfish trawl gear onboard simultaneously. A vessel may not have both bottom trawl gear and midwater trawl gear onboard simultaneously. A vessel may have more than one type of limited entry bottom trawl gear on board, either simultaneously or successively, during a cumulative limit period.

(B) If a vessel fishes exclusively with large or small footrope trawl gear during an entire cumulative limit period, the vessel is subject to the small or large footrope trawl gear cumulative limits and that vessel must fish seaward of the RCA during that limit period.

(C) If a vessel fishes exclusively with selective flatfish trawl gear during an entire cumulative limit period, then the vessel is subject to the selective flatfish trawl gear cumulative limits during that limit period, regardless of whether the vessel is fishing shoreward or seaward of the RCA.

(D) If more than one type of bottom trawl gear (selective flatfish, large footrope, or small footrope) is on board, either simultaneously or successively, at any time during a cumulative limit period, then the most restrictive cumulative limit associated with the bottom trawl gear on board during that cumulative limit period applies for the entire cumulative limit period, regardless of whether the vessel is fishing shoreward or seaward of the RCA.

(E) If a vessel fishes both north and south of 40°10′ N. lat. with any type of small footrope gear onboard the vessel at any time during the cumulative limit period, the most restrictive trip limit associated with the gear on board applies for that trip and will count toward the cumulative trip limit for that gear (See crossover provisions at § 660.370(h)(8).)

(F) Midwater trawl gear is allowed only for vessels participating in the primary whiting season.

(ii) The following restrictions apply to vessels operating south of 40°10′ N. lat.:

(A) A vessel may not have both groundfish trawl gear and non-groundfish trawl gear onboard simultaneously. A vessel may not have both bottom trawl gear and midwater trawl gear onboard simultaneously. A vessel may not have small footrope trawl gear and any other type of bottom trawl gear onboard simultaneously.

(B) For vessels using more than one type of trawl gear during a cumulative limit period, limits are additive up to the largest limit for the type of gear used during that period. (Example: If a vessel harvests 300 lb (136 kg) of chilipepper rockfish with small footrope gear, it may harvest up to 11,700 lb (5,209 kg) of chilipepper rockfish with large footrope gear during July and August 2007, because the largest cumulative limit for chilipepper rockfish during that period is 12,000 lb (5,443 kg)for large footrope gear.)

(C) If a vessel fishes both north and south of 40°10' N. lat. with any type of small footrope gear onboard the vessel at any time during the cumulative limit period, the most restrictive trip limit associated with the gear on board applies for that trip and will count toward the cumulative trip limit for that gear (See crossover provisions at § 660.370(h)(8).)

(d) Groundfish Conservation Areas (GCAs) applicable to trawl vessels. A GCA, a type of closed area, is a geographic area defined by coordinates expressed in degrees of latitude and longitude. The latitude and longitude coordinates of the GCA boundaries are specified at §§ 660.390 through 660.394. A vessel that is fishing within a GCA listed in this paragraph (d) with trawl gear authorized for use within a GCA may not have any other type of trawl gear on board the vessel. The following GCAs apply to vessels participating in the limited entry trawl fishery. Additional closed areas that specifically apply to the Pacific whiting fisheries are described at § 660.373(c).

(1) Cowcod Conservation Areas (CCAs). Vessels using limited entry trawl gear are prohibited from fishing within the CCAs. See § 660.390 for the coordinates that define the CCAs. Limited entry trawl vessels may transit through the Western CCA with their gear stowed and groundfish on board only in a corridor through the Western CCA bounded on the north by the latitude line at 33°00.50′ N. lat., and bounded on the south by the latitude line at 32°59.50′ N. lat. It is unlawful to take and retain, possess, or land groundfish within the CCAs, except as authorized in this paragraph, when those waters are open to fishing.

(2) Farallon Islands. Under California law, commercial fishing for all groundfish is prohibited between the shoreline and the 10 fm (18 m) depth contour around the Farallon Islands. (See § 660.390)

(3) Cordell Banks. Commercial fishing for groundfish is prohibited in waters of depths less than 100-fm (183-m) around Cordell Banks as defined by specific latitude and longitude coordinates at § 660.390.

(4) Trawl rockfish conservation areas. The trawl RCAs are closed areas, defined by specific latitude and longitude coordinates which are specified at §§ 660.390 through 660.394. Boundaries for the trawl RCAs applicable to groundfish trawl vessels throughout the year are provided in the header to Table 3 (North) and Table 3 (South) of this subpart and may be modified by NMFS inseason pursuant to § 660.370(c).

(i) It is unlawful to operate a vessel with trawl gear onboard within the trawl RCA, except for the purpose of continuous transiting, or when the use of trawl gear is authorized in this section. It is lawful to fish with groundfish trawl gear within the trawl RCA only under the following conditions: vessels fishing with mid-water trawl gear on Pacific whiting trips during the primary whiting season, provided a valid declaration report has been filed with NMFS OLE, as required at § 660.303(d); and vessels fishing with demersal seine gear between 38° N. lat. and 36° N. lat. shoreward of a boundary line approximating the 100 fm (183 m) depth contour as defined at § 660.393, provided a valid declaration report has been filed.

(ii) Trawl vessels may transit through an applicable GCA, with or without groundfish on board, provided all groundfish trawl gear is stowed either: below deck; or if the gear cannot readily be moved, in a secured and covered manner, detached from all towing lines, so that it is rendered unusable for fishing; or remaining on deck uncovered if the trawl doors are hung from their stanchions and the net is disconnected from the doors. These restrictions do not apply to vessels fishing with midwater trawl gear for whiting during a primary season.

(iii) It is unlawful to take and retain, possess, or land groundfish taken with limited entry trawl gear within the trawl RCA, unless otherwise authorized in this section.

(iv) If a vessel fishes in the trawl RCA, it may not participate in any fishing on that trip that is prohibited within the trawl RCA. [For example, if a vessel participates in the pink shrimp fishery within the RCA, the vessel cannot on the same trip participate in the DTS fishery seaward of the RCA.] Nothing in these Federal regulations supercedes any state regulations that may prohibit trawling shoreward of the fishery management area (3-200 nm).

(5) Essential Fish Habitat Conservation Areas. An EFHCA, a type of closed area, is a geographic area defined by coordinates expressed in degrees of latitude and longitude at §§ 660.395 through 660.399, where specified types of fishing are prohibited in accordance with § 660.306. EFHCAs apply to vessels using bottom trawl gear or to vessels using “bottom contact gear,” which is defined at § 660.302 to include bottom trawl gear, among other gear types.

(i) The following EFHCAs apply to vessels operating within the West Coast EEZ with bottom trawl gear:

(A) Seaward of a boundary line approximating the 700-fm (1280-m) depth contour. Fishing with bottom trawl gear is prohibited in waters of depths greater than 700 fm (1280 m) within the EFH, as defined by specific latitude and longitude coordinates at § 660.395 and § 660.396.

(B) Shoreward of a boundary line approximating the 100-fm (183 m) depth contour.Fishing with bottom trawl gear with a footrope diameter greater than 8 inches (20 cm) is prohibited in waters shoreward of a boundary line approximating the 100-fm (183-m) depth contour, as defined by specific latitude and longitude coordinates at § 660.393.

(C) EFHCAs for all bottom trawl gear. Fishing with bottom trawl gear is prohibited within the following EFHCAs, which are defined by specific latitude and longitude coordinates at § 660.397 - .398: Olympic 2, Biogenic 1, Biogenic 2, Grays Canyon, Biogenic 3, Astoria Canyon, Nehalem Bank/Shale Pile, Siletz Deepwater, Daisy Bank/Nelson Island, Newport Rockpile/Stonewall Bank, Heceta Bank, Deepwater off Coos Bay, Bandon High Spot, Rogue Canyon.

(D) EFHCAs for all bottom trawl gear, except demersal seine gear. Fishing with bottom trawl gear except demersal seine gear (defined at § 660.302) is prohibited within the following EFHCAs, which are defined by specific latitude and longitude coordinates at § 660.399: Eel River Canyon, Blunts Reef, Mendocino Ridge, Delgada Canyon, Tolo Bank, Point Arena North, Point Arena South Biogenic Area, Cordell Bank/Biogenic Area, Farallon Islands/Fanny Shoal, Half Moon Bay, Monterey Bay/Canyon, Point Sur Deep, Big Sur Coast/Port San Luis, East San Lucia Bank, Point Conception, Hidden Reef/Kidney Bank (within Cowcod Conservation Area West), Catalina Island, Potato Bank (within Cowcod Conservation Area West), Cherry Bank (within Cowcod Conservation Area West), and Cowcod EFH Conservation Area East.

(ii) EFHCAs for bottom contact gear, which includes bottom trawl gear. Fishing with bottom contact gear, including bottom trawl gear is prohibited within the following EFHCAs, which are defined by specific latitude and longitude coordinates at §§ 660.398 through 660.399: Thompson Seamount, President Jackson Seamount, Cordell Bank (50 fm (91 m) isobath), Harris Point, Richardson Rock, Scorpion, Painted Cave, Anacapa Island, Carrington Point, Judith Rock, Skunk Point, Footprint, Gull Island, South Point, and Santa Barbara. Fishing with bottom contact gear is also prohibited within the Davidson Seamount EFH Area, which is defined with specific latitude and longitude coordinates at § 660.395.