§ 216.114 - Hunt management requirements and restrictions.

§ 216.114 Hunt management requirements and restrictions.

(a) Hunting seasons. Summer/fall hunts and hunting approaches will only be authorized from July 1 through October 31, and winter/spring hunts and hunting approaches will only be authorized from December 1 through May 31 of the following calendar year, provided that:

(1) Throughout the duration of the waiver, the authorized hunting dates will alternate between winter/spring hunts and summer/fall hunts, with winter/spring hunts starting in December of the same calendar year as a summer/fall hunt and summer/fall hunts starting in the calendar year following the year in which a winter/spring hunt has ended;

(2) If the start date in the initial hunt permit falls within a winter/spring hunt period, the subsequent summer/fall hunt will commence in the calendar year following the ending date of said winter/spring hunt; and

(3) If the start date in the initial hunt permit of the initial hunt season falls within a summer/fall hunt period, the subsequent winter/spring hunt will commence in December of the same calendar year as said summer/fall hunt.

(b) Training period. Hunt permits may authorize training approaches in any month and training harpoon throws in any month, except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section and provided all necessary authorizations have been obtained. The authorized training period shall be specified in the permit, as provided in § 216.113(b)(5)(iv).

(c) Hunting and training limits. The following limits on the number of ENP gray whales approached, subjected to unsuccessful strike attempts, struck, struck and lost, and landed apply.

(1) A hunt permit may authorize no more than 353 approaches, including both hunting and training approaches, each calendar year of which no more than 142 of such approaches may be on PCFG whales. Any hunting approach on a gray whale that has already been struck will not count against these limits.

(2) A hunt permit may authorize no more than 18 unsuccessful strike attempts during winter/spring hunts and no more than 12 unsuccessful strike attempts during summer/fall hunts. Any unsuccessful strike attempt on a gray whale that has already been struck will not count against these limits. Training harpoon throws may be authorized between July 1 and October 31 in years of summer/fall hunts and at any time during winter/spring hunts as well as the subsequent 7 months of the calendar year in which those winter/spring hunts end. Each training harpoon throw will count against the unsuccessful strike attempt limit during the calendar year in which the harpoon throw is made.

(3) A hunt permit may authorize no more than three ENP gray whales to be struck in a winter/spring hunt and no more than two ENP gray whales to be struck in a summer/fall hunt. Multiple strikes on the same whale will count as a single strike. In a winter/spring hunt, a hunt permit may authorize no more than one ENP gray whale to be struck within the 24-hour period commencing at the time of the initial strike against the whale. The Regional Administrator may authorize the full number of ENP gray whales to be struck in the initial hunt permit and will adjust strikes downward in subsequent permits if necessary to ensure that no more than 16 PCFG whales are struck over the waiver period, of which no more than 8 struck whales may be PCFG females.

(4) A hunt permit may authorize no more than three ENP gray whales to be struck and lost in any calendar year.

(5) A hunt permit may authorize no more than three ENP gray whales to be landed in a winter/spring hunt and no more than one ENP gray whale to be landed in a summer/fall hunt; the number of ENP gray whales that the hunt permit may authorize to be landed in any calendar year will not exceed the number agreed between the United States and the Russian Federation as the United States' share of the catch limit established by the International Whaling Commission.

(d) Limits on PCFG whales.

(1) Thirty days prior to the beginning of a hunting season specified in paragraph (a) of this section, the Regional Administrator will notify the Makah Indian Tribe in writing of the maximum number of PCFG whales, including females, that may be struck during the upcoming hunting season. The limit will take into account the abundance of PCFG whales relative to the conditions specified under § 216.113(b)(6)(v) and (vi) and the number of strikes made on PCFG whales as described under paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(2) By November 1 of each year, the Regional Administrator will notify the Makah Indian Tribe in writing of the proportion of gray whales in the hunt area that will be presumed to be PCFG whales and the proportion of PCFG whales that will be presumed to be females for each month of the upcoming calendar year. The presumed proportion of PCFG whales will be based on the best available evidence for the months of December through May and will be 100 percent for the months of June through November. The presumed proportion of female PCFG whales will be based on the best available information for each month. These proportions will be used for purposes of accounting for PCFG whales that are not otherwise identified or accounted for as provided under § 216.115(b).

(3) The Regional Administrator will notify the Makah Indian Tribe in writing when the Tribe has reached the limit of PCFG whales that may be struck in any hunting season.

(4) Notwithstanding the limits specified in this section, no hunting will be authorized for an upcoming season if the Regional Administrator determines, and notifies the Makah Indian Tribe pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this section, that either of the following conditions applies:

(i) The most recent PCFG population estimate, based on photo-identification surveys, is less than 192 whales or the associated minimum population estimate is less than 171 whales; or

(ii) The PCFG population estimate for the upcoming hunting season is projected to be less than 192 whales or the associated minimum population estimate is projected to be less than 171 whales.

(e) ENP gray whales. If the Regional Administrator determines and notifies the Makah Indian Tribe in writing that the population of the ENP gray whale stock has fallen below OSP, hunting must cease until the Regional Administrator notifies the Tribe in writing that the stock has obtained OSP.

(f) WNP gray whales. The hunt permit will provide that in the event the Regional Administrator determines a WNP gray whale was struck during a hunt, the Regional Administrator will notify the Makah Indian Tribe in writing and require that the Tribe cease hunting for the duration of the permit unless and until the Regional Administrator determines that measures have been taken to ensure no additional WNP gray whales will be struck during the duration of the permit. No further hunt permits will be issued unless and until the Regional Administrator determines that measures have been taken to prevent additional WNP gray whale strikes during the remainder of the waiver period.