§ 622.381 - Landing fish intact.

§ 622.381 Landing fish intact.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 88 FR 29847, May 9, 2023.

(a) Intact fish requirement. Cobia in or from the Gulf and in the South Atlantic EEZ south of a line extending due east from the Florida/Georgia border, and king mackerel and Spanish mackerel in or from the Gulf, Mid-Atlantic, or South Atlantic EEZ, except as specified for king mackerel and Spanish mackerel in paragraph (b) of this section, must be maintained with head and fins intact. Such fish may be eviscerated, gilled, and scaled, but must otherwise be maintained in a whole condition. The operator of a vessel that fishes in the EEZ is responsible for ensuring that fish on that vessel in the EEZ are maintained intact and, if taken from the EEZ, are maintained intact through offloading ashore, as specified in this section.

(b) Cut-off (damaged) Damaged king or Spanish mackerel.

(1) Commercial. Damaged king or Spanish mackerel in the Gulf, Mid-Atlantic, and South Atlantic EEZ that comply with the minimum size limits in § 622.380(b) and (c), respectively, and the trip limits in § 622.385(a) and (b), respectively, may be possessed in the Gulf, Mid-Atlantic, or South Atlantic EEZ on, and offloaded ashore from, a vessel that is operating under the respective trip limits. Such

cut-off

damaged fish also may be sold. A maximum of five additional

cut-off (

damaged

)

king mackerel, not subject to the size limits or trip limits, may be possessed or offloaded ashore but may not be sold or purchased and are not counted against the trip limit.

[78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 84 FR 4736, Feb. 19, 2019

For the purposes of this paragraph (b)(1), damaged fish, refers to king or Spanish mackerel that are damaged only through natural predation.

(2) Recreational. Damaged king or Spanish mackerel in the Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic EEZ that comply with the minimum size limits § 622.380(b) and (c), respectively, and the recreational bag and possession limits in § 622.382(a), may be possessed in the Mid-Atlantic or South Atlantic EEZ on, and offloaded ashore from, a vessel that is operating under the respective bag and possession limits. For the purposes of this paragraph (b)(2), damaged fish, refers to king or Spanish mackerel that are damaged only through natural predation.

[88 FR 29847, May 9, 2023]