§ 622.437 - Prohibited gear and methods.

§ 622.437 Bag limits.

(a) Applicability. Section 622.11(a) provides the general applicability for bag and possession limits. However, § 622.11(a)(1) notwithstanding, the bag limits of paragraph (b) of this section do not apply to a person who has a valid commercial fishing license issued by Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

(b) Bag limits.

(1) Groupers, snappers, and parrotfishes combined - 5 per person per day or, if 3 or more persons are aboard, 15 per vessel per day; but not to exceed 2 parrotfish per person per day or 6 parrotfish per vessel per day.

(2) Other reef fish species combined - 5 per person per day or, if 3 or more persons are aboard, 15 per vessel per day, but not to exceed 1 surgeonfish per person per day or 4 surgeonfish per vessel per day.

Prohibited gear and methods.

Also see § 622.9 for additional prohibited gear and methods that apply more broadly to multiple fisheries or in some cases all fisheries.

(a) Reef fish -

(1) Poisons. A poison, drug, or other chemical may not be used to fish for reef fish in the EEZ around Puerto Rico.

(2) Powerheads. A powerhead may not be used in the EEZ around Puerto Rico to harvest reef fish. The possession of a mutilated reef fish in or from the EEZ around Puerto Rico and a powerhead constitutes a rebuttable presumption of a violation of this paragraph (a)(2).

(3) Gillnets and trammel nets. A gillnet or trammel net may not be used in the EEZ around Puerto Rico to fish for reef fish. The possession of a reef fish in or from the EEZ around Puerto Rico and a gillnet or trammel net constitutes a rebuttable presumption of a violation of this paragraph (a)(3). A gillnet or trammel net used in the EEZ around Puerto Rico to fish for any other species must be tended at all times.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) Spiny lobster -

(1) Spears and hooks. A spear, hook, or similar device may not be used in the EEZ around Puerto Rico to harvest a spiny lobster. The possession of a speared, pierced, or punctured spiny lobster in or from the EEZ around Puerto Rico constitutes a rebuttable presumption of a violation of this paragraph (c)(1).

(2) Gillnets and trammel nets. A gillnet or trammel net may not be used in the EEZ around Puerto Rico to fish for spiny lobster. The possession of a spiny lobster in or from the EEZ around Puerto Rico and a gillnet or trammel net constitutes a rebuttable presumption of a violation of this paragraph (c)(2). A gillnet or trammel net used in the EEZ around Puerto Rico to fish for any other species must be tended at all times.