CFR > Title 50 - Wildlife and Fisheries > CHAPTER VI—FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE > PART 648—FISHERIES OF THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES > SUBPART B—Management Measures for the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries (§648.20 to §648.26) > 648.23—Gear restrictions.

648.23—Gear restrictions.

(a) Mesh restrictions and exemptions. (1) Vessels subject to the mesh restrictions outlined in this paragraph (a) may not have available for immediate use any net, or any piece of net, with a mesh size smaller than that required.
(2) Owners or operators of otter trawl vessels possessing 1,000 lb (0.45 mt) or more of butterfish harvested in or from the EEZ may only fish with nets having a minimum codend mesh of 3 inches (76 mm) diamond mesh, inside stretch measure, applied throughout the codend for at least 100 continuous meshes forward of the terminus of the net, or for codends with less than 100 meshes, the minimum mesh size codend shall be a minimum of one-third of the net, measured from the terminus of the codend to the headrope.
(3) Owners or operators of otter trawl vessels possessing Loligo harvested in or from the EEZ may only fish with nets having a minimum mesh size of 2 1/8 inches (54 mm), during Trimesters I (Jan-Apr) and III (Sept-Dec), or 1 7/8 inches (48 mm), during Trimester II (May-Aug), diamond mesh, inside stretch measure, applied throughout the codend for at least 150 continuous meshes forward of the terminus of the net, or for codends with less than 150 meshes, the minimum mesh size codend shall be a minimum of one-third of the net measured from the terminus of the codend to the headrope, unless they are fishing consistent with exceptions specified in paragraph (b) of this section.
(i) Net obstruction or constriction. Owners or operators of otter trawl vessels fishing for and/or possessing Loligo shall not use any device, gear, or material, including, but not limited to, nets, net strengtheners, ropes, lines, or chafing gear, on the top of the regulated portion of a trawl net that results in an effective mesh opening of less than 2 1/8 inches (54 mm), during Trimesters I (Jan-Apr) and III (Sept-Dec), or 1 7/8 inches (48 mm), during Trimester II (May-Aug), diamond mesh, inside stretch measure. “Top of the regulated portion of the net” means the 50 percent of the entire regulated portion of the net that would not be in contact with the ocean bottom if, during a tow, the regulated portion of the net were laid flat on the ocean floor. However, owners or operators of otter trawl vessels fishing for and/or possessing Loligo may use net strengtheners (covers), splitting straps, and/or bull ropes or wire around the entire circumference of the codend, provided they do not have a mesh opening of less than 5 inches (12.7 cm) diamond mesh, inside stretch measure. For the purposes of this requirement, head ropes are not to be considered part of the top of the regulated portion of a trawl net.
(ii) Illex fishery. Owners or operators of otter trawl vessels possessing Loligo harvested in or from the EEZ and fishing during the months of June, July, August, and September for Illex seaward of the following coordinates (copies of a map depicting this area are available from the Regional Administrator upon request) are exempt from the Loligo gear requirements specified at paragraph (a)(3) of this section, provided they do not have available for immediate use, as defined in paragraph (b) of this section, any net, or any piece of net, with a mesh size less than 1 7/8 inches (48 mm) diamond mesh or any net, or any piece of net, with mesh that is rigged in a manner that is prohibited by paragraph (a)(3) of this section, when the vessel is landward of the specified coordinates.
Point N. Lat. W. Long.
M1 43°58.0′ 67°22.0′
M2 43°50.0′ 68°35.0′
M3 43°30.0′ 69°40.0′
M4 43°20.0′ 70°00.0′
Code of Federal Regulations 507
M5 42°45.0′ 70°10.0′
M6 42°13.0′ 69°55.0′
M7 41°00.0′ 69°00.0′
M8 41°45.0′ 68°15.0′
M9 42°10.0′ 67°10.0′
M10 41°18.6′ 66°24.8′
M11 40°55.5′ 66°38.0′
M12 40°45.5′ 68°00.0′
M13 40°37.0′ 68°00.0′
M14 40°30.0′ 69°00.0′
M15 40°22.7′ 69°00.0′
M16 40°18.7′ 69°40.0′
M17 40°21.0′ 71°03.0′
M18 39°41.0′ 72°32.0′
M19 38°47.0′ 73°11.0′
M20 38°04.0′ 74°06.0′
M21 37°08.0′ 74°46.0′
M22 36°00.0′ 74°52.0′
M23 35°45.0′ 74°53.0′
M24 35°28.0′ 74°52.0′
(4) Mackerel, squid, and butterfish bottom trawling restricted areas. (i) Oceanographer Canyon. No permitted mackerel, squid, or butterfish vessel may fish with bottom trawl gear in the Oceanographer Canyon or be in the Oceanographer Canyon unless transiting. Vessels may transit this area provided the bottom trawl gear is stowed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section. Oceanographer Canyon is defined by straight lines connecting the following points in the order stated (copies of a chart depicting this area are available from the Regional Administrator upon request):
Oceanographer Canyon
Point N. Lat. W. Long.
OC1 40°10.0′ 68°12.0′
OC2 40°24.0′ 68°09.0′
OC3 40°24.0′ 68°08.0′
OC4 40°10.0′ 67°59.0′
OC1 40°10.0′ 68°12.0′
(ii) Lydonia Canyon. No permitted mackerel, squid, or butterfish vessel may fish with bottom trawl gear in the Lydonia Canyon or be in the Lydonia Canyon unless transiting. Vessels may transit this area provided the bottom trawl gear is stowed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this section. Lydonia Canyon is defined by straight lines connecting the following points in the order stated (copies of a chart depicting this area are available from the Regional Administrator upon request):
Lydonia Canyon
Point N. Lat. W. Long.
LC1 40°16.0′ 67°34.0′
LC2 40°16.0′ 67°42.0′
LC3 40°20.0′ 67°43.0′
LC4 40°27.0′ 67°40.0′
LC5 40°27.0′ 67°38.0′
LC1 40°16.0′ 67°34.0′
(b) Definition of “not available for immediate use.” Gear that is shown not to have been in recent use and that is stowed in conformance with one of the following methods is considered to be not available for immediate use:
(1) Nets. (i) Below deck stowage. It is stored below the main working deck from which it is deployed and retrieved;
(B) The towing wires, including the leg wires, are detached from the net; and
(C) It is fan-folded (flaked) and bound around its circumference.
(ii) On-deck stowage. (A) It is fan-folded (flaked) and bound around its circumference;
(B) It is securely fastened to the deck or rail of the vessel; and
(C) The towing wires, including the leg wires, are detached from the net.
(iii) On-reel stowage. (A) The net is on a reel, its entire surface is covered with canvas or other similar opaque material, and the canvas or other material is securely bound;
(B) The towing wires are detached from the net; and
(C) The codend is removed and stored below deck.
(iv) On-reel stowage for vessels transiting the Gulf of Maine Rolling Closure Areas, the Georges Bank Seasonal Area Closure, and the Conditional Gulf of Maine Rolling Closure Area. (A) The net is on a reel, its entire surface is covered with canvas or other similar opaque material, and the canvas or other material is securely bound;
(B) The towing wires are detached from the doors; and
(C) No containment rope, codend tripping device, or other mechanism to close off the codend is attached to the codend.
(2) Scallop dredges. (i) The towing wire is detached from the scallop dredge, the towing wire is completely reeled up onto the winch, the dredge is secured and the dredge or the winch is covered so that it is rendered unuseable for fishing; or
(ii) The towing wire is detached from the dredge and attached to a bright-colored poly ball no less than 24 inches (60.9 cm) in diameter, with the towing wire left in its normal operating position (through the various blocks) and either is wound back to the first block (in the gallows) or is suspended at the end of the lifting block where its retrieval does not present a hazard to the crew and where it is readily visible from above.
(3) Hook gear (other than pelagic). All anchors and buoys are secured and all hook gear, including jigging machines, is covered.
(4) Sink gillnet gear. All nets are covered with canvas or other similar material and lashed or otherwise securely fastened to the deck or rail, and all buoys larger than 6 inches (15.24 cm) in diameter, high flyers, and anchors are disconnected.
(5) Other methods of stowage. Any other method of stowage authorized in writing by the Regional Administrator and subsequently published in the Federal Register.
(c) Mesh obstruction or constriction. The owner or operator of a fishing vessel shall not use any mesh construction, mesh configuration or other means that effectively decreases the mesh size below the minimum mesh size, except that a liner may be used to close the opening created by the rings in the aftermost portion of the net, provided the liner extends no more than 10 meshes forward of the aftermost portion of the net. The inside webbing of the codend shall be the same circumference or less than the outside webbing (strengthener). In addition, the inside webbing shall not be more than 2 ft (61 cm) longer than the outside webbing.
[61 FR 34968, July 3, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 14648, Mar. 27, 1997; 63 FR 1774, Jan. 12, 1998; 64 FR 24073, May 5, 1999; 65 FR 16345, Mar. 28, 2000; 65 FR 37911, June 19, 2000; 68 FR 9586, Feb. 28, 2003; 69 FR 22951, Apr. 27, 2004; 71 FR 63270, Oct. 30, 2006; 73 FR 18449, Apr. 4, 2008; 73 FR 37388, July 1, 2008; 75 FR 5540, Feb. 3, 2010; 75 FR 11450, Mar. 11, 2010; 75 FR 28762, May 24, 2010]