Source: http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/50/648.51
Timestamp: 2015-01-29 09:56:09
Document Index: 130334224

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 223', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648', '§ 648']

50 CFR 648.51 - Gear and crew restrictions. | LII / Legal Information Institute
CFR › Title 50 › Chapter VI › Part 648 › Subpart D › Section 648.51 50 CFR 648.51 - Gear and crew restrictions.
§ 648.51
Trawl vessel gear restrictions.
Trawl vessels issued a limited access scallop permit under § 648.4(a)(2) while fishing under or subject to the DAS allocation program for scallops and authorized to fish with or possess on board trawl nets pursuant to § 648.51(f), any trawl vessels in possession of more than 40 lb (18.14 kg) of shucked, or 5 bu (176.2 L) of in-shell scallops in or from the EEZ, and any trawl vessels fishing for scallops in the EEZ, must comply with the following:
Maximum sweep.
The trawl sweep of nets shall not exceed 144 ft (43.9 m), as measured by the total length of the footrope that is directly attached to the webbing, unless the net is stowed and not available for immediate use, as specified in § 648.23, or unless the vessel is fishing under the Northeast multispecies or monkfish DAS programs.
Net requirements—
Minimum mesh size.
Subject to applicable minimum mesh size restrictions for other fisheries as specified under this part, the mesh size for any scallop trawl net in all areas shall not be smaller than 5.5 inches (13.97 cm).
Measurement of mesh size.
Mesh size is measured by using a wedge-shaped gauge having a taper of 2 cm (0.79 inches) in 8 cm (3.15 inches) and a thickness of 2.3 mm (0.09 inches), inserted into the meshes under a pressure or pull of 5 kg (11.02 lb) for mesh size less than 120 mm (4.72 inches) and under a pressure or pull of 8 kg (17.64 lb) for mesh size at, or greater than, 120 mm (4.72 inches). The mesh size is the average of the measurements of any series of 20 consecutive meshes for nets having 75 or more meshes, and 10 consecutive meshes for nets having fewer than 75 meshes. The mesh in the regulated portion of the net is measured at least five meshes away from the lacings running parallel to the long axis of the net.
Chafing gear and other gear obstructions—
Net obstruction or constriction.
A fishing vessel may not use any device or material, including, but not limited to, nets, net strengtheners, ropes, lines, or chafing gear, on the top of a trawl net, except that one splitting strap and one bull rope (if present), consisting of line and rope no more than 3 inches (7.62 cm) in diameter, may be used if such splitting strap and/or bull rope does not constrict in any manner the top of the trawl net. “The top of the trawl net” means the 50 percent of the net that (in a hypothetical situation) would not be in contact with the ocean bottom during a tow if the net were laid flat on the ocean floor. For the purpose of this paragraph (a)(3), head ropes shall not be considered part of the top of the trawl net.
Mesh obstruction or constriction.
A fishing vessel may not use any mesh configuration, mesh construction, or other means on or in the top of the net, as defined in paragraph (a)(3)(i) of this section, if it obstructs the meshes of the net in any manner.
A fishing vessel may not use or possess a net capable of catching scallops in which the bars entering or exiting the knots twist around each other.
Dredge vessel gear restrictions.
All vessels issued limited access and General Category scallop permits and fishing with scallop dredges, with the exception of hydraulic clam dredges and mahogany quahog dredges in possession of 400 lb (181.44 kg), or less, of scallops, must comply with the following restrictions, unless otherwise specified:
Maximum dredge width.
The combined dredge width in use by or in possession on board such vessels shall not exceed 31 ft (9.4 m) measured at the widest point in the bail of the dredge, except as provided under paragraph (e) of this section and in § 648.60(g)(2). However, component parts may be on board the vessel such that they do not conform with the definition of “dredge or dredge gear” in § 648.2, i.e., the metal ring bag and the mouth frame, or bail, of the dredge are not attached, and such that no more than one complete spare dredge could be made from these component's parts.
The mesh size of a net, net material, or any other material on the top of a scallop dredge (twine top) possessed or used by vessels fishing with scallop dredge gear shall not be smaller than 10-inch (25.4-cm) square or diamond mesh.
Minimum ring size.
Unless otherwise required under the Sea Scallop Area Access program specified in § 648.60(a)(6), the ring size used in a scallop dredge possessed or used by scallop vessels shall not be smaller than 4 inches (10.2 cm).
Ring size is determined by measuring the shortest straight line passing through the center of the ring from one inside edge to the opposite inside edge of the ring. The measurement shall not include normal welds from ring manufacturing or links. The rings to be measured will be at least five rings away from the mouth, and at least two rings away from other rigid portions of the dredge.
Chafing gear restrictions.
No more than double links between rings shall be used in or on all parts of the dredge bag, except the dredge bottom. No more than triple linking shall be used in or on the dredge bottom portion and the diamonds. Damaged links that are connected to only one ring, i.e., “hangers,” are allowed, unless they occur between two links that both couple the same two rings. Dredge rings may not be attached via links to more than four adjacent rings. Thus, dredge rings must be rigged in a configuration such that, when a series of adjacent rings are held horizontally, the neighboring rings form a pattern of horizontal rows and vertical columns. A copy of a diagram showing a schematic of a legal dredge ring pattern is available from the Regional Administrator upon request.
Dredge or net obstructions.
No material, device, net, dredge, ring, or link configuration or design shall be used if it results in obstructing the release of scallops that would have passed through a legal sized and configured net and dredge, as described in this part, that did not have in use any such material, device, net, dredge, ring link configuration or design.
Twine top restrictions.
In addition to the minimum twine top mesh size specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, vessels issued limited access scallop permits that are fishing for scallops under the DAS Program are also subject to the following restrictions:
If a vessel is rigged with more than one dredge, or if a vessel is rigged with only one dredge and such dredge is greater than 8 ft (2.4 m) in width, there must be at least seven rows of non-overlapping steel rings unobstructed by netting or any other material between the terminus of the dredge (club stick) and the net material on the top of the dredge (twine top).
If a vessel is rigged with only one dredge, and such dredge is less than 8 ft (2.4 m) in width, there must be at least four rows of non-overlapping steel rings unobstructed by netting or any other material between the club stick and the twine top of the dredge. (A copy of a diagram showing a schematic of a legal dredge with twine top is available from the Regional Administrator upon request).
Measurement of twine top mesh size.
Twine top mesh size is measured by using a wedge-shaped gauge having a taper of 2 cm (0.79 inches) in 8 cm (3.15 inches) and a thickness of 2.3 mm (0.09 inches), inserted into the meshes under a pressure or pull of 8 kg (17.64 lb). The mesh size is the average of the measurements of any series of 20 consecutive meshes for twine tops having 75 or more meshes, and 10 consecutive meshes for twine tops having fewer than 75 meshes. The mesh in the twine top must be measured at least five meshes away from where the twine top mesh meets the rings, running parallel to the long axis of the twine top.
Requirement to use chain mats.
See § 223.206(d)(11) of this chapter for chain mat requirements for scallop dredges.
Requirement to use a turtle deflector dredge (TDD) frame—
Beginning May 1, 2013, and from May 1 through October 31 every year, any limited access scallop vessel using a dredge, regardless of dredge size or vessel permit category, or any LAGC IFQ scallop vessel fishing with a dredge with a width of 10.5 ft (3.2 m) or greater, that is fishing for scallops in waters west of 71° W long., from the shoreline to the outer boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone, must use a TDD. The TDD requires five modifications to the rigid dredge frame, as specified in paragraphs (b)(5)(ii)(A)(1) through (b)(5)(ii)(A)(5) of this section. See paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(E) of this section for more specific descriptions of the dredge elements mentioned below.
(2) The angle between the front edge of the cutting bar and the top of the dredge frame must be less than or equal to 45 degrees.
(3) All bale bars must be removed, except the outer bale (single or double) bars and the center support beam, leaving an otherwise unobstructed space between the cutting bar and forward bale wheels, if present. The center support beam must be less than 6 in (15.24 cm) wide. For the purpose of flaring and safe handling of the dredge, a minor appendage not to exceed 12 in (30.5 cm) in length may be attached to the outer bale bar;
(4) Struts must be spaced 12 in (30.5 cm) apart or less from each other.
(5) Unless exempted, as specified in paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(B) of this section, the TDD must include a straight extension (“bump out”) connecting the outer bale bars to the dredge frame. This “bump out” must exceed 12 in (30.5 cm) in length.
A limited access scallop vessel that uses a dredge with a width less than 10.5 ft (3.2 m) is required to use a TDD except that such a vessel is exempt from the “bump out” requirement specified in paragraph (b)(5)(ii)(A)(5) of this section. This exemption does not apply to LAGC vessels that use dredges with a width of less than 10.5 ft (3.2 m) because such vessels are exempted from the requirement to use a TDD, as specified in paragraph (b)(5)(ii) of this section.
Vessels subject to the requirements in paragraph (b)(5)(ii) of this section transiting waters west of 71° W long., from the shoreline to the outer boundary of the Exclusive Economic Zone, are exempted from the requirement to only possess and use TDDs, provided the dredge gear is stowed in accordance with § 648.23(b) and not available for immediate use.
TDD-related definitions.
(1) The cutting bar refers to the lowermost horizontal bar connecting the outer bails at the dredge frame.
(3) The top of the dredge frame refers to the posterior point of the depressor plate.
(4) The struts are the metal bars connecting the cutting bar and the depressor plate.
Crew restrictions.
Limited access vessels participating in or subject to the scallop DAS allocation program may have no more than seven people aboard, including the operator, when not docked or moored in port, except as follows:
There is no restriction on the number of people on board for vessels participating in the Sea Scallop Area Access Program as specified in § 648.60;
Vessels participating in the small dredge program are restricted as specified in paragraph (e) of this section;
The Regional Administrator may authorize additional people to be on board through issuance of a letter of authorization.
A certified at-sea observer is on board, as required by § 648.11(g).
Sorting and shucking machines.
Shucking machines are prohibited on all limited access vessels fishing under the scallop DAS program, or any vessel in possession of more than 600 lb (272.2 kg) of scallops, unless the vessel has not been issued a limited access scallop permit and fishes exclusively in state waters.
Sorting machines are prohibited on limited access vessels fishing under the scallop DAS program.
Small dredge program restrictions.
Any vessel owner whose vessel is assigned to either the part-time or Occasional category may request, in the application for the vessel's annual permit, to be placed in one category higher. Vessel owners making such request may be placed in the appropriate higher category for the entire year, if they agree to comply with the following restrictions, in addition to, and notwithstanding other restrictions of this part, when fishing under the DAS program described in § 648.53:
The vessel must fish exclusively with one dredge no more than 10.5 ft (3.2 m) in width.
The vessel may not use or have more than one dredge on board.
The vessel may have no more than five people, including the operator, on board, except as follows:
Restrictions on the use of trawl nets.
A vessel issued a limited access scallop permit fishing for scallops under the scallop DAS allocation program may not fish with, possess on board, or land scallops while in possession of a trawl net, unless such vessel has been issued a limited access trawl vessel permit that endorses the vessel to fish for scallops with a trawl net. A limited access scallop vessel issued a trawl vessel permit that endorses the vessel to fish for scallops with a trawl net and general category scallop vessels enrolled in the Area Access Program as specified in § 648.60, may not fish with a trawl net in the Access Areas specified in § 648.59(b) through (d).
A vessel that is replacing a vessel authorized to use trawl nets to fish for scallops under scallop DAS may also be authorized to use trawl nets to fish for scallops under scallop DAS if it meets the following criteria:
Has not fished for scallops with a scallop dredge after December 31, 1987; or
Has fished for scallops with a scallop dredge on no more than 10 trips from January 1, 1988, through December 31, 1994, has an engine horsepower no greater than 450.
[69 FR 35215, June 23, 2004, as amended at 69 FR 63473, Nov. 2, 2004; 71 FR 33226, June 8, 2006; 72 FR 8288, Feb. 26, 2007; 72 FR 32558, June 13, 2007; 73 FR 20122, Apr. 14, 2008; 74 FR 20554, May 4, 2009; 76 FR 43762, July 21, 2011; 77 FR 20738, Apr. 6, 2012]