2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 14 - Drugs and Alcohol, Fire Protection, Natural Resources › Chapter 508 - Licenses and Permits › Section 508.945 - Vessel permit required; rules; purchase of black or blue rockfish or nearshore fish from individual without permit prohibited; exemptions.

(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of the commercial fishing laws and except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, a person may not operate a vessel for:
(a) Landing black rockfish or blue rockfish in a fishery without a black rockfish and blue rockfish vessel permit issued under ORS 508.947; or
(b) Landing nearshore fish in a fishery without a black rockfish and blue rockfish vessel permit with a nearshore fish endorsement issued under ORS 508.947.
(2)(a) The State Fish and Wildlife Commission may prescribe by rule the type of fishing gear that a vessel required to have a permit under this section shall use to land black rockfish, blue rockfish or nearshore fish.
(b) The commission may not prescribe a rule under this subsection that allows a vessel to use:
(A) Diving gear.
(B) Pots, unless a vessel was issued a pot endorsement in the Interim Nearshore Fisheries Plan through the Developmental Fisheries Program enacted by the commission.
(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of the commercial fishing laws, a wholesaler, canner or buyer may not buy or receive black rockfish, blue rockfish or nearshore fish taken in a fishery from a vessel for which the permit required by this section has not been issued, unless the black rockfish, blue rockfish or nearshore fish were taken pursuant to subsection (4)(a), (b) or (c) of this section.
(4) A person may operate a vessel without a permit required by this section if the person:
(a) For only one landing per day, lands no more than 15 pounds of black rockfish, blue rockfish, nearshore fish or a combination of black rockfish, blue rockfish or nearshore fish and if the black rockfish, blue rockfish and nearshore fish:
(A) Make up 25 percent or less of the total poundage of the landing; and
(B) Are landed with fishing gear that is legal to use in the fishery in which the black rockfish, blue rockfish or nearshore fish are landed;
(b) Operates a vessel in the ocean troll salmon fishery pursuant to ORS 508.801 to 508.825 and the person lands black rockfish, blue rockfish or a combination of black rockfish and blue rockfish in the same landing in which the person lands a salmon under the permit required by ORS 508.801 to 508.825. The black rockfish or blue rockfish landed under this paragraph must be landed dead. A person who lands black rockfish and blue rockfish under this paragraph may land up to the greater of:
(A) 30 black rockfish or 30 blue rockfish per landing or a combination of 30 black rockfish and blue rockfish per landing; or
(B) 100 pounds of black rockfish, blue rockfish or a combination of black rockfish and blue rockfish per landing;
(c) Operates a vessel in the west coast groundfish trawl fishery pursuant to federal regulations and lands no more than 1,000 pounds of black rockfish, blue rockfish or a combination of black rockfish and blue rockfish per calendar year and if the black rockfish and blue rockfish:
(A) Make up 25 percent or less of the total poundage of each landing; and
(B) Are landed dead; or
(d) Is a nonprofit aquarium or has contracted with a nonprofit aquarium to land black rockfish, blue rockfish or nearshore fish for the purpose of displaying or conducting research on the black rockfish, blue rockfish or nearshore fish.
(5) Notwithstanding the amounts set forth in subsection (4)(b) of this section, the State Fish and Wildlife Commission may change the amounts of black rockfish, blue rockfish or the combination of black rockfish and blue rockfish allowed to be landed under subsection (4)(b) of this section by rule based on an assessment of the resource. [2003 c.809 §2]