§660.12. General groundfish prohibitions.
50 C.F.R. § 660.12
In addition to the general prohibitions specified in § 600.725 of this chapter, it is unlawful for any person to:
General.
Retain any prohibited or protected species caught by means of fishing gear authorized under this subpart, unless otherwise authorized. Except as otherwise authorized, prohibited and protected species must be returned to the sea as soon as practicable with a minimum of injury when caught and brought on board.
Falsify or fail to affix and maintain vessel and gear markings as required by § 660.20 or § 660.219, subpart E or § 660.319, subpart F.
Fish for groundfish in violation of any terms or conditions attached to an EFP under § 600.745 of this chapter or § 660.30, subpart C of this part.
Fish for groundfish using gear not authorized in subparts C through G of this part or in violation of any terms or conditions attached to an EFP under § 660.30, subpart C of this part or part 600 of this chapter.
Take and retain, possess, or land more groundfish than specified under § 660.50, § 660.55, § 660.60 of subpart C, or subpart D through G of this part, or under an EFP issued under § 660.30, subpart C of this part, or part 600 of this chapter.
Take and retain, possess, or land more than a single cumulative limit of a particular species, per vessel, per applicable cumulative limit period, except for sablefish taken in the primary limited entry non-trawl sablefish season from a vessel authorized to fish in that season, as described at § 660.231, subpart E.
Take and retain, possess, or land groundfish in excess of the landing limit for the open access fishery without having a valid limited entry permit for the vessel affixed with a gear endorsement for the gear used to catch the fish.
Fail to sort, prior to the first weighing after offloading, those groundfish species or species groups for which there is a trip limit, size limit, scientific sorting designation, quota, harvest guideline, ACT, ACL or OY, if the vessel fished or landed in an area during a time when such trip limit, size limit, scientific sorting designation, quota, harvest guideline, ACT, ACL or OY applied; except as specified at § 660.130(d).
When requested or required by an authorized officer, refuse to present fishing gear for inspection, refuse to present fish subject to such persons control for inspection; or interfere with a fishing gear or marine animal or plant life inspection.
Transfer fish to another vessel at sea unless the vessel transferring fish is participating in the MS Co-op or C/P Co-op Programs.
Fail to remove all fish from the vessel at landing (defined in § 660.11) and prior to beginning a new fishing trip, except for processing vessels participating in the MS Co-op or C/P Co-op Programs.
Fish with dredge gear (defined in § 660.11, subpart C) anywhere within EFH within the EEZ. For the purposes of regulation, EFH within the EEZ is described at § 660.75, subpart C.
Fish with beam trawl gear (defined in § 660.11, subpart C) anywhere within EFH within the EEZ. For the purposes of regulation, EFH within the EEZ is described at § 660.75, subpart C.
During times or in areas where at-sea processing is prohibited, take and retain or receive Pacific whiting, except as cargo or fish waste, on a vessel in the fishery management area that already has processed Pacific whiting on board. An exception to this prohibition is provided if the fish are received within the tribal U&A fishing area, described at § 660.4, subpart A, from a member of a Pacific Coast treaty Indian tribe fishing under § 660.50, subpart C.
Fail to comply with the requirements of the Seabird Avoidance Program described in § 660.21 when commercial fishing for groundfish using bottom longline gear.
Fish with bottom contact gear (defined at § 660.11) within the EEZ in the following EFHCAs (defined at §§ 660.78 and 660.79): Thompson Seamount, President Jackson Seamount, Cordell Bank (50-fm (91-m) isobath), Harris Point, Richardson Rock, Scorpion, Painted Cave, Anacapa Island, Carrington Point, Judith Rock, Skunk Point, Footprint, Gull Island, South Point, and Santa Barbara.
Fish with bottom contact gear (defined at § 660.11), or any other gear that is deployed deeper than 500-fm (914-m), within the Davidson Seamount EFHCA (defined at § 660.79).
Fish for, take and retain, possess (except for the purpose of continuous transiting) or land any species of groundfish with groundfish non-trawl bottom contact gear (defined at § 660.11) in the following EFHCAs: Arago Reef West, Bandon High Spot East, Garibaldi Reef North, Garibaldi Reef South, and Nehalem Bank East.
Fish for, or take and retain, any species of groundfish, during salmon bycatch fishery closures described in § 660.60(d)(1)(iv) and (v), or fail to comply with the salmon bycatch management provisions described in § 660.60(i).
Fish for, take and retain, possess (except for the purpose of continuous transiting) or land any species of groundfish in a Block Area Closure enacted under subparts C through F of this part.
Take and retain, possess, or land groundfish in the directed open access fishery without having a valid directed open access permit for the vessel.
Fish for, take and retain, possess (except for the purpose of continuous transit), or land any species of groundfish in the GEAs as defined at § 660.11 with coordinates defined at § 660.70.
Reporting and Recordkeeping.
Falsify or fail to make and/or file, retain or make available any and all reports of groundfish landings, containing all data, and in the exact manner, required by the applicable State law, as specified in § 660.13, subpart C, provided that person is required to do so by the applicable state law.
Fail to retain on board a vessel from which groundfish is landed, and provide to an authorized officer upon request, copies of any and all reports of groundfish landings, or receipts containing all data, and made in the exact manner required by the applicable state law throughout the cumulative limit period during which such landings occurred and for 15 days thereafter.
Falsify or fail to prepare and/or file, retain or make available records of fishing activities as specified in § 660.13(a)(1) or (2).
Limited entry fisheries.
Carry on board a vessel, or deploy, limited entry gear when the limited entry fishery for that gear is closed, except that a vessel may carry on board limited entry groundfish trawl gear as provided in § 660.112(a)(1), subpart D.
[Reserved]
Limited entry permits.
If a limited entry permit is registered for use with a vessel, fail to carry that permit onboard the vessel registered for use with the permit. A photocopy of the permit may not substitute for the original permit itself.
Make a false statement on an application for issuance, renewal, permit registration, vessel registration, replacement of a limited entry permit, or a declaration of ownership interest in a limited entry permit.
Groundfish observer program.
Forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, harass, sexually harass, bribe, or interfere with an observer.
Interfere with or bias the sampling procedure employed by an observer including either mechanically or manually sorting or discarding catch before sampling.
Tamper with, destroy, or discard an observer's collected samples, equipment, records, photographic film, papers, or personal effects without the express consent of the observer.
Harass an observer by conduct that—
Has sexual connotations,
Has the purpose or effect of interfering with the observer's work performance, and/or
Otherwise creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. In determining whether conduct constitutes harassment, the totality of the circumstances, including the nature of the conduct and the context in which it occurred, will be considered. The determination of the legality of a particular action will be made from the facts on a case-by-case basis.
Fish for, land, or process fish without observer coverage when a vessel is required to carry an observer under subparts C through G of this part.
Fish when a vessel is required to carry an observer under subparts C through G of this part if—
The vessel is inadequate for observer deployment as specified at § 600.746 of this chapter;
The vessel does not maintain safe conditions for an observer as specified at §§ 660.140(h), 660.150(j), or 660.160(g); or
NMFS, the observer provider, or the observer determines the vessel is inadequate or unsafe pursuant to vessel responsibilities to maintain safe conditions as specified at §§ 660.140(h), 660.150(j), or 660.160(g).
Require, pressure, coerce, or threaten an observer to perform duties normally performed by crew members, including, but not limited to, cooking, washing dishes, standing watch, vessel maintenance, assisting with the setting or retrieval of gear, or any duties associated with the processing of fish, from sorting the catch to the storage of the finished product.
Fail to meet the vessel responsibilities and observer coverage requirements specified at §§ 660.140(h), 660.150(j), 660.160(g), 660.216, or 660.316,
Fail to meet the observer provider responsibilities specified at §§ 660.140(h), 660.150(j), 660.160(g), 660.216 or 660.316.
Groundfish catch monitor program.
Forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, harass, sexually harass, bribe, or interfere with a catch monitor.
Interfere with or bias the monitoring procedure employed by a catch monitor, including either mechanically or manually sorting or discarding catch before it's monitored.
Tamper with, destroy, or discard a catch monitor's collected samples, equipment, records, photographic film, papers, or personal effects.
Harass a catch monitor by conduct that—
Has sexual connotations,
Has the purpose or effect of interfering with the catch monitor's work performance, and/or
Otherwise creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. In determining whether conduct constitutes harassment, the totality of the circumstances, including the nature of the conduct and the context in which it occurred, will be considered. The determination of the legality of a particular action will be made from the facts on a case-by-case basis.
Receive, purchase, or take custody, control, or possession of a delivery without catch monitor coverage when such coverage is required under § 660.140(i).
Fail to allow the catch monitor unobstructed access to catch sorting, processing, catch counting, catch weighing, or electronic or paper fish tickets.
Fail to provide reasonable assistance to the catch monitor.
Require, pressure, coerce, or threaten a catch monitor to perform duties normally performed by employees of the first receiver, including, but not limited to duties associated with the receiving of landing, processing of fish, sorting of catch, or the storage of the finished product.
Fail to meet the catch monitor provider responsibilities specified at § 660.17(e).
Vessel Monitoring Systems.
Use any vessel required to operate and maintain a VMS unit under § 660.14(b) unless that vessel carries a NMFS OLE type-approved mobile transceiver unit and complies with all the requirements described at § 660.14(c).
Fail to install, activate, repair or replace a mobile transceiver unit prior to leaving port as specified at § 660.14.
Fail to operate and maintain a mobile transceiver unit on board the vessel at all times as specified at § 660.14.
Tamper with, damage, destroy, alter, or in any way distort, render useless, inoperative, ineffective, or inaccurate the VMS, mobile transceiver unit, or VMS signal required to be installed on or transmitted by a vessel as specified at § 660.14.
Fail to contact NMFS OLE or follow NMFS OLE instructions when automatic position reporting has been interrupted as specified at § 660.14.
Register the same VMS transceiver unit to more than one vessel at the same time.
Falsify any VMS activation report or VMS exemption report that is authorized or required, as specified at § 660.14.
Falsify any declaration report that is required, as specified at § 660.13.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[75 FR 60897, Oct. 1, 2010, as amended at 75 FR 78374, Dec. 15, 2010; 76 FR 27529, May 11, 2011; 76 FR 53834, Aug. 30, 2011; 76 FR 74733, Dec. 1, 2011; 78 FR 587, Jan. 3, 2013; 78 FR 68767, Nov. 15, 2013; 80 FR 22279, Apr. 21, 2015; 80 FR 71980, Nov. 18, 2015; 80 FR 77270, Dec. 14, 2015; 81 FR 36807, June 8, 2016; 81 FR 84425, Nov. 23, 2016; 84 FR 32098, July 5, 2019; 84 FR 63973, Nov. 19, 2019; 86 FR 10867, Feb. 23, 2021; 87 FR 59728, Oct. 3, 2022; 88 FR 81358, Nov. 22, 2023; 88 FR 83840, Dec. 1, 2023; 89 FR 101523, Dec. 16, 2024; 90 FR 57719, Dec. 12, 2025; 91 FR 46004, July 22, 2026]
Source
Source: 75 FR 60897, Oct. 1, 2010, unless otherwise noted.
Authority
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq., and 16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq.
Source
Source: 61 FR 34572, July 2, 1996, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[75 FR 60897, Oct. 1, 2010, as amended at 75 FR 78374, Dec. 15, 2010; 76 FR 27529, May 11, 2011; 76 FR 53834, Aug. 30, 2011; 76 FR 74733, Dec. 1, 2011; 78 FR 587, Jan. 3, 2013; 78 FR 68767, Nov. 15, 2013; 80 FR 22279, Apr. 21, 2015; 80 FR 71980, Nov. 18, 2015; 80 FR 77270, Dec. 14, 2015; 81 FR 36807, June 8, 2016; 81 FR 84425, Nov. 23, 2016; 84 FR 32098, July 5, 2019; 84 FR 63973, Nov. 19, 2019; 86 FR 10867, Feb. 23, 2021; 87 FR 59728, Oct. 3, 2022; 88 FR 81358, Nov. 22, 2023; 88 FR 83840, Dec. 1, 2023; 89 FR 101523, Dec. 16, 2024; 90 FR 57719, Dec. 12, 2025; 91 FR 46004, July 22, 2026]