50 CFR 660.715: Deep-set buoy gear fishery.

(a) Gear configurations. Deep-set buoy gear (DSBG) configurations must conform to the following specifications:

(1) Standard buoy gear (SBG). An individual piece of SBG must consist of a vertical monofilament mainline suspended from a buoy-array with a terminal weight. No more than three gangions with hooks may be attached to the mainline. No gangions with hooks may be attached at a depth shallower than 90 meters.

(2) Linked buoy gear (LBG). An individual piece (section) of LBG must consist of a monofilament mainline that extends vertically from a buoy-array (either directly or from a minimum 50-foot (15.24-meter) extender) to a weight; then horizontally to a second weight; then vertically to a minimum 50-foot (15.24-meter) extender attached to a second buoy-array. No more than three gangions with hooks may be connected to each horizontal section of the mainline. No gangions with hooks may be attached at a depth shallower than 90 meters. Individual pieces may be linked together by the mainline. The links between each piece of LBG must be serviceable.

(b) Additional gear configuration specifications. Use of SBG and LBG must conform with the following requirements:

(1) Surface buoy flotation and strike detection array requirements. The surface buoy flotation and strike detection array must include a minimum of three buoys (a minimum 45-pound (20.41 kilogram) buoyancy non-compressible hard ball, a minimum 6-pound (2.72 kilogram) buoyancy buoy, and a strike detection buoy), with no more than 6 feet (1.83 meters) of line between adjacent buoys, all connected in-line by a minimum of 3/8 inch (9.53 millimeter) diameter line.

(i) Buoys must be free of tether attachments (e.g., non-streamlined gear with loops and/or dangling components).

(ii) SBG and terminal LBG buoy-arrays must include a locator flag, a radar reflector, and the buoy must be marked with a number clearly identifying the owner or operator of the vessel. The number may be either:

(A) If required by applicable state law, the vessel's number, the commercial fishing license number, or buoy brand number; or

(B) The vessel documentation number issued by the United States Coast Guard (USCG), or, for an undocumented vessel, the vessel registration number issued by the state.

(2) Weight requirements. Weights must be a minimum of 3.6 kilograms.

(3) Circle hook requirements. Circle hooks must be used that are a minimum size 16/0 with not more than 10 degrees offset.

(4) Gear pieces and hook limitations. No more than 10 pieces of SBG or LBG, in total, may be deployed at one time, with no more than three hooks per piece.

(c) Operational requirements. SBG and LBG must be fished in accordance with the following operational requirements.

(1) Active tending. All pieces of gear must remain within 5 nautical miles (9.26 kilometers) of the vessel at all times, and the vessel may be no more than 3 nautical miles (5.56 kilometers) from the nearest piece of gear.

(2) Fishing multiple gear types. Gear types other than DSBG may be used on the same trip when DSBG is used, as long as the requirement to actively tend DSBG (as described at paragraph (c)(1) of this section) is met. If multiple gear types, including gear other than DSBG, are used on the same trip as DSBG, catch must be tagged or marked to identify the gear used, including differentiating whether caught with SBG or LBG.

(3) Timing of gear deployment and retrieval. Gear may not be deployed until local sunrise and must be onboard the vessel no later than 3 hours after local sunset.

(4) Pre-trip notification. When requested by NMFS, DSBG vessel owners or operators are required to notify NMFS or the NMFS-designated observer provider at least 48 hours prior to departing on each fishing trip during which DSBG will be fished. The vessel owner or operator must communicate to the observer provider: the owner's or operator's name, contact information, vessel name, port of departure, estimated date and time of departure, and a telephone number at which the owner or operator may be contacted during the business day (Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Pacific Time) to indicate whether an observer will be required on the subject fishing trip. Contact information for the current observer provider can be obtained by calling the NMFS West Coast Region Sustainable Fisheries Division at (562) 980-4238.

(5) Protected species workshops. When requested by NMFS, the operator of a vessel either registered to a limited entry DSBG permit or planning to fish under a DSBG endorsement must attend a workshop conducted by NMFS on mitigation, handling, and release techniques for protected species.

(d) Geographic area restrictions. DSBG fishing is permitted throughout the management area defined in § 660.703 with the following area restrictions:

(1) Federal waters offshore of California and Oregon only. Fishing with DSBG may not occur in Federal waters north of a line extending seaward from the Oregon/Washington border at north of 46°16′ N latitude.

(2) Limited entry-only area. Except for vessels registered to a valid DSBG limited entry permit, fishing with DSBG may not occur in Federal waters within the Southern California Bight, which for this purpose is defined with a northern boundary of 34°26′54.96″ N latitude (i.e., Point Conception), a southern boundary of the U.S.-Mexico maritime border, and a western boundary of 120°28′18″ W longitude.

(3) Linked buoy gear area restriction. Fishing with DSBG in a LBG configuration in waters north of the Northern Channel Islands to a line extending seaward from the Oregon/Washington border at 46°16′ N latitude may not occur shoreward of a line approximating the 400 meter depth contour, which is defined by straight lines connecting all of the following points in the order stated in the following table.

Table 1 to Paragraph (d)(3)

Point ID Latitude Longitude

1 46.274388 −124.410349

2 46.075505 −124.813587

3 45.968227 −124.739233

4 45.785378 −124.721611

5 45.731988 −124.755707

6 45.676058 −124.662448

7 45.635778 −124.733532

8 45.627501 −124.621223

9 45.421342 −124.428881

10 45.368012 −124.524815

11 45.219954 −124.426593

12 45.169315 −124.502340

13 45.192831 −124.640233

14 45.073777 −124.601143

15 45.122584 −124.728187

16 45.063305 −124.719824

17 45.012240 −124.512643

18 44.827950 −124.645508

19 44.789368 −124.722827

20 44.703649 −124.815421

21 44.529842 −124.804136

22 44.507522 −124.883072

23 44.415352 −124.858176

24 44.208665 −124.994868

25 43.942293 −124.974502

26 43.795680 −124.685260

27 43.579894 −124.645446

28 43.232513 −124.799284

29 43.226291 −124.883682

30 42.905163 −124.913752

31 42.753934 −124.866742

32 42.748993 −124.751655

33 42.520896 −124.747080

34 42.463017 −124.822607

35 41.824611 −124.517470

36 41.428980 −124.513482

37 41.156773 −124.396132

38 40.801184 −124.492790

39 40.681958 −124.550870

40 40.602740 −124.480125

41 40.622580 −124.645995

42 40.546989 −124.700835

43 40.400783 −124.585363

44 40.370014 −124.431174

45 40.344876 −124.507828

46 40.269847 −124.446270

47 40.279429 −124.657027

48 40.117493 −124.304705

49 40.041456 −124.285170

50 40.042494 −124.155198

51 39.965786 −124.231615

52 39.808303 −124.097017

53 39.540607 −123.943484

54 39.528835 −123.992885

55 38.911050 −123.982148

56 38.491136 −123.647679

57 38.256021 −123.526302

58 38.228410 −123.438852

59 38.073446 −123.533062

60 37.844809 −123.404954

61 37.740079 −123.192427

62 37.623812 −123.050253

63 37.394689 −122.920853

64 37.323790 −122.940568

65 37.189284 −122.863927

66 36.968232 −122.527184

67 37.005852 −122.408848

68 36.945123 −122.425076

69 36.781748 −122.055455

70 36.806676 −121.905280

71 36.680249 −122.025454

72 36.531101 −121.993385

73 36.371824 −122.014963

74 36.315554 −122.101240

75 36.166525 −121.760807

76 36.033982 −121.623149

77 35.584240 −121.366349

78 35.165706 −121.033163

79 34.865218 −120.993335

80 34.929599 −121.074138

81 34.693224 −120.962686

82 34.541665 −120.838291

83 34.315659 −120.541578

84 34.268981 −120.379230