View all text of Subpart A [§ 622.1 - § 622.19]
§ 622.10 - Landing fish intact—-general.
This section contains requirements for landing fish intact that are broadly applicable to finfish in the Gulf EEZ and Caribbean EEZ, as specified. See subparts B through U of this part, as applicable, for additional species-specific requirements for landing fish intact.
(a) Finfish in or from the Gulf EEZ or Caribbean EEZ, except as specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, must be maintained with head and fins intact.
(b) Atlantic highly migratory species, such as tunas, billfishes (marlins, spearfishes, and swordfish), and oceanic sharks are not subject to the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section. See 50 CFR part 635 for any requirements applicable to landing Atlantic highly migratory species intact.
(c) In the Gulf EEZ or Caribbean EEZ:
(1) Bait is exempt from the requirement to be maintained with head and fins intact.
(i) For the purpose of this paragraph (c)(1), “bait” means—
(A) Packaged, headless fish fillets that have the skin attached and are frozen or refrigerated;
(B) Headless fish fillets that have the skin attached and are held in brine; or
(C) Small pieces no larger than 3 in 3 (7.6 cm 3) or strips no larger than 3 inches by 9 inches (7.6 cm by 22.9 cm) that have the skin attached and are frozen, refrigerated, or held in brine.
(ii) Paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section notwithstanding, a finfish or part thereof possessed in or landed from the Gulf EEZ or Caribbean EEZ that is subsequently sold or purchased as a finfish species, rather than as bait, is not bait.
(2) Legal-sized finfish possessed for consumption at sea on the harvesting vessel are exempt from the requirement to have head and fins intact, provided—
(i) Such finfish do not exceed any applicable bag limit;
(ii) Such finfish do not exceed 1.5 lb (680 g) of finfish parts per person aboard; and
(iii) The vessel is equipped to cook such finfish on board.
(d) The operator of a vessel that fishes in the EEZ is responsible for ensuring that fish on that vessel in the EEZ are maintained intact and, if taken from the EEZ, are maintained intact through offloading ashore, as specified in this section.