[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 194 (Wednesday, October 7, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 60601-60605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-25487]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 622

[Docket No. 131108946-5860-01]
RIN 0648-BD76


Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; 
Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery Off the Atlantic States and Snapper-Grouper 
Fishery of the South Atlantic Region; Amendments 7/33

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed rule; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: NMFS proposes regulations to implement Amendment 7 to the 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery off the 
Atlantic States (Dolphin and Wahoo FMP) and Amendment 33 to the FMP for 
the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Snapper-
Grouper FMP) (Amendments 7/33), as prepared and submitted by the South 
Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council). If implemented, this 
rule would revise the landing fish intact provisions for vessels that 
lawfully harvest dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-grouper in or from Bahamian 
waters and return to the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The U.S. 
EEZ as described in this proposed rule refers to the Atlantic EEZ for 
dolphin and wahoo and the South Atlantic EEZ for snapper-grouper 
species. The purpose of this proposed rule is to improve the 
consistency and enforceability of Federal regulations with regards to 
landing fish intact provisions for vessels transiting from Bahamian 
waters through the U.S. EEZ and to increase the social and economic 
benefits related to the recreational harvest of these species, in 
accordance with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before November 6, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the proposed rule, identified by 
``NOAA-NMFS-2015-0047'' by any of the following methods:
     Electronic Submission: Submit all electronic public 
comments via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 
www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2015-0047, click the 
``Comment Now!'' icon, complete the required fields, and enter or 
attach your comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments to Nikhil Mehta, Southeast 
Regional Office, NMFS, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period, 
may not be considered by NMFS. All comments received are a part of the 
public record and will generally be posted for public viewing on 
www.regulations.gov without change. All personal identifying 
information (e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential business 
information, or otherwise sensitive information submitted voluntarily 
by the sender will be publicly accessible. NMFS will accept anonymous 
comments (enter ``N/

[[Page 60602]]

A'' in the required fields if you wish to remain anonymous).
    Electronic copies of Amendments 7/33, which includes an 
environmental assessment, regulatory impact review, and Regulatory 
Flexibility Act analysis, may be obtained from the Southeast Regional 
Office Web site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/s_atl/generic/2015/dw7_sg33/index.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nikhil Mehta, telephone: 727-824-5305, 
or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The dolphin and wahoo fishery is managed 
under the Dolphin and Wahoo FMP and the snapper-grouper fishery is 
managed under the Snapper-Grouper FMP. The FMPs were prepared by the 
Council and are implemented through regulations at 50 CFR part 622 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Background

    Current Federal regulations require that dolphin or wahoo or 
snapper-grouper species onboard a vessel traveling through the U.S. EEZ 
must be maintained with the heads and fins intact and not be in fillet 
form. However, as implemented through Amendment 8 to the Snapper-
Grouper FMP, an exception applies to snapper-grouper species that are 
lawfully harvested in Bahamian waters and are onboard a vessel 
returning to the U.S. through the U.S. EEZ (63 FR 38298, July 16, 
1998). Amendment 8 to the Snapper-Grouper FMP allows that in the South 
Atlantic EEZ, snapper-grouper lawfully harvested in Bahamian waters are 
exempt from the requirement that they be maintained with head and fins 
intact, provided valid Bahamian fishing and cruising permits are on 
board the vessel and the vessel is in transit through the South 
Atlantic EEZ. A vessel is in transit through the South Atlantic EEZ 
when it is on a direct and continuous course through the South Atlantic 
EEZ and no one aboard the vessel fishes in the South Atlantic EEZ.
    The Bahamas does not allow for the commercial harvest of dolphin, 
wahoo, or snapper-grouper by U.S. vessels in Bahamian waters. 
Therefore, the measures proposed in this rule only apply to the 
recreational harvest of these species by vessels returning from The 
Bahamas to the U.S. EEZ. This proposed rule would not change potential 
liability under the Lacey Act, which makes it unlawful to import, 
export, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase fish that are taken, 
possessed, transported or sold in violation of any foreign law.

Management Measures Contained in This Proposed Rule

    This proposed rule would revise the landing fish intact provisions 
for vessels that lawfully harvest dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-grouper in 
Bahamian waters and return to the U.S. EEZ. The proposed rule would 
allow for dolphin and wahoo fillets to enter the U.S. EEZ after lawful 
harvest in The Bahamas; specify the condition of any dolphin, wahoo, 
and snapper-grouper fillets; describe how the recreational bag limit 
would be determined for any fillets; explicitly prohibit the sale or 
purchase of any dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-grouper recreationally 
harvested in The Bahamas; specify the required documentation to be 
onboard any vessels that have these fillets, and specify transit and 
stowage provisions for any vessels with fillets.

Landing Fish Intact

    Currently, all dolphin or wahoo on vessels within the Atlantic EEZ 
are required to be maintained with head and fins intact. These fish may 
be eviscerated, gilled, and scaled, but must otherwise be maintained in 
a whole condition. This proposed rule would allow for dolphin or wahoo 
lawfully harvested in Bahamian waters to be exempt from this provision 
when returning through the Atlantic EEZ. Dolphin or wahoo harvested in 
or from Bahamian waters would be able to be stored on ice more 
effectively in fillet form for transit through the U.S. EEZ, given the 
coolers generally used on recreational vessels. Allowing these vessels 
to be exempt from the landing fish intact regulations would increase 
the social and economic benefits for recreational fishers returning to 
the U.S. EEZ from Bahamian waters. This proposed rule would also allow 
for increased consistency between the dolphin and wahoo and snapper-
grouper regulations for vessels transiting from Bahamian waters. This 
proposed measure would not be expected to substantially increase 
recreational fishing pressure or otherwise change recreational fishing 
behavior, because any fish harvested in Bahamian waters and brought 
back through the U.S. EEZ would not be exempt from U.S. bag limits, 
fishing seasons, size limits, or other management measures in place in 
the U.S. EEZ, including prohibited species (e.g., goliath grouper and 
Nassau grouper). Therefore, there are likely to be neither positive nor 
negative additional biological effects to these species.
    Snapper-grouper possessed in the South Atlantic EEZ are currently 
exempt from the landing fish intact requirement under certain 
conditions if the vessel lawfully harvested the snapper-grouper in The 
Bahamas. Amendments 7/33 and this proposed rule would retain this 
exemption and revise it to include additional requirements.
    The Council and NMFS note that this exemption only applies to the 
landing fish intact provisions for fish in the U.S. EEZ, and does not 
exempt fishers from any other Federal fishing regulations such as 
fishing seasons, recreational bag limits, and size limits.

Condition of Fillets

    Amendment 8 to the Snapper-Grouper FMP allowed a vessel with 
snapper-grouper fillets to be in transit in the South Atlantic EEZ 
after lawful harvest in Bahamian waters; however, no fillet 
requirements were specified (63 FR 38298, July 16, 1998). To better 
allow for identification of the species of any fillets in the U.S. EEZ, 
this proposed rule would require that the skin be left intact on the 
entire fillet of any dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-grouper carcass on a 
vessel in transit from Bahamian waters through the U.S. EEZ. This 
requirement is intended to assist law enforcement in identifying 
fillets to determine whether they are the species lawfully exempted by 
this proposed rule.

Recreational Bag Limits

    Currently, all dolphin, wahoo, and snapper-grouper species 
harvested or possessed in or from the U.S. EEZ are required to adhere 
to the U.S. bag and possession limits. This proposed rule would not 
revise the bag and possession limits, but would specify how fillets are 
counted with respect to determining the number of fish onboard a vessel 
in transit from Bahamian waters through the U.S. EEZ and ensuring 
compliance with U.S. bag and possession limits. This proposed rule 
would specify that for any dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-grouper species 
lawfully harvested in Bahamian waters and onboard a vessel in the U.S. 
EEZ in fillet form, two fillets of the respective species of fish, 
regardless of the length of each fillet, is equivalent to one fish. 
This measure will assist law enforcement in enforcing the relevant U.S. 
bag and possession limits. This measure would not revise the bag and 
possession limits in the U.S. EEZ for any of the species in this 
proposed rule. All recreational fishers in Federal waters would 
continue to be required to comply with the U.S. bag and possession 
limits, regardless of where any fish were harvested.

[[Page 60603]]

Sale and Purchase Restrictions of Recreationally Harvested Dolphin, 
Wahoo or Snapper-Grouper

    This proposed rule would explicitly prohibit the sale or purchase 
of any dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-grouper species recreationally 
harvested in Bahamian waters and returned to the U.S. through the U.S. 
EEZ. The Council determined that establishing a specific prohibition on 
the sale or purchase of any of these species from The Bahamas was 
necessary to ensure consistency with the current Federal regulations 
that prohibit recreational bag limit sales of these species. The 
Council wanted to ensure that Amendments 7/33 and the accompanying 
rulemaking did not create an opportunity for these fish to be sold or 
purchased.

Required Documentation

    This proposed rule would revise the documentation requirements for 
snapper-grouper species and implement documentation requirements for 
dolphin and wahoo harvested in Bahamian waters and onboard a vessel in 
transit through the U.S. EEZ. For snapper-grouper lawfully harvested 
under the existing exemption, the current requirement is that valid 
Bahamian fishing and cruising permits are on the vessel. This proposed 
rule would continue to require that valid Bahamian fishing and cruising 
permits are onboard and additionally require that all vessel passengers 
have valid government passports with current stamps and dates. These 
documentation requirements would apply when dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-
grouper is onboard a vessel in transit through the U.S. EEZ from 
Bahamian waters. Requiring valid Bahamian fishing and cruising permits 
on the vessel and requiring each vessel passenger to have a valid 
government passport with current stamps and dates from The Bahamas 
increases the likelihood that the vessel and passengers were lawfully 
fishing in The Bahamas, and thereby increases the likelihood that any 
dolphin, wahoo, or snapper-grouper fillets on the vessel were lawfully 
harvested in Bahamian waters and not in the U.S. EEZ.

Transit and Stowage Provisions

    Vessels operating under the current snapper-grouper exemption have 
specific transit requirements when in the South Atlantic EEZ. These 
vessels are required to be in transit when they enter the South 
Atlantic EEZ with Bahamian snapper-grouper onboard. As described at 
Sec.  622.186(b), a vessel is in transit through the South Atlantic EEZ 
when it is on ``a direct and continuous course through the South 
Atlantic EEZ and no one aboard the vessel fishes in the EEZ.'' This 
proposed rule would revise the snapper-grouper transit provisions, also 
apply the transit provisions to vessels operating under the proposed 
exemption for dolphin and wahoo, and require fishing gear to be 
appropriately stowed on a vessel transiting through the U.S. EEZ with 
fillets of these species. The proposed definition for ``fishing gear 
appropriately stowed'' would mean that ``terminal gear (i.e., hook, 
leader, sinker, flasher, or bait) used with an automatic reel, bandit 
gear, buoy gear, handline, or rod and reel must be disconnected and 
stowed separately from such fishing gear. Sinkers must be disconnected 
from the down rigger and stowed separately.'' The Council determined 
that specifying criteria for transit and fishing gear stowage for 
vessels returning from The Bahamas under the exemption would assist in 
the enforceability of the proposed regulations and increase consistency 
with the state of Florida's gear stowage regulations.

Classification

    Pursuant to section 304(b)(1)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the 
Assistant Administrator has determined that this proposed rule is 
consistent with Amendments 7/33, the FMPs, the Magnuson-Stevens Act and 
other applicable law, subject to further consideration after public 
comment.
    This proposed rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.
    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration (SBA) that this proposed rule, if implemented, would not 
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities. The factual basis for this determination is as follows:
    The purpose of this proposed rule is to adjust the possession 
requirements in the U.S. EEZ for dolphin, wahoo, and snapper-grouper 
species legally harvested in Bahamian waters in order to increase for 
U.S. fishermen the social and economic benefits related to the harvest 
of these species. The Magnuson-Stevens Act provides the statutory basis 
for this proposed rule.
    NMFS expects that this proposed rule, if implemented, would 
directly apply to any angler traveling by fishing vessel, and to any 
operator or owner of a fishing vessel capable of traveling, to The 
Bahamas to engage in saltwater recreational fishing in Bahamian waters 
and returning with dolphin or wahoo or snapper grouper species to U.S. 
waters. This proposed rule would revise the possession requirements for 
certain saltwater species lawfully harvested in Bahamian waters. Some, 
but not all, of these vessels may be classified as small entities. The 
recreational anglers who will be affected by the proposed regulations 
are not small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). 
Similarly, the owner or operator of a for-hire vessel would not be a 
small entity under the RFA when that vessel is being used for non-
commercial purposes. However, the proposed documentation, transit, and 
gear storage requirements would apply if the vessel is being operated 
as a for-hire vessel; the owner or operator may then qualify as a small 
entity.
    For-hire vessels, which may be classified as either charter vessels 
or headboats, are used for the sale of fishing services which include 
the harvest of dolphin, wahoo, and snapper-grouper species, among other 
species to recreational anglers. These vessels provide a platform for 
the opportunity to fish and not a guarantee to catch or harvest any 
species, though expectations of successful fishing, however defined, 
likely factor into the decision to purchase these services. Changing 
the possession requirements of fish lawfully harvested in The Bahamas 
would only define what may be kept (in identity and condition) and not 
explicitly limit the offer of, or opportunity to acquire, for-hire 
fishing services. In response to a change in possession requirements, 
catch and release fishing for a target species could continue 
unchanged, as could fishing for other species. Because the proposed 
changes in the possession requirements for these species would not 
directly alter the service provided by the for-hire businesses, this 
proposed rule would not directly apply to or regulate their operations. 
The for-hire businesses would continue to be able to offer their core 
product, which is an attempt to ``put anglers on fish,'' provide the 
opportunity for anglers to catch those fish their skills enable them to 
catch, and keep those fish that they desire to keep and are legal to 
keep. Any change in demand for these fishing services, and associated 
economic affects, as a result of changing these possession requirements 
would be a consequence of behavioral change by anglers, secondary to 
any direct effect on anglers and, therefore, an indirect effect of the 
proposed rule. Because any effects on the owners or operators of for-
hire vessels as a result of changing possession requirements would be

[[Page 60604]]

indirect, they fall outside the scope of the RFA.
    The owners or operators of for-hire vessels would be directly 
affected by the proposed documentation, transit, and gear storage 
requirements. The number of vessels that may be used for the offer for-
hire services and would be directly affected by the proposed 
requirements, however, cannot be meaningfully determined with available 
data. One could assume that the vessels most likely to travel to The 
Bahamas are vessels that are currently operated as for-hire fishing 
vessels in the U.S. EEZ. In 2014, at least 1,430 vessels held one or 
more Federal permits to be operated as for-hire vessels (separate 
Federal permits are required to harvest different species) in the U.S. 
EEZ. Additionally, federally permitted commercial vessels, of which 
over 1,900 had one or more Federal commercial permits in 2014, may also 
be capable of traveling to The Bahamas and being operated as for-hire 
vessels. Having a Federal permit would not be a factor in determining 
eligible vessels, however, and neither of these totals includes vessels 
that do not have a Federal permit and are operated only in U.S. state 
waters. In practice, although only a portion of these vessels would be 
expected to travel to The Bahamas and operate as a for-hire fishing 
vessel, no data are available on the number of vessels that currently 
engage in this practice to support estimating, within this universe of 
permitted and unpermitted vessels, the number of vessels which might be 
directly affected by this proposed rule.
    NMFS has not identified any other small entities that would be 
expected to be directly affected by this proposed rule.
    The Small Business Administration has established size criteria for 
all major industry sectors in the U.S., including fish harvesters. A 
business involved in the for-hire fishing industry is classified as a 
small business if it is independently owned and operated, is not 
dominant in its field of operation (including its affiliates), and has 
combined annual receipts not in excess of $7.5 million (NAICS code 
487210, for-hire businesses) for all its affiliated operations 
worldwide. The average charter vessel is estimated to receive 
approximately $115,000 (2013 dollars) in annual revenue and the average 
headboat is estimated to receive approximately $204,000 (2013 dollars) 
in annual revenue. As a result, all for-hire businesses that might be 
directly affected by this proposed rule are believed to be small 
business entities.
    Three components of this proposed rule, the proposed documentation, 
transit, and gear storage requirements, would be expected to directly 
affect some small entities, but none would be expected to result in a 
significant adverse economic effect on any of the affected entities. 
The proposed documentation requirements (permits and passport) are 
already required for travel to, fishing in, and returning from Bahamian 
waters and, thus, would not impose any additional costs. The proposed 
transit requirement would not be expected to have any adverse economic 
effect because the vessel must return to the U.S. anyway and a direct 
and continuous transit would be the most economically efficient means 
of returning (indirect and discontinuous sailing would encompass more 
time and higher fuel expenses). The proposed gear storage requirement 
would be expected to either encompass normal gear storage behavior when 
traveling long distances while not actively fishing, or require a minor 
increase in labor, that should be able to be completed during the 
vessel's return prior to entering the U.S. EEZ, and not an increase in 
monetary operating costs. As a result, this proposed requirement would 
not be expected to reduce vessel profits. Otherwise, the proposed 
changes may increase demand for for-hire fishing services and result in 
a beneficial economic effect on the affected small entities. As 
discussed above, however, these would be indirect effects and, 
therefore, outside the scope of the RFA.
    Based on the discussion above, NMFS has determined that this 
proposed rule, if implemented, would not have a significant adverse 
economic effect on a substantial number of small entities. As a result, 
an initial regulatory flexibility analysis is not required and none has 
been prepared.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 622

    Atlantic, Dolphin, Fisheries, Fishing, Snapper-Grouper, Wahoo.

    Dated: September 29, 2015.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR part 622 is 
proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 622--FISHERIES OF THE CARIBBEAN, GULF OF MEXICO, AND SOUTH 
ATLANTIC

0
1. The authority citation for part 622 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

0
2. In Sec.  622.186, paragraph (b) is revised to read as follows:


Sec.  622.186  Landing fish intact.

* * * * *
    (b) In the South Atlantic EEZ, snapper-grouper lawfully harvested 
in Bahamian waters are exempt from the requirement that they be 
maintained with head and fins intact, provided that the skin remains 
intact on the entire fillet of any snapper-grouper carcasses, valid 
Bahamian fishing and cruising permits are on board the vessel, each 
person on the vessel has a valid government passport with current 
stamps and dates from The Bahamas, and the vessel is in transit through 
the South Atlantic EEZ with fishing gear appropriately stowed. For the 
purpose of this paragraph, a vessel is in transit through the South 
Atlantic EEZ when it is on a direct and continuous course through the 
South Atlantic EEZ and no one aboard the vessel fishes in the EEZ. For 
the purpose of this paragraph, fishing gear appropriately stowed means 
that terminal gear (i.e., hook, leader, sinker, flasher, or bait) used 
with an automatic reel, bandit gear, buoy gear, handline, or rod and 
reel must be disconnected and stowed separately from such fishing gear. 
Sinkers must be disconnected from the down rigger and stowed 
separately. See Sec.  622.187(a)(3) for the limit of snapper-grouper 
fillets lawfully harvested from Bahamian waters that may transit 
through the South Atlantic EEZ.
0
3. In Sec.  622.187, paragraph (a)(3) is added to read as follows:


Sec.  622.187  Bag and possession limits.

    (a) * * *
    (3) In the South Atlantic EEZ, a vessel that lawfully harvests 
snapper-grouper in Bahamian waters, as per Sec.  622.186 (b), must 
comply with the bag and possession limits specified in this section. 
For determining how many snapper-grouper are on board a vessel in 
fillet form when harvested lawfully in Bahamian waters, two fillets of 
snapper-grouper, regardless of the length of each fillet, is equivalent 
to one snapper-grouper. The skin must remain intact on the entire 
fillet of any snapper-grouper carcass.
* * * * *
0
4. In Sec.  622.192, paragraph (k) is added to read as follows:


Sec.  622.192  Restrictions on sale/purchase.

* * * * *
    (k) Snapper-grouper possessed pursuant to the bag and possession 
limits specified in Sec.  622.187(a)(3) may not be sold or purchased.

[[Page 60605]]

0
5. In Sec.  622.276, paragraphs (a) and (b) are revised to read as 
follows:


Sec.  622.276  Landing fish intact.

    (a) Dolphin or wahoo in or from the Atlantic EEZ must be maintained 
with head and fins intact, except as specified in paragraph (b) of this 
section. Such fish may be eviscerated, gilled, and scaled, but must 
otherwise be maintained in a whole condition. 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.
    (b) In the Atlantic EEZ, dolphin or wahoo lawfully harvested in 
Bahamian waters are exempt from the requirement that they be maintained 
with head and fins intact, provided that the skin remains intact on the 
entire fillet of any dolphin or wahoo carcasses, valid Bahamian fishing 
and cruising permits are on board the vessel, each person on the vessel 
has a valid government passport with current stamps and dates from The 
Bahamas, and the vessel is in transit through the Atlantic EEZ with 
fishing gear appropriately stowed. For the purpose of this paragraph, a 
vessel is in transit through the Atlantic EEZ when it is on a direct 
and continuous course through the Atlantic EEZ and no one aboard the 
vessel fishes in the EEZ. For the purpose of this paragraph, fishing 
gear appropriately stowed means that terminal gear (i.e., hook, leader, 
sinker, flasher, or bait) used with an automatic reel, bandit gear, 
buoy gear, handline, or rod and reel must be disconnected and stowed 
separately from such fishing gear. Sinkers must be disconnected from 
the down rigger and stowed separately.
0
6. In Sec.  622.277, paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) are revised to read 
as follows:


Sec.  622.277  Bag and possession limits.

* * * * *
    (a) * * *
    (1) Dolphin. (i) In the Atlantic EEZ--10, not to exceed 60 per 
vessel, whichever is less, except on board a headboat, 10 per paying 
passenger.
    (ii) In the Atlantic EEZ and lawfully harvested in Bahamian waters 
(as per Sec.  622.276(b))--10, not to exceed 60 per vessel, whichever 
is less, except on board a headboat, 10 per paying passenger. For the 
purposes of this paragraph, for determining how many dolphin are on 
board a vessel in fillet form when harvested lawfully in Bahamian 
waters, two fillets of dolphin, regardless of the length of each 
fillet, is equivalent to one dolphin. The skin must remain intact on 
the entire fillet of any dolphin carcass.
    (2) Wahoo. (i) In the Atlantic EEZ--2.
    (ii) In the Atlantic EEZ and lawfully harvested in Bahamian waters 
(as per Sec.  622.276(b))--2. For the purposes of this paragraph, for 
determining how many wahoo are on board a vessel in fillet form when 
harvested lawfully in Bahamian waters, two fillets of wahoo, regardless 
of the length of each fillet, is equivalent to one wahoo. The skin must 
remain intact on the entire fillet of any wahoo carcass.
* * * * *
0
7. In Sec.  622.279, paragraph (d) is added to read as follows:


Sec.  622.279  Restrictions on sale/purchase.

* * * * *
    (d) Dolphin or wahoo possessed pursuant to the bag and possession 
limits specified in Sec.  622.277(a)(1)(ii) and (a)(2)(ii) may not be 
sold or purchased.

[FR Doc. 2015-25487 Filed 10-6-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P