05/27-05/29

09/09-09/11 09/20-*

08/10-08/12

10/27-10/29

*Date to be announced by the Commission.

(b) In Subarea 2A-1:

(1) The fishing season shall commence on April 20 and terminate when the catch limit specified in § 301.8 for Area 2A is reached, or on October 1, whichever is earlier;

(2) Fishing in Subarea 2A-1 at times when fishing in Area 2A is closed is authorized only for persons holding valid identification cards issued pursuant to 25 CFR 249.3 and whose historic halibut fishing is documented and has been acknowledged by an executive agency of the United States.

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, where Area 3A is closed under § 301.8 on a date before the attainment of the catch limit in Area 3B, Area 3B will close on the same date.

(d) Where Area 3B is closed under paragraph (c) of this section, it shall reopen on the next scheduled opening date on the schedule of fishing periods referred to in paragraph (a) of this section and continue on that schedule until the catch limit specified in § 301.8 is attained.

(e) Each fishing period shall begin and terminate at 1200 hours Pacific Standard Time on the date set out in the table to this section, unless the Commission specifies otherwise.

§ 301.6 Closed periods.

(a) No person shall engage in fishing for halibut in any regulatory area other than during the fishing periods set out in § 301.5 in respect of that

area.

(b) No person shall land or otherwise retain halibut caught outside a fishing period applicable to the regulatory area where the halibut was taken.

(c) Subject to § 301.14 (h) and (i), this part does not prohibit fishing for any species of fish other than halibut during the closed periods.

(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this section, no person shall have halibut in his possession while fishing for any other species of fish during the closed periods.

(e) No person shall retrieve any halibut fishing gear from a closed area until the vessel first offloads any halibut on board and then obtains a hold inspection from a fishery officer or a representative of the Commission, except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section.

(f) A vessel that has no halibut on board may retrieve any halibut fishing gear in a closed area after notifying a fishery officer or representative of the Commission prior to that retrieval.

(g) After retrieval of halibut gear in accordance with paragraphs (e) and (f) of this section the vessel shall submit to a hold inspection at the discretion of the fishery officer or representative of the Commission.

(h) No person shall retain any halibut caught on gear retrieved under paragraph (e) or (f) of this section.

8301.7 Closed area.

All waters in the Bering Sea that are east of a line from Cape Sarichef Light (latitude 54°36′00′′ N., longitude 164°55'42" W.) to a point at latitude 56°20′00′′ N., longitude 168°30'00" W. and south of a line from the latter point to Cape Newenham (latitude 58°39′00′′ N., longitude 162°10′25′′ W.) are closed to halibut fishing and no person shall fish for halibut therein or have halibut in his possession while in those waters except in the course of a continuous transit across those waters.

(b) Catches taken in Subarea 2A-1 shall be a part of the total allowable catch specified in paragraph (a) of this section for Regulatory Area 2A.

(c) The weights in each catch limits shall be computed on the basis that the heads of the fish are off and their entrails, removed.

(d) The Commission shall determine and announce to the public the data on which the catch limit for each regulatory area will be taken and the specific dates during which fishing will be allowed in each regulatory area.

(e) If the Commission determines that the catch limit specified in paragraph (a) of this section would be exceeded in a 24-hour fishing period in any regulatory area, the catch limit for that area shall be considered to have been taken.

(f) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, Areas 3A and 3B shall both be closed if the catch limit of 32,000,000 pounds (14,515 metric tons) for the combined areas is taken.

(g) When under paragraphs (d), (e), or (f) of this section the Commission has announced a date on which the catch limit for a regulatory area will be taken, no person shall fish for halibut in the area after the date for the rest of the year, unless the Commission has announced the reopening of that area for halibut fishing.