§ 1383a. Interim exemption for commercial fisheries

(a) Effective and termination dates of preemptive provisions; law governing incidental taking of marine mammals in course of commercial yellowfin tuna fishing

(1) During the period beginning on November 23, 1988, and until superseded by regulations prescribed under section 1387 of this title, or until September 1, 1995, whichever is earlier, except as provided in paragraph (2), the provisions of this section, rather than sections 1371, 1373, and 1374 of this title, shall govern the incidental taking of marine mammals in the course of commercial fishing operations by persons using vessels of the United States and vessels which have valid fishing permits issued by the Secretary in accordance with section 1824(b) of this title. In any event it shall be the immediate goal that the incidental kill or serious injury of marine mammals permitted in the course of commercial fishing operations be reduced to insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality and serious injury rate.

(2) The provisions of this section other than subsection (e)(6)(A) of this section shall not govern the incidental taking of marine mammals in the course of commercial yellowfin tuna fishing subject to section 1374(h)(2) of this title.

(b) Proposed and final list of fisheries taking marine mammals; publication in Federal Register; grant of exemption; conditions; suspension of grant of exemption; administration of exemption provisions; fees

(1) The Secretary shall, after consultation with the Marine Mammal Commission—

(A) publish in the Federal Register, for public comment, not later than sixty days after November 23, 1988, a proposed list of those fisheries, along with a statement of the marine mammals and the approximate number of vessels or persons involved in each such fishery, that have—

(i) frequent incidental taking of marine mammals;

(ii) occasional incidental taking of marine mammals; or

(iii) a remote likelihood of or no known incidental taking of marine mammals;

(B) publish in the Federal Register not later than one hundred and twenty days after November 23, 1988, a final list of the fisheries and other information required by paragraph (A), together with a summary of the provisions of this section and information sufficient to advise vessel owners on how to obtain an exemption and otherwise comply with the requirements of this section; and

(C) at least once each year thereafter, and at such other times as the Secretary considers appropriate, reexamine, based on information gathered from the program established under subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this section, and other relevant sources and after notice and opportunity for public comment, the classification of fisheries and other determinations required under subparagraph (A) and publish in the Federal Register any necessary changes.

(2)

(A) An exemption shall be granted by the Secretary in accordance with this section for a vessel engaged in a fishery identified under paragraph (1)(A)(i) or (ii), upon receipt by the Secretary of a completed registration form providing the name of the vessel owner, the name and description of the vessel, the fisheries in which it will be engaged, and such other information as the Secretary considers necessary. A decal or other physical evidence that the exemption is current and valid shall be issued by the Secretary at the time an exemption is granted, and so long as the exemption remains current and valid, shall be reissued annually thereafter.

(B) No exemption may be granted under this section to the owner of a vessel unless such vessel—

(i) is a vessel of the United States; or

(ii) has a valid fishing permit issued by the Secretary in accordance with section 1824(b) of this title.

(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, exemptions granted under this section shall authorize the incidental taking of marine mammals, other than California sea otters, from any species or stock, including a population stock designated as depleted, but shall not authorize the intentional lethal taking of any Steller sea lion, any cetacean, or any marine mammals from a population stock designated as depleted.

(3)

(A) Beginning two hundred and forty days after November 23, 1988, each owner of a vessel engaged in any fishery identified under paragraph (1)(A)(i) or (ii) shall, in order to engage lawfully in that fishery—

(i) have registered with the Secretary in order to obtain for each such vessel owned an exemption for the purpose of incidentally taking marine mammals in accordance with this section;

(ii) ensure that a decal or such other physical evidence of a current and valid exemption as the Secretary may require is displayed on or is in the possession of the master of each such vessel; and

(iii) report as required by subsection (c) of this section.

(B) Any owner of a vessel receiving an exemption under this section for any fishery identified under paragraph (1)(A)(i) shall, as a condition of that exemption, take on board a natural resource observer if requested to do so by the Secretary.

(C) An owner of a vessel engaged in a fishery identified under paragraph (1)(A)(i) or (ii) who—

(i) fails to obtain from the Secretary an exemption under this section;

(ii) fails to maintain a current and valid exemption; or

(iii) fails to ensure that a decal or other physical evidence of such exemption issued by the Secretary is displayed on or is in possession of the master of the vessel,

and the master of any such vessel engaged in such fishery, shall be deemed to have violated this subchapter, and shall be subject to the penalties of this subchapter except in the case of unknowing violations before January 1, 1990.

(D) If the owner of a vessel has obtained and maintains a current and valid exemption from the Secretary under this section and meets the requirements set forth in this section, the owner of such vessel, and the master and crew members of the vessel, shall not be subject to the penalties set forth in this subchapter for the incidental taking of marine mammals while such vessel is engaged in a fishery to which the exemption applies.

(E) Each owner of a vessel engaged in any fishery not identified in paragraph (1)(A)(i) or (ii), and the master and crew members of such a vessel, shall not be subject to the penalties set forth in this subchapter for the incidental taking of marine mammals if such owner reports to the Secretary, in such form and manner as the Secretary may require, instances of lethal incidental taking in the course of that fishery.

(4) The Secretary shall suspend or revoke an exemption granted under this section and shall not issue a decal or other physical evidence of the exemption for any vessel until the owner of such vessel complies with the reporting requirements under subsection (c) of this section and such requirements to take on board a natural resource observer under paragraph (3)(B) as are applicable to such vessel.

(5)

(A) The Secretary shall develop, in consultation with the appropriate States, Regional Fishery Management Councils, and other interested parties, the means by which the granting and administration of exemptions under this section shall be integrated and coordinated, to the maximum extent practicable, with existing fishery licenses, registrations, and related programs.

(B) The Secretary shall utilize newspapers of general circulation, fishery trade associations, electronic media, and other means of advising commercial fishermen of the provisions of this section and the means by which they can comply with its requirements.

(C) The Secretary is authorized to charge a fee for the granting of an exemption under this subsection. The level of fees charged under this subparagraph shall not exceed the administrative costs incurred in granting an exemption. Fees collected under this subparagraph shall be available to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere for expenses incurred in the granting and administration of exemptions under this section.

(c) Compilation of information by vessel owners; contents The owner of each vessel holding an exemption granted under subsection (b) of this section shall regularly compile information which shall be used in a report to be submitted to the Secretary at the close of the fishing season or annually, as the Secretary may prescribe. Such report shall be submitted in such form as the Secretary may require and shall include the following:

(1) the type of fishery engaged in by the owner’s vessel;

(2) the date and approximate time of any incidental taking of a marine mammal, together with the area in which the incidental taking occurred, the fishing gear used at the time of the incidental taking, and the species of fish involved; and

(3) for each incidental taking, the number and species of marine mammals involved, whether the marine mammals were deterred from gear or catch, incidentally injured, incidentally killed, or lethally removed to protect gear, catch, or human life.

If there was no incidental taking of marine mammals during the reporting period, a report stating that fact shall be filed with the Secretary.

(d) Program for enhancement and verification of information received from vessel owners; confidentiality of information

(1) The Secretary shall establish a program to enhance the quality of and verify information received from reports submitted by owners of vessels who have been granted an exemption under subsection (b) of this section. The program shall include, but not be limited to—

(A) education efforts regarding the information that must be submitted;

(B) interviews with fishermen; and

(C) other such information gathering and verification activities that will enable the Secretary to determine reliably the nature, type, and extent of the incidental taking of marine mammals that occurs in a fishery.

Except to the extent authorized by the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, the program shall not include placement of observers aboard exempted vessels.

(2) Information obtained under this subsection shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of subsection (j) of this section.

(e) Observers on board exempted vessels; confidentiality of information; authorization of appropriations

(1) For each fishery identified under subsection (b)(1)(A)(i) of this section, the Secretary shall, after consultation with the appropriate Regional Fishery Management Councils, other Federal and State agencies, and other interested parties, and subject to paragraph (6), place observers on board exempted vessels so as to monitor not less than 20 percent nor more than 35 percent of the fishing operations by vessels in the fishery to obtain statistically reliable information on the species and number of marine mammals incidentally taken in the fishery. If the Secretary determines that fewer than 20 percent of the fishing operations by vessels in the fishery will be monitored during the course of the fishing season, the Secretary shall implement the alternative observation program described in subsection (f) of this section to the extent necessary to supplement the observer program described in this subsection.

(2) When determining the distribution of observers among fisheries and between vessels in a particular fishery, the Secretary shall be guided by the following standards:

(A) the requirement to obtain the best scientific information available;

(B) the requirement that assignment of observers is fair and equitable among fisheries and among vessels in a fishery;

(C) consistent with paragraph (1), the requirement that no individual person or vessel, or group of persons or vessels, be subject to excessive or overly burdensome observer coverage; and

(D) where practicable, the need to minimize costs and avoid duplication.

(3) If the Secretary finds that, for reasons beyond his or her control, the Secretary cannot assign observers to all the fisheries identified under subsection (b)(1)(A)(i) of this section at the level of observer coverage set forth in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall allocate available observers among such fisheries, consistent with paragraph (2), according to the following priority:

(A) those fisheries that incidentally take marine mammals from any population stock designated as depleted;

(B) those fisheries that incidentally take marine mammals from population stocks that the Secretary believes are declining;

(C) those fisheries other than those described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) in which the greatest incidental take of marine mammals occur; and

(D) any other fishery identified under subsection (b)(1)(A)(i) of this section.

The Secretary may, with the consent of the vessel owner, station an observer on board a vessel engaged in a fishery not identified under subsection (b)(1)(A)(i) of this section.

(4) Information gathered by observers shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (j) of this section. Consistent with the requirements of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, if requested by the Appropriate of this title.

(2) the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Commerce.

(3) the term “vessel engaged in a fishery” means a fishing vessel as defined in section 2101(11a) of title 46 or a fish processing vessel as defined in section 2101(11b) of that title, which is engaged in fishery.

(4) the term “vessel of the United States” has the same meaning as it does in section 1802(27) ² of this title.

(Pub. L. 92–522, title I, § 114, as added Pub. L. 100–711, § 2(a)(2), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4755; amended Pub. L. 103–86, Sept. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 930; Pub. L. 103–228, Mar. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 281; Pub. L. 103–238, § 15(a), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 559; Pub. L. 104–43, title IV, § 404(a)(1), Nov. 3, 1995, 109 Stat. 390; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41.)

References In Text

References in Text

Section 1802 of this title, referred to in subsec. (o)(1), (4), was subsequently amended, and section 1802(8) and (27) no longer defines the terms “fishery” and “vessel of the United States”. However, such terms are defined elsewhere in that section.

Amendments

Amendments

1996—Subsecs. (a)(1), (b)(2)(B)(ii), (o)(1), (4). Pub. L. 104–208 made technical amendment to references in original act which appear in text as references to sections 1802(8), (27) and 1824(b) of this title.

1995—Pub. L. 104–43 amended directory language of Pub. L. 103–238. See 1994 Amendment note below.

1994—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 103–238, as amended by Pub. L. 104–43, substituted “until superseded by regulations prescribed under section 1387 of this title, or until September 1, 1995, whichever is earlier,” for “ending May 1, 1994.”

Pub. L. 103–228 substituted “May 1, 1994.” for “April 1, 1994,”.

1993—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 103–86 substituted “April 1, 1994” for “October 1, 1993”.

Effective Date Of Amendment

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Oct. 11, 1996.

Effective Date of 1995 Amendment

Pub. L. 104–43, title IV, § 404(a)(2), Nov. 3, 1995, 109 Stat. 391, provided that: “The amendment made by paragraph (1) [amending this section] shall be effective on and after April 30, 1994.”

Miscellaneous

Abolition of House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries

Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of House of Representatives abolished and its jurisdiction transferred by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Jan. 4, 1995. Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Resources of House of Representatives in case of provisions relating to fisheries, wildlife, international fishing agreements, marine affairs (including coastal zone management) except for measures relating to oil and other pollution of navigable waters, or oceanography by section 1(b)(3) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Resources of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Natural Resources of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007.