Commercial trip limits are limits on the amount of the applicable species that may be possessed on board or landed, purchased, or sold from a vessel per day. A person who fishes in the EEZ may not combine a trip limit specified in this section with any trip or possession limit applicable to state waters. Except for Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel harvested by gillnet, as specified in Sec. 622.377(b)(2)(vi), a species subject to a trip limit specified in this section taken in the EEZ may not be transferred at sea, regardless of where such transfer takes place, and such species may not be transferred in the EEZ. Commercial trip limits apply as follows (all weights are round or eviscerated weights unless specified otherwise):
(a) King mackerel--(1) Atlantic migratory group. The following trip limits apply to vessels for which commercial permits for king mackerel have been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(1):
(1) Atlantic migratory group. The following trip limits apply to vessels for which commercial permits for king mackerel have been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(1):
(i) North of 2925 N. lat., which is a line directly east from the Flagler/Volusia County, FL, boundary, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may not be possessed on board or landed from a vessel in a day in amounts exceeding 3,500 lb (1,588 kg).
(ii) In the area between 2925 N. lat. and 2847.8 N. lat., which is a line directly east from the Volusia/Brevard County, FL, boundary, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may not be possessed on board or landed from a vessel in a day in amounts exceeding 3,500 lb (1,588 kg) from April 1 through October 31.
(iii) In the area between 2847.8 N. lat. and 2520.4 N. lat., which is a line directly east from the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, FL, boundary, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may not be possessed on board or landed from a vessel in a day in amounts exceeding 75 fish from April 1 through October 31.
(iv) In the area between 2520.4 N. lat. and 2548 N. lat., which is a line directly west from the Monroe/Collier County, FL, boundary, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may not be possessed on board or landed from a vessel in a day in amounts exceeding 1,250 lb (567 kg) from April 1 through October 31.
(2) Gulf migratory group. Commercial trip limits are established in the eastern and western zones as follows. (See Sec. 622.369(a)(2) for descriptions of the eastern and western zones and Sec. 622.369(a)(2)(ii) for descriptions of the subzones in the eastern zone.)
(i) Eastern zone--Florida east coast subzone. In the Florida east coast subzone, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may be possessed on board at any time or landed in a day from a vessel with a commercial permit for king mackerel as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(1) as follows:
(A) From November 1 through the end of February--not to exceed 50 fish.
(B) Beginning on March 1 and continuing through March 31--
(1) If 70 percent or more of the Florida east coast subzone quota as specified in Sec. 622.384(b)(1)(i)(A) has been taken--not to exceed 50 fish.
(2) If less than 70 percent of the Florida east coast subzone quota as specified in Sec. 622.384(b)(1)(i)(A) has been taken--not to exceed 75 fish.
(ii) Eastern zone-Florida west coast subzone--(A) Gillnet gear. (1) In the southern Florida west coast subzone, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may be possessed on board or landed from a vessel for which a commercial vessel permit for king mackerel and a king mackerel gillnet permit have been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(2), in amounts not exceeding 25,000 lb (11,340 kg) per day, provided the gillnet fishery for Gulf group king mackerel is not closed under Sec. 622.378(a) or Sec. 622.8(b).
(2) In the southern Florida west coast subzone:
(i) King mackerel in or from the EEZ may be possessed on board or landed from a vessel that uses or has on board a run-around gillnet on a trip only when such vessel has on board a commercial vessel permit for king mackerel and a king mackerel gillnet permit.
(ii) King mackerel from the southern west coast subzone landed by a vessel for which a commercial vessel permit for king mackerel and a king mackerel gillnet permit have been issued will be counted against the run-around gillnet quota of Sec. 622.384(b)(1)(i)(B)(1).
(iii) King mackerel in or from the EEZ harvested with gear other than run-around gillnet may not be retained on board a vessel for which a commercial vessel permit for king mackerel and a king mackerel gillnet permit have been issued.
(B) Hook-and-line gear. In the Florida west coast subzone, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may be possessed on board or landed from a vessel with a commercial permit for king mackerel, as required by Sec. 622.370(a)(1), and operating under the hook-and-line gear quotas in Sec. 622.384(b)(1)(i)(B)(1) or (2):
(1) Northern subzone. From October 1, each fishing year, until the northern subzone's hook-and-line gear quota has been harvested--in amounts not exceeding 1,250 lb (567 kg) per day.
(2) Southern subzone. From July 1, each fishing year, until the southern subzone's hook-and-line gear quota has been harvested--in amounts not exceeding 1,250 lb (567 kg) per day.
(iii) Western zone. In the western zone, king mackerel in or from the EEZ may be possessed on board or landed from a vessel for which a commercial permit for king mackerel has been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(1), from July 1, each fishing year, until a closure of the western zone has been effected under Sec. 622.8(b)--in amounts not exceeding 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) per day.
(b) Spanish mackerel--(1) Atlantic migratory group. The following trip limits apply to vessels for which commercial permits for Spanish mackerel have been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(3).
(1) Atlantic migratory group. The following trip limits apply to vessels for which commercial permits for Spanish mackerel have been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(3).
(i) Northern zone. Spanish mackerel in or from the EEZ may not be possessed on board or landed in a day from a vessel for which a permit for Spanish mackerel has been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(3), in amounts exceeding 3,500 lb (1,588 kg).
(ii) Southern zone. Spanish mackerel in or from the EEZ may not be possessed on board or landed in a day from a vessel for which a permit for Spanish mackerel has been issued, as required under Sec. 622.370(a)(3)--
(A) From March 1 until 75 percent of the adjusted quota for the southern zone has been reached or is projected to be reached, in amounts exceeding 3,500 lb (1,588 kg).
(B) After 75 percent of the adjusted quota for the southern zone has been reached or is projected to be reached, in amounts exceeding 1,500 lb (680 kg).
(C) After 100 percent of the adjusted quota for the southern zone has been reached or is projected to be reached, and until the end of the fishing year or the southern zone's quota has been reached or is projected to be reached, in amounts exceeding 500 lb (227 kg). See Sec. 622.384(e) for limitations regarding Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel after the southern zone's quota is reached.
(2) For the purpose of paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, the adjusted quota for the southern zone is 2,417,330 lb (1,096,482 kg). The adjusted quota for the southern zone is the quota for the Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel southern zone reduced by an amount calculated to allow continued harvest of Atlantic migratory group Spanish mackerel at the rate of 500 lb (227 kg) per vessel per day for the remainder of the fishing year after the adjusted quota is reached. Total commercial harvest in the southern zone is still subject to the southern zone quota and accountability measures. By filing a notification with the Office of the Federal Register, the Assistant Administrator will announce when 75 percent and 100 percent of the adjusted quota are reached or are projected to be reached.
(3) For the purpose of paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, a day starts at 6 a.m., local time, and extends for 24 hours. If a vessel terminates a trip prior to 6 a.m., but retains Spanish mackerel on board after that time, the Spanish mackerel retained on board will not be considered in possession during the succeeding day, provided the vessel is not underway between 6 a.m. and the time such Spanish mackerel are unloaded, and provided such Spanish mackerel are unloaded prior to 6 p.m. [78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 79 FR 68805, Nov. 19, 2014; 79 FR 69090, Nov. 20, 2014; 80 FR 4222, Jan. 27, 2014; 80 FR 40937, July 14, 2015]