(a) Any Indian tribe with a tribal court may confer jurisdiction upon such court to punish violations by its members of this part 249 or of the area regulations issued pursuant thereto. Jurisdiction is hereby conferred upon each Court of Indian Offenses established pursuant to part 11 of this chapter to punish such violations by members of tribes whose reservations are under the jurisdiction of such court. Courts of Indian Fishing Offenses may be created pursuant to part 11 of this chapter to punish such violations by members of any tribe or group of tribes for which there is otherwise no Court of Indian Offenses or tribal court with jurisdiction to enforce this part 249. The provisions of part 11 of this chapter shall apply to any such court with respect to the exercise of its jurisdiction to enforce this part 249. All jurisdiction conferred by this section shall apply without regard to any territorial limitations otherwise applicable to the jurisdiction of such court.

(b) Acceptance or use of an identification card issued pursuant to this part 249 or use of any fishing gear marked or identified pursuant thereto shall constitute an acknowledgment that the fishing done under such card or with such gear is in the claimed exercise of a tribal fishing right and is subject to the jurisdiction of the tribal court, Court of Indian Offenses, or Court of Indian Fishing Offenses. Except as may be otherwise provided by tribal regulations approved by or on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, any person claiming to be exercising such tribal right and fishing in violation of the regulations contained in or issued under this part 249 may be punished by a fine of not to exceed $1,368, imprisonment of not to exceed 6 months, or both, and shall have his tribal fishing privileges suspended for not less than 5 days for any violation of this part 249 or of any area regulation issued pursuant thereto. The court shall impound the fishing rights identification card of any person for the period which the fishing privileges are suspended.

[32 FR 10434, July 15, 1967, as amended at 81 FR 42482, June 30, 2016; 82 FR 7653, Jan. 23, 2017; 83 FR 5195, Feb. 6, 2018; 84 FR 15102, Apr. 15, 2019; 85 FR 9369, Feb. 19, 2020; 86 FR 7348, Jan. 28, 2021]