(a) An exploratory fishery, for purposes of this section, is a fishery that was previously defined as a new fishery under §300.109.

(b) A fishery continues to be classified by CCAMLR as an exploratory fishery until sufficient information is available to:

(1) Evaluate the distribution, abundance, and demography of the target species, leading to an estimate of the fishery's potential yield;

(2) Review the fishery's potential impacts on dependent and related species; and

(3) Allow the CCAMLR Scientific Committee to formulate and provide advice to the Commission on appropriate harvest catch levels and fishing gear.

(c) The operator of any vessel engaging in an exploratory fishery must submit, by the date specified in the vessel permit issued under §300.107, catch, effort, and related biological, ecological, and environmental data as required by a data collection plan for the fishery formulated by the CCAMLR Scientific Committee.

(d) In addition to the requirements in §300.107, any person planning to enter an exploratory fishery must notify the Assistant Administrator no later than April 1 for the fishing season that will commence on or after December 1 and shall not enter the fishery pending NMFS and CCAMLR review or until a vessel permit has been used under this subpart. The Assistant Administrator will not issue a permit to enter an exploratory fishery until after the requirements of §300.107 have been met and CCAMLR has considered the notification.

(e) The notification shall be accompanied by a complete vessel permit application required under §300.107 and information on:

(1) The nature of the exploratory fishery, including target species, methods of fishing, proposed region and maximum catch levels proposed for the forthcoming season;

(2) Specification and full description of the types of fishing gear to be used;

(3) Biological information on the target species from comprehensive research/survey cruises, such as distribution, abundance, demographic data and information on stock identity; details of dependent and related species and the likelihood of their being affected by the proposed fishery;

(4) Information from other fisheries in the region or similar fisheries elsewhere that may assist in the evaluation of potential yield;

(5) If the proposed fishery will be undertaken using bottom trawl gear, information on the known and anticipated impacts of this gear on vulnerable marine ecosystems, including benthos and benthic communities; and

(6) Any other information the Assistant Administrator requires to fully implement the relevant conservation measures.