The restrictions in this section are in addition to the restrictions on the sale or purchase related to commercial quota closures as specified in §622.384(e)(2).

(a) King and Spanish mackerel. A king or Spanish mackerel harvested or possessed in the EEZ on board a vessel that does not have a valid commercial vessel permit for king mackerel, as required under §622.370(a)(1), or a valid commercial vessel permit for Spanish mackerel, as required under §622.370(a)(3), or a king or Spanish mackerel harvested in the EEZ or possessed under the bag limits specified in §622.382, may not be sold or purchased, except when harvested under the bag limits on board a vessel operating in the Gulf as a charter vessel or headboat and that vessel has both a valid Federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Gulf coastal migratory pelagic fish, as required under §622.370(b)(1), and a valid commercial vessel permit for king mackerel or Spanish mackerel, as required under §622.370(a)(1), as appropriate to the species harvested or possessed.

(b) Coastal migratory pelagic fish harvested in or from the EEZ or adjoining state waters by a vessel that has a valid Federal commercial vessel permit or a charter vessel/headboat permit may be sold or transferred only to a dealer who has a valid Gulf and South Atlantic dealer permit, as required under §622.370(c)(1).

(c) Coastal migratory pelagic fish harvested in or from the Gulf or South Atlantic EEZ may be first received by a dealer who has a valid Gulf and South Atlantic dealer permit, as required under §622.370(c)(1), only from a vessel that has a valid Federal commercial vessel permit, as required under §622.370(a), or a charter vessel/headboat permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish, as required under §622.370(b).

(d) Cut-off (damaged) king or Spanish mackerel. A person may not sell or purchase a cut-off (damaged) king or Spanish mackerel that does not comply with the minimum size limits specified in §622.380(b) or (c), respectively, or that is in excess of the trip limits specified in §622.385(a) or (b), respectively.

(e) State-permitted tournaments. King or Spanish mackerel harvested in a state-permitted tournament in the South Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, or the Gulf may not be sold for profit but may be donated to a state dealer or Federal dealer. Dealers accepting these tournament-caught king or Spanish mackerel must be permitted and must comply with all transfer and reporting requirements. Federally permitted dealers who accept donated king or Spanish mackerel under this section are exempt from the restrictions in paragraph (c) of this section, and can first receive these fish from non-federally permitted vessels. Dealers must donate the monetary value (sale price or cash equivalent of value received for the landings) from the sale of tournament-caught fish to a charitable organization, as determined by the state. The monetary value received from the sale of tournament-caught fish may not be used to pay for tournament expenses. In addition, the fish must be handled and iced according to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards, and dealers must report tournament caught king and Spanish mackerel as “tournament catch” and comply with all Federal and state reporting requirements.

[78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 79 FR 34250, June 16, 2014; 79 FR 19496, Apr. 9, 2014; 80 FR 4222, Jan. 27, 2015; 82 FR 35660, Aug. 1, 2017]