(a) An exemption permitting a person to use longline gear to fish in a portion(s) of the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area will be issued to a person who can document that he or she:

(1) Currently owns a Hawaii longline limited access permit issued under this part and registered for use with his or her vessel;

(2) Before 1970, was the owner or operator of a vessel when that vessel landed western Pacific pelagic MUS taken on longline gear in an area that is now within the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area;

(3) Was the owner or operator of a vessel that landed western Pacific pelagic MUS taken on longline gear in an area that is now within the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area, in at least 5 calendar years after 1969, which need not be consecutive; and

(4) In any one of the 5 calendar years, was the owner or operator of a vessel that harvested at least 80 percent of its total landings, by weight, of longline-caught western Pacific pelagic MUS in an area that is now in the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area.

(b) Each exemption shall specify the portion(s) of the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area, bounded by longitudinal and latitudinal lines drawn to include each statistical area, as appearing on Hawaii State Commercial Fisheries Charts, in which the exemption holder made the harvest documented for the exemption application under paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(c) Each exemption is valid only within the portion(s) of the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area specified on the exemption.

(d) A person seeking an exemption under this section must submit an application and supporting documentation to PIRO at least 15 days before the desired effective date of the exemption.

(e) If the Regional Administrator determines that a gear conflict has occurred and is likely to occur again in the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area between a vessel used by a person holding an exemption under this section and a non-longline vessel, the Regional Administrator may prohibit all longline fishing in the Hawaii longline fishing prohibited area around the island where the conflict occurred, or in portions thereof, upon notice to each holder of an exemption who would be affected by such a prohibition.

(f) The Council will consider information provided by persons with Hawaii longline limited access permits issued under this part who believe they have experienced extreme financial hardship resulting from the Hawaii longline area closure, and will consider recommendations of the Pelagic Advisory Review Board to assess whether exemptions under this section should continue to be allowed, and, if appropriate, revise the qualifying criteria in paragraph (a) of this section to permit additional exemptions.

(1) If additional exemptions are needed, the Council will advise the Regional Administrator in writing of its recommendation, including criteria by which financial hardships will be mitigated, while retaining the effectiveness of the longline fishing prohibited area.

(2) Following a review of the Council's recommendation and supporting rationale, the Regional Administrator may:

(i) Reject the Council's recommendation, in which case written reasons will be provided by the Regional Administrator to the Council for the rejection; or

(ii) Concur with the Council's recommendation and, after finding that it is consistent with the goals and objectives of the Pelagics FEP, the national standards, and other applicable law, initiate rulemaking to implement the Council's recommendations.