(a) General. This section describes management measures for vessels that take groundfish incidentally with non-groundfish trawl gear, including vessels engaged in fishing for pink shrimp, ridgeback prawns, California halibut, or sea cucumbers.

(b) Participation in the ridgeback prawn fishery. A trawl vessel will be considered participating in the open access, non-groundfish trawl ridgeback prawn fishery if:

(1) It is declared “non-groundfish trawl gear for ridgeback prawn” under § 660.13(d)(4)(iv)(A)(10), regardless of whether it is registered to a Federal limited entry trawl-endorsed permit; and

(2) The landing includes ridgeback prawns taken in accordance with California Fish and Game Code, section 8595, which states: “Prawns or shrimp may be taken for commercial purposes with a trawl net, subject to Article 10 (commencing with Section 8830) of Chapter 3.”

(c) Participation in the California halibut fishery. A trawl vessel will be considered participating in the open access, non-groundfish trawl California halibut fishery if:

(1) It is declared “non-groundfish trawl gear for California halibut” under § 660.13(d)(4)(iv)(A)(11), regardless of whether it is registered to a Federal limited entry trawl-endorsed permit;

(2) All fishing on the trip takes place south of Pt. Arena, CA (38°57.50′ N. lat.); and

(3) The landing includes California halibut of a size required by California Fish and Game Code section 8392, which states: “No California halibut may be taken, possessed or sold which measures less than 22 in (56 cm) in total length. Total length means the shortest distance between the tip of the jaw or snout, whichever extends farthest while the mouth is closed, and the tip of the longest lobe of the tail, measured while the halibut is lying flat in natural repose, without resort to any force other than the swinging or fanning of the tail.”

(d) Participation in the sea cucumber fishery. A trawl vessel will be considered to be participating in the open access, non-groundfish trawl sea cucumber fishery if:

(1) It is declared “non-groundfish trawl gear for sea cucumber” under § 660.13(d)(4)(iv)(A)(12), regardless of whether it is registered to a Federal limited entry trawl-endorsed permit;

(2) All fishing on the trip takes place south of Pt. Arena, CA (38°57.50′ N. lat.); and

(3) The landing includes sea cucumbers taken in accordance with California Fish and Game Code, section 8405, which requires a permit issued by the State of California.

(e) Non-Trawl Rockfish Conservation Area restrictions for the ridgeback prawn, California halibut, and sea cucumber fisheries. (1) 40° 10′ N lat.-38.00° N lat.: 100 fm to 150 fm during Periods 1 and 6; 100 fm to 150 fm during Periods 2, 3, 4, and 5.

(2) 38.00° N lat.-34° 27 N lat.: 100 fm to 150 fm

(3) South of 34° 27 N lat.: 100 fm to 150 fm

(f) Trip Limits for the ridgeback prawn, California halibut, and sea cucumber fisheries. Groundfish. 300 lb (136 kg) per trip. Species-specific limits described in table 3b South also apply and are counted toward the 300 lb (136 kg) groundfish per trip limit. The amount of groundfish landed may not exceed the amount of the target species landed, except that the amount of Pacific spiny dogfish landed may exceed the amount of target species landed. Pacific spiny dogfish are limited by the 300 lb (136 kg)/trip overall groundfish limit. The daily trip limits for sablefish coastwide and thornyheads south of Pt. Conception and the overall groundfish “per trip” limit may not be multiplied by the number of days of the trip. Vessels participating in the California halibut fishery south of 38°57.50′ N lat. are allowed to:

(1) Land up to 100 lb (45 kg) per day of groundfish without the ratio requirement, provided that at least one California halibut is landed; and

(2) Land up to 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) per month of flatfish, no more than 300 lb (136 kg) of which may be species other than Pacific sanddabs, sand sole, starry flounder, rock sole, curlfin sole, or California scorpionfish (California scorpionfish is also subject to the trip limits and closures in table 3b South).

(g) Groundfish taken with non-groundfish trawl gear by vessels engaged in fishing for pink shrimp. Notwithstanding § 660.60(h)(7), a vessel that takes and retains pink shrimp and also takes and retains groundfish in either the limited entry or another open access fishery during the same applicable cumulative limit period that it takes and retains pink shrimp (which may be 1 month or 2 months, depending on the fishery and the time of year), may retain the larger of the two limits, but only if the limit(s) for each gear or fishery are not exceeded when operating in that fishery or with that gear. The limits are not additive; the vessel may not retain a separate trip limit for each fishery.

(h) Management measures for the pink shrimp fishery north of 40° 10′ N lat. Effective April 1-October 31: Groundfish: 500 lb (227 kg)/day, multiplied by the number of days of the trip, not to exceed 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip. The following sublimits also apply and are counted toward the overall 500 lb (227 kg)/day and 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip groundfish limits: lingcod 300 lb (136 kg)/month (minimum 24-inch (0.61 cm) size limit); sablefish 2,000 lb (907 kg)/month; canary, thornyheads, and yelloweye rockfish are PROHIBITED. All other groundfish species taken are managed under the overall 500 lb (227 kg)/day and 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip groundfish limits. Landings of these species count toward the per day and per trip groundfish limits and do not have species-specific limits. The amount of groundfish landed may not exceed the amount of pink shrimp landed.

(i) Management measures for the pink shrimp fishery south of 40° 10′ N lat. Effective April 1-October 31: Groundfish: 500 lb (227 kg)/day, multiplied by the number of days of the trip, not to exceed 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip. The following sublimits also apply and are counted toward the overall 500 lb (227 kg)/day and 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip groundfish limits: lingcod 300 lb (136 kg)/month (minimum 24-inch (0.61 cm) size limit); sablefish 2,000 lb (907 kg)/month; canary rockfish, thornyheads, and yelloweye rockfish are PROHIBITED. All other groundfish species taken are managed under the overall 500 lb (227 kg)/day and 1,500 lb (680 kg)/trip groundfish limits. Landings of all groundfish species count toward the per day, per trip or other species-specific sublimits described here and the species-specific limits described in the table above do not apply. The amount of groundfish landed may not exceed the amount of pink shrimp landed.