Section 635.22 - Recreational retention limits(a)General.(1) Atlantic HMS caught, possessed, retained, or landed under these recreational limits may not be sold or transferred to any person for a commercial purpose. Recreational retention limits apply to a longbill spearfish taken or possessed shoreward of the outer boundary of the Atlantic EEZ, to a shark taken from or possessed in the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, to a North Atlantic swordfish taken from or possessed in the Atlantic Ocean, and to bluefin and yellowfin tuna taken from or possessed in the Atlantic Ocean. The operator of a vessel for which a retention limit applies is responsible for the vessel retention limit and for the cumulative retention limit based on the number of persons aboard. Federal recreational retention limits may not be combined with any recreational retention limit applicable in state waters.(2) Vessels issued an Atlantic Tunas General category permit under § 635.4(d) that are participating in an HMS registered tournament, vessels issued an HMS Angling category permit under § 635.4(c) , or vessels issued an HMS Charter/Headboat permit under § 635.4(b) may not retain, possess, or land scalloped, smooth, or great hammerhead sharks if swordfish, tuna, or billfish are retained or possessed on board, or offloaded from, the vessel. Such vessels also may not retain, possess or land swordfish, tuna, or billfish if scalloped, smooth, or great hammerhead sharks are retained or possessed on board, or offloaded from, the vessel.(3) Vessels issued an Atlantic Tunas General category permit under § 635.4(d) that are participating in an HMS registered tournament, vessels issued a Swordfish General commercial permit under § 635.4(f) that are participating in an HMS registered tournament, vessels issued a HMS Angling category permit under § 635.4(c) , or vessels issued an HMS Charter/Headboat permit under § 635.4(b) are required to release unharmed, to the extent practicable, porbeagle sharks that are alive at the time of haulback if swordfish, tuna, or billfish are retained or possessed on board, or offloaded from, the vessel during that trip.(b)Billfish. No longbill spearfish from the management unit may be taken, retained, or possessed shoreward of the outer boundary of the EEZ.(c)Sharks.(1) The recreational retention limit for sharks applies to any person who fishes in any manner on a vessel that has been issued or is required to have been issued a permit with a shark endorsement, except as noted in paragraph (c)(7) of this section. The retention limit can change depending on the species being caught and the size limit under which they are being caught as specified under § 635.20(e) . A person on board a vessel that has been issued or is required to be issued a permit with a shark endorsement under § 635.4 is required to use non-offset, corrodible circle hooks as specified in § 635.21(e) and (j) in order to retain sharks per the retention limits specified in this section.(2) Only one shark from the following list may be retained per vessel per trip, subject to the size limits described in § 635.20(e)(2) and (4) : Atlantic blacktip, Gulf of Mexico blacktip, bull, great hammerhead, scalloped hammerhead, smooth hammerhead, lemon, nurse, spinner, tiger, blue, common thresher, porbeagle, Atlantic sharpnose, finetooth, Atlantic blacknose, Gulf of Mexico blacknose, and bonnethead.(3) In addition to the sharks listed under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, one Atlantic sharpnose shark and one bonnethead shark may be retained per person per trip, subject to the size limits described in § 635.20(e)(3) .(4) No prohibited sharks, including parts or pieces of prohibited sharks, which are listed in section D of Table 1 of Appendix A to this part, may be retained regardless of where harvested.(5) Sharks listed in Table 1 of appendix A to this part that are not listed in this section, must be released by persons aboard a vessel that has not been issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark vessel permit under § 635.4(e) .(6) The smoothhound sharks listed in Section E of Table 1 of Appendix A to this part may be retained and are subject only to the size limits described in § 635.20(e)(5) .(7) For persons on board vessels issued both a commercial shark permit and a permit with a shark endorsement, the recreational retention limit and sale prohibition applies for shortfin mako sharks at all times, even when the commercial pelagic shark quota is open. If such vessels retain a shortfin mako shark under the recreational retention limit, all other sharks retained by such vessels may only be retained under the applicable recreational retention limits and may not be sold. If a commercial Atlantic shark quota is closed under § 635.28(b) , the recreational retention limit for sharks and no sale provision in paragraph (a) of this section will be applied to persons aboard a vessel issued a Federal Atlantic commercial shark vessel permit under § 635.4(e) , if that vessel has also been issued a permit with a shark endorsement under § 635.4(b) and is engaged in a for-hire fishing trip or is participating in a registered HMS tournament per § 635.4(c)(2) .(8) At the start of each fishing year, the default shortfin mako shark retention limit of zero sharks per vessel per trip will apply. During the fishing year, NMFS may adjust the default shortfin mako shark trip limit per the inseason trip limit adjustment criteria listed in § 635.24(a)(8) . Any retention within the trip limit is subject to the size limits described in § 635.20(e)(6) .(9) No person who has been issued or should have been issued a permit under § 635.4 of this part may retain, possess, or land scalloped, smooth, or great hammerhead sharks in or from the Caribbean, as defined at § 622.2 of this chapter.(d)Yellowfin tuna. Three yellowfin tunas per person per day may be retained. Regardless of the length of a trip, no more than three yellowfin tuna per person may be possessed on board a vessel. The recreational retention limit for yellowfin tuna applies to a person who fishes in any manner, except to a person aboard a vessel issued an Atlantic Tunas vessel permit under § 635.4(d) . The recreational retention limit for yellowfin tuna applies to persons, including captain and crew, aboard a vessel that has been issued an Atlantic HMS Charter/Headboat permit under § 635.4(b) only when the vessel is engaged in a for-hire trip.(e)Bluefin tuna. Refer to § 635.23 for Atlantic bluefin tuna recreational retention limits.(f)North Atlantic swordfish. The recreational retention limits for North Atlantic swordfish apply to persons who fish in any manner, except to persons aboard a vessel that has been issued an HMS Charter/Headboat permit with a commercial sale endorsement under § 635.4(b) and only when on a non for-hire trip; a directed, incidental or handgear swordfish LAP under § 635.4(e) and (f) ; a Swordfish General Commercial permit under § 635.4(f) ; an Incidental HMS Squid Trawl permit under § 635.4(n) ; or an HMS Commercial Caribbean Small boat permit under § 635.4(o) . (1) When on a for-hire trip as defined at § 635.2 , vessels issued an HMS Charter/Headboat permit under § 635.4(b) , that are charter boats as defined under § 600.10 of this chapter, may retain, possess, or land no more than one North Atlantic swordfish per paying passenger and up to six North Atlantic swordfish per vessel per trip. When such vessels have been issued a commercial sale endorsement and are on a non for-hire trip, they must comply with the commercial retention limits for swordfish specified at § 635.24(b)(4) .(2) When on a for-hire trip as defined at § 635.2 , vessels issued an HMS Charter/Headboat permit under § 635.4(b) , that are headboats as defined under § 600.10 of this chapter, may retain, possess, or land no more than one North Atlantic swordfish per paying passenger and up to 15 North Atlantic swordfish per vessel per trip. When such vessels have been issued a commercial sale endorsement and are on a non for-hire trip, they may land no more than the commercial retention limits for swordfish specified at § 635.24(b)(4) .(3) Vessels issued an HMS Angling category permit under § 635.4(c) , may retain, possess, or land no more than one North Atlantic swordfish per person and up to four North Atlantic swordfish per vessel per trip.64 FR 29135, May 28, 1999 81 FR 57806 , 9/23/2016; 82 FR 16507 , 1/1/2018; 82 FR 57549 , 1/5/2018; 83 FR 33155 , 7/17/2018; 84 FR 5376 , 3/3/2019; 87 FR 11324 , 3/1/2022; 87 FR 39382 , 7/1/2022; 87 FR 60004 , 1/1/2023; 89 FR 283 , 2/2/2024 For FEDERAL REGISTER citations affecting § 635.22, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.