Coconut Crabs - Subchapter E of Chapter 2 Fishing Regulation of Title 16 Natural Resources and Recreation

TITLE 16 13 be considered prima facie evidence of violation of this Section of the Regulation. Crabs and lobster must be preserved whole until cooked or frozen. (b) Shells of crabs and lobsters taken for personal use shall not be sold, traded or bartered. (c) Gear. It shall be illegal to puncture, impale or spear crabs and/or spiny lobster; only devices which do not impose any physical harm to the crabs and/or spiny lobster may be utilized for harvest. Any crabs and/or spiny lobster not complying with the minimum harvest size requirements must be released immediately. Any crabs or spiny lobster in confinement shall be considered taken and subject to harvest regulations. Upon harvest, crabs and lobster are not to be impaled for confinement (stringers are prohibited). Any sub-legal crab or lobster injured due to attempted harvest will be viewed as take. SUBCHAPTER E. Coconut Crabs. Section 15314.0. Commercial Harvest of Coconut Crabs. Section 15314.1. Taking of Coconut Crabs for Personal Use. Section 15314.0. (a) Size Limit and Individuals with Eggs . The commercial harvest or sale of coconut crabs with a carapace width less than four (4) inches is prohibited (see illustration). Coconut crabs must be preserved whole until cooked or frozen. Any coconut crab not complying with the commercial harvest minimum size requirements must be released immediately. Any coconut crab in confinement will be considered taken and subject to harvest regulations. No coconut crabs shall be taken, while they are carrying eggs. Evidence of removal of eggs (orange to brown colored mass attached under tail) shall be considered prima facie evidence of violation of this Section of the Regulation. Any sub-legal crab injured due to attempted harvest will be viewed as take. (Exhibit 11) (b) Bag Limit. No more than fifty (50) individually locally-caught coconut crabs may be sold per year. Coconut crabs must be preserved whole until cooked or frozen. Section 15314.1. Harvest of Coconut Crab for Personal Use . (a) S ize Limit and Individuals with Eggs. For personal use, the harvest of coconut crabs with a carapace with less than three (3) inches is prohibited (see illustration). Any coconut crab not complying with the minimum size requirements must be released immediately. Any coconut crab in confinement will be considered taken and subject to harvest regulations. TITLE 16 14 No coconut crabs shall be taken, while they are carrying eggs. Evidence of removal of eggs (orange to brown colored mass attached under tail) shall be considered prima facie evidence of violation of this Section of the Regulation. Coconut crabs must be preserved whole until cooked. Any sub-legal crab injured due to attempted harvest will be viewed as take. (b) Shells of coconut crabs taken for personal use shall not be sold, traded or bartered. (c) Bag Limit. For personal use purposes, each person is allowed no more than ten (10) individual coconut crabs per day. Coconut crabs must be preserved whole until cooked or frozen. SUBCHAPTER F. Freshwater Fishing. Section 15315.0. Commercial Harvest of Freshwater Gamefish. Section 15315.1. Taking of Freshwater Fauna for Personal Use. Section 15315. Commercial Harvest of Freshwater Fauna. The commercial harvest of freshwater fauna is prohibited. This does not include cultivated freshwater fauna from aquaculture facilities. Section 15315.1. Taking of Freshwater Fauna for Personal Use. (a) Bag Limit. No more than four (4) peacock bass (Tucunare) may be taken into possession per day. No peacock bass less than ten (10) inches in length may be taken. Peacock bass must be kept whole until cooked or frozen and may not be impaled. Tilapia, catfish, prawns and freshwater eels are considered non-game fish and can be harvested without limit all year. (b) Gear. (1) Take of peacock bass shall be limited to hook and line fishing techniques, includes, but is not limited to, use of fishing rods and poles. It shall be unlawful to puncture, impale or spear any peacock bass. Any peacock bass which does not meet the minimum size requirements must be released immediately. If undersized gamefish are hooked in such a way that the hook can not be removed without killing the fish, the line must be cut as close to the hook as is possible and the fish released. Any peacock bass in confinement will be considered taken and subject to harvest regulations. Upon take, peacock bass are not to be impaled for confinement, stringers are prohibited. (2) Except as authorized herein, the use of nets is prohibited in take of any freshwater fauna. A landing net with a handle may be used to net a fish already hooked while fishing. The diameter of the opening on the landing net shall not exceed two (2) feet or four (4) square feet. A handled dip net with a handle and opening not to exceed one (1) foot in diameter or one (1) square foot may be used to take up to one hundred (100) freshwater animals less than three (3) inches in length (non-gamefish) per day,