15 C.F.R. § 905.2
Definitions.
Cite as 15 C.F.R. § 905.2 (2026)
When used in this part:
Consenting owner
means the owner, operator, or crewmember of a vessel carrying a voluntary fishery data collector.
Enforcement proceeding
means any judicial or administrative trial or hearing, initiated for the purpose of imposing any civil or criminal penalty authorized under the Magnuson Act, MMPA, or ESA, including but not limited to, any proceeding initiated to: Impose a monetary penalty; modify, sanction, suspend or revoke a lease, license or permit; secure forfeiture of seized property; or incarcerate an individual.
ESA
means the Endangered Species Act, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.
, and implementing regulations.
Information
means all observations, data, statistics, photographs, film, or recordings collected by a voluntary fishery data collector for conservation and management purposes, as defined by the Magnuson Act, MMPA, or ESA, while onboard the vessel of a consenting owner.
Magnuson Act
means the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.
, and implementing regulations.
MMPA
means the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1361
et seq.,
and implementing regulations.
Secretary
means the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of the Interior, their chosen designees, or any other Federal agency authorized to enforce the provisions of the Magnuson Act, MMPA, or ESA.
Vessel
means any vessel as defined at 16 U.S.C. 1802(31).
Voluntary fishery data collector
means:
(1) Any person, including an observer or a sea sampler;
(2) Placed aboard a vessel by the Secretary;
(3) For the purpose of collecting information; and
(4) Whose presence aboard that vessel is not required by the Secretary pursuant to provisions of the Magnuson Act, MMPA, or ESA, or their implementing regulations.
- Cross-references to the US Code
- 16:136116:153116:180116:1802