(ii) Is for the protection or welfare of the animal, is for the protection of the public health or welfare, or is for the salvage or disposal of a dead specimen;

(iii) Includes steps designed to ensure the return of the animal to its natural habitat, if feasible; and

(iv) Is reported within 30 days to the Regional Administrator, Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802.

(3) Any animal or specimen taken under paragraph (b)(2) of this section may only be retained, disposed of, or salvaged in accordance with directions from the Director, Southwest Region.

[50 FR 51258, Dec. 16, 1985. Redesignated and amended at 64 FR 14068, Mar. 23, 1999]

$223.202 Steller sea lion.

(a) General prohibitions. The prohibitions of section 9 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1538) and the following regulatory provisions shall apply to the eastern population of Steller sea lions:

firearm is any weapon, such as a pistol or rifle, capable of firing a missile using an explosive charge as a propellant.

(2) No approach in buffer areas. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section:

(i) No owner or operator of a vessel may allow the vessel to approach within 3 nautical miles (5.5 kilometers) of a Steller sea lion rookery site listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section;

(ii) No person may approach on land not privately owned within one-half statutory miles (0.8 kilometers) or within sight of a Steller sea lion rookery site listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, whichever is greater, except on Marmot Island; and

(iii) No person may approach on land not privately owned within one and one-half statutory miles (2.4 kilometers) or within sight of the eastern shore of Marmot Island, including the Steller sea lion rookery site listed in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, whichever is greater.

(1) No discharge of firearms. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States may discharge a firearm at or within 100 yards (91.4 meters) of a Steller sea lion. A TABLE 1 TO §223.202-LISTED STELLER SEA LION ROOKERY SITES1

(3) Listed sea lion rookery sites. Listed Steller sea lion rookery sites consist of the rookeries in the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska listed in Table

1.

TABLE 1 TO $223.202-LISTED STELLER SEA LION ROOKERY SITES 1-Continued

'Each site extends in a clockwise direction from the first set of geographic coordinates along the shoreline at mean lower low water to the second set of coordinates; or, if only one set of geographic coordinates is listed, the site extends around the entire shoreline of the island at mean lower low water.