Notice2023-28707
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; North Pacific Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Cost Recovery Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 28, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
NMFS publishes the individual fishing quota (IFQ) standard prices and fee percentage for cost recovery for the IFQ Program for the halibut and sablefish fisheries of the North Pacific (IFQ Program). The fee percentage for 2023 is 3.0 percent. This action is intended to provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2023 standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2024.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 248 (Thursday, December 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89667-89670]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28707]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD570]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; North
Pacific Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Cost Recovery
Program
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS); National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of standard prices and fee percentage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS publishes the individual fishing quota (IFQ) standard
prices and fee percentage for cost recovery for the IFQ Program for the
halibut and sablefish fisheries of the North Pacific (IFQ Program). The
fee percentage for 2023 is 3.0 percent. This action is intended to
provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2023
standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment
for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2024.
DATES: The standard prices and fee percentages are valid on December
28, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charmaine Weeks, Fee Coordinator, 907-
586-7231.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
NMFS Alaska Region administers the IFQ Program in the North
Pacific. The IFQ Program is a limited access system authorized by the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act) and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut
Act). Fishing under the IFQ Program began in March 1995. Regulations
implementing the IFQ Program are set forth at 50 CFR part 679.
In 1996, the Magnuson-Stevens Act was amended to, among other
purposes, require the Secretary of Commerce to collect a fee to recover
the actual costs directly related to the management and enforcement of
any individual quota program. This requirement was further amended in
2006 to include collection of the actual costs of data collection and
to replace the reference to ``individual quota program'' with a more
general reference to ``limited access privilege program'' at section
304(d)(2)(A) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Section 304(d)(2) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act also specifies an upper limit on these fees, when
the fees must be collected, and where the fees must be deposited.
On March 20, 2000, NMFS published regulations at Sec. 679.45 to
implement cost recovery for the IFQ Program (65 FR 14919, March 20,
2000). Under the regulations, an IFQ permit holder must pay a cost
recovery fee for every pound of IFQ halibut and sablefish that is
landed on their IFQ permit(s), including any halibut that is landed as
guided angler fish. The IFQ permit holder is responsible for self-
collecting the fee for all IFQ halibut and sablefish landings on their
permit(s). The IFQ permit holder is also responsible for submitting
[[Page 89668]]
IFQ fee payments(s) to NMFS on or before January 31 of the year
following the year in which the IFQ landings were made. The total
dollar amount of the fee is determined by multiplying the NMFS
published fee percentage by the ex-vessel value of all IFQ landings
made on the permit(s) during the IFQ fishing year. As required by Sec.
679.45(d)(1) and (d)(3)(i), NMFS publishes this notice of the fee
percentage for the IFQ halibut and sablefish fisheries in the Federal
Register during or prior to the last quarter of each year.
Standard Prices
The fee is based on the sum of all payments from for example, fish
processors, made to fishermen for the sale of the fish during the year.
This includes any retro-payments (e.g., bonuses, delayed partial
payments, post-season payments) made to the IFQ permit holder for
previously landed IFQ halibut or sablefish.
For purposes of calculating IFQ cost recovery fees, NMFS
distinguishes between two types of ex-vessel value: actual and
standard. Actual ex-vessel value is the amount of all compensation,
monetary or non-monetary, that an IFQ permit holder received as payment
for his or her IFQ fish sold. Standard ex-vessel value is the default
value used to calculate the fee. IFQ permit holders have the option of
using actual ex-vessel value if they can satisfactorily document it;
otherwise, the standard ex-vessel value is used.
Section 679.45(b)(3)(iii) requires the Regional Administrator to
publish IFQ standard prices during the last quarter of each calendar
year. These standard prices are used, along with estimates of IFQ
halibut and IFQ sablefish landings, to calculate standard ex-vessel
values. The standard prices are described in U.S. dollars per IFQ
equivalent pound for IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings made during
the 2023 year. According to Sec. 679.2, IFQ equivalent pound(s) means
the weight amount, recorded in pounds, and calculated as round weight
for sablefish and headed and gutted weight for halibut, for an IFQ
landing. The weight of halibut in pounds landed as guided angler fish
is converted to IFQ equivalent pound(s) as specified in 50 CFR
300.65(c)(5)(ii)(E). NMFS calculates the standard prices to closely
reflect the variations in the actual ex-vessel values of IFQ halibut
and IFQ sablefish landings by month and port or port-group. The
standard prices for IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish are listed in the
tables that follow the next section. Data from ports are combined as
necessary to protect confidentiality.
Fee Percentage
NMFS calculates the fee percentage each year according to the
factors and methods described at Sec. 679.45(d)(2). NMFS determines
the fee percentage that applies to landings made in the previous year
by dividing the total costs directly related to the management, data
collection, and enforcement of the IFQ Program (management costs)
during the previous year by the total standard ex-vessel value of
halibut and sablefish IFQ landings made during the previous year
(fishery value). NMFS identifies the actual management costs associated
with certain management, data collection, and enforcement functions
through an established accounting system that allows staff to track
labor, travel, contracts, rent, and procurement. NMFS calculates the
fishery value as described under the section Standard Prices.
Using the fee percentage formula described above, NMFS determined
that the percentage of management costs to fishery value for the 2023
calendar year is 3.4 percent of the standard ex-vessel value; however,
the fee percentage must not exceed 3.0 percent pursuant to Sec.
304(d)(2)(B) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Therefore, the 2023 fee
percentage is set at 3.0 percent. An IFQ permit holder is to use the
fee percentage of 3.0 percent to calculate their fee for IFQ equivalent
pound(s) landed during the 2023 halibut and sablefish IFQ fishing
season. An IFQ permit holder is responsible for submitting the 2023 IFQ
fee payment to NMFS on or before January 31, 2024. Payment must be made
in accordance with the payment methods set forth in Sec.
679.45(a)(4)(iv). Payment can be made using credit card, debit card, or
electronic check via the <a href="http://pay.gov">pay.gov</a> program. NMFS does not accept credit
card information by phone or in-person for fee payments.
The 2023 fee percentage of 3.0 percent is higher than the 2022 fee
percentage of 1.9 percent (87 FR 79869, December 28, 2022). Between
2022 and 2023 there was a net increase in management costs and a net
decrease in fishery value. Management costs increased by approximately
15 percent while fishery value decreased by approximately 34 percent.
The net decrease in value was due to lower ex-vessel prices and
landings for both halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries.
Table 1--Registered Buyer Standard Ex-Vessel Prices by Landing Location for the 2023 IFQ Season \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Halibut Sablefish
Landing location Period ending standard ex standard ex
vessel price vessel price
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOMER:
March 31........................ 6.00 1.27
April 30........................ 6.02 1.19
May 31.......................... 5.48 1.02
June 30......................... 6.08 3.12
July 31......................... 5.87 ..............
August 31....................... 5.26 2.00
September 30.................... 4.81 1.80
October 31...................... 4.81 1.80
November 30..................... 4.81 1.80
December 31..................... 4.81 1.80
KETCHIKAN:
March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ 6.60 ..............
May 31.......................... 6.76 ..............
June 30......................... .............. ..............
July 31......................... .............. ..............
August 31....................... 6.16 ..............
September 30.................... .............. ..............
October 31...................... .............. ..............
November 30..................... .............. ..............
[[Page 89669]]
December 31..................... .............. ..............
KODIAK:
March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ 5.22 1.00
May 31.......................... 5.06 1.39
June 30......................... 5.13 1.70
July 31......................... 5.18 1.50
August 31....................... 5.10 1.50
September 30.................... 4.42 1.15
October 31...................... 4.42 1.15
November 30..................... 4.42 1.15
December 31..................... 4.42 1.15
PETERSBURG:
March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ .............. ..............
May 31.......................... 5.91 ..............
June 30......................... .............. ..............
July 31......................... .............. ..............
August 31....................... .............. ..............
September 30.................... .............. ..............
October 31...................... .............. ..............
November 30..................... .............. ..............
December 31..................... .............. ..............
SEWARD:
March 31........................ 6.21 1.49
April 30........................ 5.86 1.31
May 31.......................... 5.41 1.47
June 30......................... .............. ..............
July 31......................... .............. ..............
August 31....................... .............. ..............
September 30.................... .............. ..............
October 31...................... .............. ..............
November 30..................... .............. ..............
December 31..................... .............. ..............
BERING SEA: \2\
March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ 5.59 1.26
May 31.......................... 5.41 1.48
June 30......................... .............. 1.18
July 31......................... 5.39 1.04
August 31....................... 5.01 1.32
September 30.................... 4.82 1.35
October 31...................... 4.82 1.35
November 30..................... 4.82 1.35
December 31..................... 4.82 1.35
CENTRAL GULF OF ALASKA: \3\
March 31........................ 6.03 1.16
April 30........................ 5.79 1.29
May 31.......................... 5.32 1.45
June 30......................... 5.81 1.84
July 31......................... 5.74 1.60
August 31....................... 5.27 1.67
September 30.................... 4.73 1.33
October 31...................... 4.73 1.33
November 30..................... 4.73 1.33
December 31..................... 4.73 1.33
SOUTHEAST ALASKA: \4\
March 31........................ 6.87 2.21
April 30........................ 6.22 1.90
May 31.......................... 5.93 1.85
June 30......................... 5.86 2.06
July 31......................... 5.81 2.36
August 31....................... 5.75 2.57
September 30.................... 5.26 1.91
October 31...................... 5.26 1.91
November 30..................... 5.26 1.91
December 31..................... 5.26 1.91
ALL-ALASKA: \5\
March 31........................ 6.62 1.89
[[Page 89670]]
April 30........................ 6.02 1.50
May 31.......................... 5.63 1.58
June 30......................... 5.77 1.73
July 31......................... 5.68 1.59
August 31....................... 5.34 1.79
September 30.................... 4.90 1.55
October 31...................... 4.90 1.55
November 30..................... 4.90 1.55
December 31..................... 4.90 1.55
ALL: \5\
March 31........................ 6.62 1.89
April 30........................ 6.02 1.50
May 31.......................... 5.63 1.58
June 30......................... 5.77 1.73
July 31......................... 5.68 1.59
August 31....................... 5.34 1.79
September 30.................... 4.90 1.55
October 31...................... 4.90 1.55
November 30..................... 4.90 1.55
December 31..................... 4.90 1.55
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Note: In many instances, prices are not shown in order to comply with confidentiality guidelines when there
are fewer than three processors operating in a location during a month. Additionally, landings at different
harbors in the same general location (e.g. ``Juneau, Douglas, and Auke Bay'') have been combined to report
landings to the main port (e.g., ``Juneau'').
\2\ Landing Locations Within Port Group--Bering Sea: Adak, Akutan, Akutan Bay, Atka, Bristol Bay, Chefornak,
Dillingham, Captains Bay, Dutch Harbor, Egegik, Ikatan Bay, Hooper Bay, King Cove, King Salmon, Kipnuk,
Mekoryuk, Naknek, Nome, Quinhagak, Savoonga, St. George, St. Lawrence, St. Paul, Togiak, Toksook Bay, Tununak,
Beaver Inlet, Ugadaga Bay, Unalaska.
\3\ Landing Locations Within Port Group--Central Gulf of Alaska: Anchor Point, Anchorage, Alitak, Chignik,
Cordova, Eagle River, False Pass, West Anchor Cove, Girdwood, Chinitna Bay, Halibut Cove, Homer, Kasilof,
Kenai, Kenai River, Alitak, Kodiak, Port Bailey, Nikiski, Ninilchik, Old Harbor, Palmer, Sand Point, Seldovia,
Resurrection Bay, Seward, Valdez, Whittier.
\4\ Landing Locations Within Port Group--Southeast Alaska: Angoon, Baranof Warm Springs, Craig, Edna Bay, Elfin
Cove, Excursion Inlet, Gustavus, Haines, Hollis, Hoonah, Hyder, Auke Bay, Douglas, Tee Harbor, Juneau, Kake,
Ketchikan, Klawock, Metlakatla, Pelican, Petersburg, Portage Bay, Port Alexander, Port Graham, Port
Protection, Point Baker, Sitka, Skagway, Tenakee Springs, Thorne Bay, Wrangell, Yakutat.
\5\ Landing Locations Within Port Group--All: For Alaska: All landing locations included in 1, 2, and 3. For
California: Eureka, Fort Bragg, Other California. For Oregon: Astoria, Aurora, Lincoln City, Newport,
Warrenton, Other Oregon. For Washington: Anacortes, Bellevue, Bellingham, Nagai Island, Edmonds, Everett,
Granite Falls, Ilwaco, La Conner, Port Angeles, Port Orchard, Port Townsend, Ranier, Fox Island, Mercer
Island, Seattle, Standwood, Other Washington. For Canada: Port Hardy, Port Edward, Prince Rupert, Vancouver,
Haines Junction, Other Canada.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 22, 2023.
Everett Wayne Baxter,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-28707 Filed 12-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 28, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.