Notice2025-24029
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; North Pacific Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Cost Recovery Program
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Published
December 31, 2025
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 2025 is 2.4 percent. This action is intended to provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2025 standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2026.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 247 (Wednesday, December 31, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 31, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61380-61383]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-24029]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XF382]
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: Notification of standard prices and fee percentage.
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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 2025 is 2.4 percent. This action is intended to
provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2025
standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment
for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2026.
DATES: The standard prices and fee percentages are valid on December
31, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tristan Mandeville, Fee Coordinator,
907-586-7231.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 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 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 2025 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, and procurement. NMFS is continuing to review
our analysis of cost recovery and the appropriate costs to collect to
support these programs as designed. NMFS plans to provide a
comprehensive discussion of agency costs in the upcoming annual report
for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, scheduled for June
2026, which may result in changes to how agency costs are calculated
for future fee notices. NMFS calculates the fishery value as
[[Page 61381]]
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 2025
calendar year is 2.4 percent of the standard ex-vessel value. An IFQ
permit holder is to use the fee percentage of 2.4 percent to calculate
their fee for IFQ equivalent pound(s) landed during the 2025 halibut
and sablefish IFQ fishing season. An IFQ permit holder is responsible
for submitting the 2025 IFQ fee payment to NMFS on or before January
31, 2026. 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="https://www.pay.gov">https://www.pay.gov</a>
program. NMFS does not accept credit card information by phone or in-
person for fee payments.
The 2025 fee percentage of 2.4 percent is less than the 2024 fee
percent of 3.0 percent (89 FR 105006, December 26, 2024). Net fishery
management costs decreased by 12.5 percent compared to 2024, and the
total fishery value increased by 28 percent compared to 2024, resulting
in a lower fee percentage for 2025.
Table 1--Registered Buyer Standard Ex-Vessel Prices by Landing Location for the 2025 IFQ Season \1\
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HALIBUT SABLEFISH
Landing Location Period ending standard ex- standard ex-
vessel price vessel price
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CORDOVA....................................... March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ .............. ..............
May 31.......................... .............. ..............
June 30......................... .............. ..............
July 31......................... .............. ..............
August 31....................... .............. ..............
September 30.................... .............. 2.19
October 31...................... .............. 2.19
November 30..................... .............. 2.19
December 31..................... .............. 2.19
HOMER......................................... March 31........................ 6.58 ..............
April 30........................ 7.06 2.14
May 31.......................... 8.28 ..............
June 30......................... 8.48 2.39
July 31......................... 8.4 ..............
August 31....................... 8.4 3.00
September 30.................... 8.6 ..............
October 31...................... 8.6 ..............
November 30..................... 8.6 ..............
December 31..................... 8.6 ..............
KETCHIKAN..................................... March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ .............. ..............
May 31.......................... .............. ..............
June 30......................... .............. ..............
July 31......................... .............. ..............
August 31....................... .............. ..............
September 30.................... 8.22 ..............
October 31...................... 8.22 ..............
November 30..................... 8.22 ..............
December 31..................... 8.22 ..............
KODIAK........................................ March 31........................ 11.33 ..............
April 30........................ 6.88 ..............
May 31.......................... 8.01 ..............
June 30......................... 7.97 ..............
July 31......................... 8.24 ..............
August 31....................... 8.16 ..............
September 30.................... 8.19 1.93
October 31...................... 8.19 1.93
November 30..................... 8.19 1.93
December 31..................... 8.19 1.93
PETERSBURG.................................... March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ 6.63 ..............
May 31.......................... 6.16 ..............
June 30......................... 8.45 ..............
July 31......................... .............. ..............
August 31....................... .............. ..............
September 30.................... .............. ..............
October 31...................... .............. ..............
November 30..................... .............. ..............
December 31..................... .............. ..............
SITKA......................................... March 31........................ 6.71 ..............
April 30........................ .............. ..............
May 31.......................... .............. ..............
June 30......................... .............. ..............
July 31......................... .............. ..............
August 31....................... 7.60 2.07
September 30.................... 7.66 ..............
[[Page 61382]]
October 31...................... 7.66 ..............
November 30..................... 7.66 ..............
December 31..................... 7.66 ..............
BERING SEA \2\................................ March 31........................ .............. ..............
April 30........................ .............. ..............
May 31.......................... .............. 1.6
June 30......................... 6.00 2.01
July 31......................... 6.40 2.04
August 31....................... 6.59 ..............
September 30.................... 6.72 1.94
October 31...................... 6.72 1.94
November 30..................... 6.72 1.94
December 31..................... 6.72 1.94
CENTRAL GULF OF ALASKA \3\.................... March 31........................ 7.44 2.19
April 30........................ 6.94 2.14
May 31.......................... 8.04 1.77
June 30......................... 8.19 1.63
July 31......................... 8.2 1.94
August 31....................... 8.25 2.14
September 30.................... 8.33 1.94
October 31...................... 8.33 1.94
November 30..................... 8.33 1.94
December 31..................... 8.33 1.94
SOUTHEAST ALASKA \4\.......................... March 31........................ 7.2 1.66
April 30........................ 6.58 1.74
May 31.......................... 7.29 1.75
June 30......................... 4.21 1.92
July 31......................... 7.84 2.01
August 31....................... 7.98 2.06
September 30.................... 8.01 2.10
October 31...................... 8.01 2.10
November 30..................... 8.01 2.10
December 31..................... 8.01 2.10
ALL--ALASKA \5\............................... March 31........................ 7.26 1.81
April 30........................ 6.67 1.83
May 31.......................... 7.62 1.71
June 30......................... 6.06 1.88
July 31......................... 7.60 1.99
August 31....................... 7.77 2.10
September 30.................... 7.97 1.99
October 31...................... 7.97 1.99
November 30..................... 7.97 1.99
December 31..................... 7.97 1.99
ALL \5\....................................... March 31........................ 7.26 1.81
April 30........................ 6.67 1.83
May 31.......................... 7.62 1.71
June 30......................... 6.06 1.88
July 31......................... 7.60 1.99
August 31....................... 7.80 2.10
September 30.................... 7.97 1.99
October 31...................... 7.97 1.99
November 30..................... 7.97 1.99
December 31..................... 7.97 1.99
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\1\ Note: In many instances, prices are not shown in order to comply with confidentiality guidelines when there
are fewer than three registered buyers 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, Perryville, 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.
[[Page 61383]]
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 23, 2025.
Peter Cooper,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-24029 Filed 12-30-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 31, 2025.
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.