[Federal Register: December 16, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 241)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 76998-77001]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16de02-14]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 991207325-0063-02; I.D. 100699A]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; North
Pacific Halibut and Sablefish IFQ Cost Recovery Program
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of standard prices and fee percentage for North Pacific
halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) cost recovery
program.
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SUMMARY: The NMFS publishes IFQ standard prices and notification of
adjustment of the IFQ fee percentage for the IFQ Cost Recovery Program
in the halibut and sablefish fisheries of the North Pacific. This
action is required by regulations in 50 CFR part 679. This action is
intended to provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQs with
information to calculate the payments required for IFQ cost recovery
fees due by January 31, 2003.
DATES: Effective December 16, 2002.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristie Balovich, Fee Coordinator,
907-586-7344.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
NMFS, Alaska Region, administers the halibut and sablefish IFQ
programs in the North Pacific. The IFQ Programs are limited access
systems authorized by section 303(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) and the Northern
Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. Fishing under the IFQ Programs 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 (by Public Law 104-
297) to, among other things, require the Secretary of Commerce to
``collect a fee to recover the actual costs directly related to the
management and enforcement of any * * * individual fishing quota
program.'' (Section 304(d)(2)(A)). Section 304(d)(2) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Act specifies an upper limit on these fees, when the fees must
be collected, and where the fees must be deposited. Section 303(d)(4)
of the Magnuson-Stevens Act allows
[[Page 76999]]
NMFS to reserve up to 25 percent of the fees collected for use in an
IFQ loan program to aid in financing the purchase of IFQ or quota share
(QS) by entry-level and small-vessel fishermen.
On December 27, 1999, NMFS published a proposed rule to implement
the IFQ Cost Recovery Program (64 FR 72302) and published the final
rule on March 20, 2000 (65 FR 14919). The final regulations
implementing the IFQ Cost Recovery Program are set forth at 50 CFR
679.45.
Under the regulations, an IFQ permit holder incurs a cost recovery
fee liability for every pound of IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish that is
landed on his or her IFQ permit(s). The IFQ permit holder is
responsible for self-collecting the fee liability for all IFQ halibut
and IFQ sablefish landings on his or her permit(s). The IFQ permit
holder is also responsible for submitting a fee liability payment to
NMFS on or before the due date of January 31 following the year in
which the IFQ landings were made. The dollar amount of the fee due is
determined by multiplying the annual IFQ fee percentage (3 percent or
less) by the ex-vessel value of each IFQ landing made on a permit and
summing the totals of each permit (if more than one).
Fee Percentage
Three percent of the ex-vessel value of IFQ halibut and IFQ
sablefish harvested is the maximum fee amount allowed by section
304(d)(2)(B) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Regulations at Sec.
679.45(d) allow the Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS (Regional
Administrator), to reduce the fee percentage if actual management and
enforcement costs could be recovered through a lesser percentage. In
this event the Regional Administrator will publish a notification of
any adjustment of the IFQ fee percentage in the Federal Register
pursuant to Sec. 679.45(d)(4).
For 2002, the Regional Administrator has determined that a fee of
2.0 percent (0.02) is necessary to recover the actual management and
enforcement costs. Therefore, the Regional Administrator is adjusting
the cost recovery fee applicable to year 2002 IFQ landings from 3
percent (0.03) to 2.0 percent (0.02).
Standard Prices
The fee liability is based on the sum of all payments of monetary
worth made to fishermen for the sale of the fish. 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 ex-vessel
value'' and ``standard ex-vessel value.'' ``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 on which to base fee
liability calculations. However, IFQ permit holders have the option of
using ``actual ex-vessel value'' if they can satisfactorily document
those values.
Regulations at Sec. 679.45(c)(2)(i) require 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 sablefish landings, to calculate standard
values. The standard prices are described in U.S. dollars per IFQ
equivalent pound, for IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings made
during the year. IFQ equivalent pound(s) means the weight amount,
recorded in pounds, for an IFQ landing and calculated as round weight
for sablefish and headed and gutted (``net'') weight for halibut. NMFS
calculates the standard prices to reflect, as closely as possible, by
month and port or port-group, the variations in the actual ex-vessel
values of IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings. The standard prices
for IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish are listed in the following table.
Data from ports are combined as necessary to protect confidentiality of
data submissions.
REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD PRICES BY LANDING LOCATION FOR 2002 IFQ SEASON
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HALIBUT SABLEFISH
LANDING LOCATION PERIOD ENDING STANDARD STANDARD
PRICE PRICE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CORDOVA March 31....... ........... ...........
April 30....... $1.99 ...........
May 31......... $1.99 $1.99
June 30........ $2.03
July 31........ $2.21
August 31...... $2.44
September 30... $2.77
October 31..... $2.77
November 30.... $2.77
DUTCH HARBOR March 31....... ........... ...........
April 30....... $1.83 ...........
May 31......... $1.77 $1.76
June 30........ $1.87 $1.78
July 31........ $1.96 ...........
August 31...... $2.12 $2.10
September 30... $2.29 $1.95
October 31..... $2.29 $1.95
November 30.... $2.29 $1.95
HOMER March 31....... $2.17 $1.85
April 30....... $2.13 $1.86
May 31......... $1.97 ...........
June 30........ $2.07 ...........
July 31........ $2.19 $2.18
August 31...... $2.54 $2.17
September 30... $2.90
October 31..... $2.90
November 30.... $2.90
[[Page 77000]]
KETCHIKAN March 31....... ........... ...........
April 30....... ...........
May 31......... $2.06
June 30........ ...........
July 31........ $2.20
August 31...... $2.40
September 30... $2.74
October 31..... $2.74
November 30.... $2.74
KODIAK March 31....... $2.13 ...........
April 30....... $1.89 $1.98
May 31......... $1.34 $1.98
June 30........ $1.91 $2.04
July 31........ $1.97 $2.20
August 31...... $2.23 ...........
September 30... $2.56 $2.34
October 31..... $2.56 $2.34
November 30.... $2.56 $2.34
PETERSBURG March 31....... $2.06 ...........
April 30....... $2.04 ...........
May 31......... $2.03 $2.03
June 30........ $2.02
July 31........ $2.08
August 31...... $2.37
September 30... $2.71
October 31..... $2.71
November 30.... $2.71
SEWARD March 31....... $2.28 $2.01
April 30....... $2.07 $1.94
May 31......... $1.92 $1.94
June 30........ $1.99 $2.03
July 31........ ........... ...........
August 31...... ........... ...........
September 30... $2.73 $2.40
October 31..... $2.73 $2.40
November 30.... $2.73 $2.40
SITKA March 31....... ........... ...........
April 30....... $1.95
May 31......... ...........
June 30........ ...........
July 31........ ...........
August 31...... ...........
September 30... $2.68
October 31..... $2.68
November 30.... $2.68
------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD PRICES BY PORT GROUP FOR 2002 IFQ SEASON
------------------------------------------------------------------------
HALIBUT SABLEFISH
PORT GROUP PERIOD ENDING STANDARD STANDARD
PRICE PRICE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\BERING SEA March 31....... ........... ...........
April 30....... $1.70 $1.78
May 31......... $1.76 $1.82
June 30........ $1.84 $1.90
July 31........ $1.93 $1.98
August 31...... $2.07 $2.11
September 30... $2.25 $2.00
October 31..... $2.25 $2.00
November 30.... $2.25 $2.00
[[Page 77001]]
\2\CENTRAL GULF March 31....... $2.19 $1.98
April 30....... $2.04 $2.04
May 31......... $1.75 $1.99
June 30........ $1.98 $2.07
July 31........ $2.07 $2.15
August 31...... $2.46 $2.23
September 30... $2.67 $2.44
October 31..... $2.67 $2.44
November 30.... $2.67 $2.44
\3\SOUTHEAST March 31....... $2.14 $2.06
April 30....... $2.05 $2.04
May 31......... $2.04 $2.09
June 30........ $2.03 $2.22
July 31........ $2.17 $2.28
August 31...... $2.37 $2.34
September 30... $2.72 $2.64
October 31..... $2.72 $2.64
November 30.... $2.72 $2.64
\4\ALL March 31....... $2.16 $2.03
April 30....... $2.03 $2.02
May 31......... $1.83 $2.00
June 30........ $1.97 $2.11
July 31........ $2.04 $2.14
August 31...... $2.26 $2.23
September 30... $2.60 $2.49
October 31..... $2.60 $2.49
November 30.... $2.60 $2.49
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 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.
\2\ Landing Locations Within Port Group - Central Gulf of Alaska: Anchor
Point, Anchorage, 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.
\3\ 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.
\4\ 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.
Dated: December 4, 2002.
Bruce C. Morehead,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 02-31447 Filed 12-13-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S