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 Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648-XA580]
 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 2020 is 3.0 percent. This action is intended to provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2020 standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2021.
 DATES: The standard prices and fee percentages are valid on December 18, 2020.
 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. 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 § 304(d)(2)(A). 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 § 679.45 implementing cost recovery for the IFQ Program (65 FR 14919). Under the regulations, an IFQ permit holder must pay a cost recovery fee for every pound of IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish that is landed on their IFQ permit(s). The IFQ permit holder is responsible for self-collecting the fee for all IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings on their permit(s). The IFQ permit holder is also responsible for submitting IFQ fee payment(s) to NMFS on or before the due date of January 31 of the year following the year in which the IFQ landings were made. The total dollar amount of the fee due 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 § 679.45(d)(1) and (d)(3)(i), NMFS publishes this notice of the fee percentage for the halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                     during or before 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 year. According to § 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 
                    ( print page 82443)
                    pounds landed as guided angler fish is converted to IFQ equivalent pound(s) as specified in § 300.65(c)(5)(ii)(E) of this title. 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 § 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 IFQ halibut and IFQ sablefish landings made during the previous year (fishery value). NMFS captures 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, the estimated percentage of management costs to fishery value for the 2020 calendar year is 4.3 percent of the standard ex-vessel value; however, the fee percentage must not exceed 3.0 percent pursuant to § 304(d)(2)(B) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Therefore, the 2020 fee percentage is set at 3.0 percent. An IFQ permit holder is to use the fee percentage of 3.0 percent to calculate his or her fee for IFQ equivalent pound(s) landed during the 2020 halibut and sablefish IFQ fishing season. An IFQ permit holder is responsible for submitting the 2020 IFQ fee payment to NMFS on or before January 31, 2021. Payment must be made in accordance with the payment methods set forth in § 679.45(a)(4). NMFS no longer accepts credit card information by phone or in-person for fee payments. NMFS has determined that the practice of accepting credit card information by phone or in-person no longer meets agency standards for protection of personal financial information (81 FR 23645, April 22, 2016). The 2020 fee percentage of 3.0 percent is the same as the 2019 fee percentage of 3.0 percent (84 FR 70153, December 20, 2019). Between 2019 and 2020 there was a net 1.6 percent decrease in management costs; however, the decrease in costs was offset by a 31.3 percent drop in the value of the halibut and sablefish harvests over the same time period. The drop in value was primarily due to low ex-vessel prices in both the sablefish and halibut fisheries in 2020. The drop in value, despite the decrease in management costs, impacted the fee percentage to raise it to its actual value of 4.3 percent. As noted above, however, the fee percentage is capped at 3.0 percent for the IFQ program. Table 1—Registered Buyer Standard Ex-Vessel Prices by Landing Location for the 2020 IFQ Season 
                        1
Landing location
Period ending
Halibut
                             standard ex 
                             vessel price
Sablefish
                             standard ex 
                             vessel priceCORDOVAMarch 31April 30May 31June 30
4.16July 31
3.89August 31
2.78September 30
4.12
1.89October 31
4.12
1.89November 30
4.12
1.89HOMERMarch 31April 30May 31
4.2
1.44June 30
4.46
1.69July 31
4.57August 31
4.38
1.94September 30
4.21October 31
4.2130-Nov
4.21KETCHIKANMarch 31April 30May 31
3.81June 30
4.07July 31
4.18August 31
4.69September 30
4.8October 31
4.8November 30
4.8KODIAKMarch 31April 30
3.93
1.39May 31
3.75
1.31June 30
3.83
1.57July 31
4.14
1.35August 31
4.19
1.73September 30
4.1
1.57October 31
4.1
1.57November 30
4.1
1.57PETERSBURGMarch 31April 30May 31( print page 82444)June 30
3.97July 31
4.47August 31
4.39September 30
4.15October 31
4.15November 30
4.15SEWARDMarch 31April 30May 31June 30July 31
4.75
1.63August 31
4.37
1.63September 30October 31November 30SITKAMarch 31
3.97April 30
3.76
2.06May 31
4.03
1.85June 30
4.24
2.11July 31
4.28
2.24August 31September 30
4.17
1.92October 31
4.17
1.92November 30
4.17
1.92YAKUTATMarch 31April 30May 31June 30
4.3July 31
4.68August 31
4.34September 30
4.28October 31
4.28November 30
4.28PORT GROUP BERING SEA 2March 31April 30May 31
3.41
1.65June 30
3.53
1.56July 31
3.61August 31
3.87
1.93September 30
3.88
1.3October 31
3.88
1.3November 30
3.88
1.3PORT GROUP CENTRAL GOA 3March 31
4.16
1.92April 30
3.94
2May 31
4
2June 30
4.23
2.14July 31
4.36
1.64August 31
4.18
1.76September 30
4.13
1.61October 31
4.13
1.61November 30
4.13
1.61PORT GROUP SE ALASKA 4March 31
4.41
2.28April 30
3.96
2.02May 31
4.03
1.94June 30
4.17
2.03July 31
4.25
1.97August 31
4.44
2.14September 30
4.36
2.07October 31
4.36
2.07November 30
4.36
2.07ALL-ALASKA 5March 31
4.34
2.16April 30
3.92
1.97May 31
3.98
1.92June 30
4.1
1.98July 31
4.19
1.77August 31
4.15
1.85September 30
4.13
1.8October 31
4.13
1.8November 30
4.13
1.8ALL 5March 31
4.34
2.16( print page 82445)April 30
3.92
1.97May 31
3.98
1.92June 30
4.1
1.98July 31
4.19
1.77August 31
4.15
1.85September 30
4.13
1.8October 31
4.13
1.8November 30
4.13
1.81
                         
                        *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.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 2, 3, and 4. 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, Rainier, 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 14, 2020. Jennifer M. Wallace, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.


[FR Doc. 2020-27881 Filed 12-17-20; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P