Document headings vary by document type but may contain
                    the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
the number of the CFR title and the number of each part
                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly
                      related to
the agency docket number / agency internal file number
the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in
                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory
                      Actions See the
                    Document Drafting Handbook
                    for more details.
 Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648-XA064
 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
 ACTION: Notification of standard prices and fee percentage.
 SUMMARY: NMFS publishes individual fishing quota (IFQ) standard prices for the IFQ cost recovery program in the halibut and sablefish fisheries of the North Pacific. This action is intended to provide holders of halibut and sablefish IFQ permits with the 2010 standard prices and fee percentage to calculate the required payment for IFQ cost recovery fees due by January 31, 2011.
 DATES: Effective December 10, 2010.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Troie Zuniga, Fee Coordinator, 907-586-7231.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Background NMFS Alaska Region administers the halibut and sablefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs in the North Pacific. The IFQ programs are limited access systems 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 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 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 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). This section 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 implementing the IFQ cost recovery program (65 FR 14919), which are set forth at § 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 of the year 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 all IFQ landings made on a permit and summing the totals of each permit (if more than one). Standard Prices The fee liability 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 on which to base fee liability calculations. 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.
                    ( print page 76958) Regulations at § 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 IFQ 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) is the weight (in pounds) for an IFQ landing, calculated as the round weight for sablefish and headed and gutted net weight for halibut. 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 Section 304(d)(2)(B) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act specifies a maximum fee of 3 percent of the ex-vessel value of fish harvested under an IFQ Program. NMFS annually sets a fee percentage for sablefish and halibut IFQ holders that is based on the actual annual costs associated with certain management and enforcement functions, as well as the standard ex-vessel value of the catch subject to the IFQ fee for the current year. The method used by NMFS to calculate the IFQ fee percentage is described at § 679.45(d)(2)(ii). Regulations at § 679.45(d)(3)(i) require NMFS to publish the IFQ fee percentage for the halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                     during or before the last quarter of each year. For the 2010 sablefish and halibut IFQ fishing season, an IFQ permit holder is to use a fee liability percentage of 1.4 to calculate his or her fee for landed IFQ in pounds. The IFQ permit holder is responsible for submitting the fee liability payment to NMFS on or before January 31, 2011. Registered Buyer Standard Ex-Vessel Prices by Landing Location for 2010 IFQ Season
Landing location
Period ending
Halibut standard ex-vessel price
                             $
Sablefish standard ex-vessel price
                             $CORDOVA
February 28
—
—March 31
—
—April 30
4.43
—May 31
4.48
3.64June 30
—
—July 31
—
—August 31
5.25
—September 30
—
—October 31
—
—November 30
—
—DUTCH HARBOR
February 28
—
—March 31
—
—April 30
—
—May 31
—
—June 30
—
—July 31
—
—August 31
—
—September 30
—
—October 31
—
—November 30
—
—HOMER
February 28
—
—March 31
4.59
—April 30
4.77
—May 31
4.64
—June 30
5.06
—July 31
5.24
—August 31
5.51
—September 30
5.67
—October 31
5.67
—November 30
5.67
—KETCHIKAN
February 28
—
—March 31
—
—April 30
—
—May 31
—
—June 30
—
—July 31
4.93
—August 31
5.34
—September 30
—
—October 31
—
—November 30
—
—KODIAK
February 28
—
—March 31
4.15
4.36April 30
4.32
3.78May 31
4.31
3.65June 30
4.54
3.66July 31
4.75
3.76August 31
5.06
4.01September 30
5.30
4.23October 31
5.30
4.23( print page 76959)November 30
5.30
4.23PETERSBURG
February 28
—
—March 31
4.47
—April 30
4.59
—May 31
4.75
—June 30
5.00
—July 31
5.16
—August 31
5.38
—September 30
5.40
—October 31
5.40
—November 30
5.40
—SEWARD
February 28
—
—March 31
—
—April 30
—
—May 31
—
—June 30
—
—July 31
—
—August 31
—
—September 30
—
—October 31
—
—November 30
—
—SITKA
February 28
—
—March 31
—
—April 30
4.36
3.54May 31
4.61
3.59June 30
4.80
3.75July 31
—
—August 31
—
—September 30
—
—October 31
—
—November 30
—
—YAKUTAT
February 28
—
—March 31
—
—April 30
—
—May 31
—
—June 30
—
—July 31
—
—August 31
—
—September 30
—
—October 31
—
—November 30
—
—
 Port group
Period ending
Halibut standard ex-vessel price
                             $
Sablefish standard ex-vessel price
                             $BERING SEA 1
February 28
—
—March 31
—
—April 30
—
3.07May 31
4.09
3.41June 30
4.21
3.68July 31
4.50
3.80August 31
4.66
3.80September 30
4.60
3.72October 31
4.60
3.72November 30
4.60
3.72CENTRAL GULF 2
February 28
—
—March 31
4.61
4.14April 30
4.51
3.72May 31
4.39
3.66June 30
4.73
3.73July 31
4.93
3.72August 31
5.22
3.82September 30
5.40
3.99October 31
5.40
3.99November 30
5.40
3.99
 
 
 Registered Buyer Standard Ex-Vessel Prices by Landing Location for 2010 IFQ Season—Continued
Port group
Period ending
Halibut standard ex-vessel price
                             $
Sablefish standard ex-vessel price
                             $SOUTHEAST 3
February 28
—
—March 31
4.76
3.72April 30
4.54
3.67May 31
4.67
3.70June 30
4.83
4.01July 31
5.04
3.90August 31
5.28
4.14September 30
5.57
4.35October 31
5.57
4.35November 30
5.57
4.35ALL 4
February 28
—
—March 31
4.65
3.75April 30
4.49
3.66May 31
4.44
3.65June 30
4.67
3.80July 31
4.82
3.77August 31
5.07
3.90September 30
5.22
4.09October 31
5.22
4.09November 30
5.22
4.091
                         
                        *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, 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.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.
 Authority:
                    16 U.S.C. 1801 
                        *et seq.* Dated: December 6, 2010. Brian Parker, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.


[FR Doc. 2010-31123 Filed 12-9-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P