76578 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Bruce C. Morehead

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–31233 Filed 12–06–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 3510–22 –S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 000119014-0137-02; I.D.

113000D]

Fisheries of the Northeastern United

States; Summer Flounder Fishery;

Commercial Quota Harvested for New

York

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Commercial quota harvest.

SUMMARY: NMFS announces that the

summer flounder commercial quota

available to the State of New York has

been harvested. Vessels issued a

commercial Federal fisheries permit for

the summer flounder fishery may not

land summer flounder in New York for

the remainder of calendar year 2000,

unless additional quota becomes

available through a transfer. Regulations

governing the summer flounder fishery

require publication of this notification

to advise the State of New York that the

quota has been harvested and to advise

vessel permit holders and dealer permit

holders that no commercial quota is

available for landing summer flounder

in New York.

DATES: Effective 0001 hours, December

16, 2000, through 2400 hours, December

31, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul

H. Jones, Fishery Policy Analyst, (978)

281-9273.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Regulations governing the summer

flounder fishery are found at 50 CFR

part 648. The regulations require annual

specification of a commercial quota that

is apportioned on a percentage basis

among the coastal states from North

Carolina through Maine. The process to

set the annual commercial quota and the

percent allocated to each state is

described in § 648.100.

The initial total commercial quota for

summer flounder for the 2000 calendar

year was set equal to 11,109,214 lb

(5,039,055 kg)(65 FR 33486, May 24,

2000). The percent allocated to vessels

landing summer flounder in New York

is 7.64699 percent, or 849,672 lb

(385,405 kg).

Section 648.101(b) requires the

Administrator, Northeast Region, NMFS

(Regional Administrator) to monitor

state commercial quotas and to

determine when a state’s commercial

quota is harvested. The Regional

Administrator is further required to

publish a notification in the Federal

Register advising a state and notifying

Federal vessel and dealer permit holders

that, effective upon a specific date, the

state’s commercial quota has been

harvested and no commercial quota is

available for landing summer flounder

in that state. The Regional

Administrator has determined, based

upon dealer reports and other available

information, that the State of New York

has attained its quota for 2000.

The regulations at § 648.4(b) provide

that Federal permit holders agree as a

condition of the permit not to land

summer flounder in any state that the

Regional Administrator has determined

no longer has commercial quota

available. Therefore, effective 0001

hours, December 16, 2000, further

landings of summer flounder in New

York by vessels holding summer

flounder commercial Federal fisheries

permits are prohibited for the remainder

of the 2000 calendar year, unless

additional quota becomes available

through a transfer and is announced in

the Federal Register. Effective 0001

hours, December 16, 2000, federally

permitted dealers are also advised that

they may not purchase summer flounder

from federally permitted vessels that

land in New York for the remainder of

the calendar year, or until additional

quota becomes available through a

transfer.

Classification

This action is required by 50 CFR part

648 and is exempt from review under

E.O. 12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Bruce C. Morehead,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–31234 Filed 12–06–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 3510–22 –S

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 991207325-0063-02; I.D.

112700C]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; A Cost Recovery

Program for the Individual Fishing

Quota Program

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Notification of standard prices

and fee percentage for North Pacific

halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing

Quota (IFQ) cost recovery program.

SUMMARY: The National Marine

Fisheries Service 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 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, 2001.

DATES: The IFQ cost recovery fees for

calendar year 2000 are due on or before

January 31, 2001.

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,

section 304(d)(2)(A), was amended

(Pub.L. 104-297) to 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)(B) of the MagnusonStevens 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 NMFS to

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 76579

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 of quota share (QS) by entry-level and

small-vessel fishermen.

NMFS published, on December 27,

1999 (64 FR 72302), a proposed rule to

implement the IFQ Cost Recovery

Program 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 MagnusonStevens Act. Regulations at § 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 § 679.45(d)(4).

For 2000, the Regional Administrator

has determined that a fee of 1.8 percent

(0.018) is necessary to recover the actual

management and enforcement costs.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

adjusting the cost recovery fee

applicable to years 2000 IFQ landings

from 3 percent (0.03) to 1.8 percent

(0.018).

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 money an IFQ

permit holder received as payment for

his or her IFQ fish sold. ‘‘Standard exvessel 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 § 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 as 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 EX-VESSEL PRICES BY LANDING LOCATION FOR 2000 IFQ SEASON

Landing location Period ending Halibut standard

ex-vessel price

Sablefish

standard exvessel price

CORDOVA .................................................... March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

*

$2.50

$2.52

$2.24

$2.47

$2.50

*

*

*

*

*

$2.63

*

*

*

*

*

*

DUTCH HARBOR ......................................... March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

*

*

$2.32

$2.18

$2.25

$2.26

$2.27

$2.27

$2.27

*

*

$2.79

$2.87

*

$2.11

*

*

*

HOMER ........................................................ March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.86

$2.61

$2.62

$2.53

$2.65

$2.59

$2.61

$2.61

$2.61

*

$2.45

$2.31

*

$2.08

*

$2.20

$2.20

$2.20

76580 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD EX-VESSEL PRICES BY LANDING LOCATION FOR 2000 IFQ SEASON—

Continued

Landing location Period ending Halibut standard

ex-vessel price

Sablefish

standard exvessel price

KODIAK ........................................................ March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.86

$2.48

$2.51

$2.33

$2.36

$2.46

$2.49

$2.49

$2.49

*

$2.06

$2.17

*

*

*

$2.40

$2.40

$2.40

PETERSBURG ............................................. March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.80

$2.52

$2.58

$2.41

$2.51

$2.56

$2.60

$2.60

$2.60

*

*

*

$2.23

*

*

*

*

*

SEWARD ...................................................... March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.95

$2.49

$2.51

$2.41

$2.48

$2.55

$2.52

$2.52

$2.52

$2.40

$2.49

$2.36

$2.22

$2.26

*

*

*

*

SITKA ........................................................... March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

*

$2.50

$2.55

$2.55

$2.58

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

* 1BERING SEA .............................................. March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

*

$2.39

$2.21

$2.16

$2.20

$2.22

$2.22

$2.22

$2.22

*

$2.35

$2.26

$2.26

$2.01

$2.03

$2.10

$2.10

$2.10 2CENTRAL GULF ......................................... March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.89

$2.53

$2.51

$2.41

$2.51

$2.49

$2.52

$2.52

$2.52

$2.50

$2.48

$2.35

$2.26

$2.09

$2.25

$2.39

$2.39

$2.39 3SOUTHEAST .............................................. March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.83

$2.56

$2.60

$2.51

$2.50

$2.61

$2.63

$2.63

$2.63

$3.09

$2.62

$2.43

$2.23

$2.21

$2.34

$2.40

$2.40

$2.40

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 76581

REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD EX-VESSEL PRICES BY LANDING LOCATION FOR 2000 IFQ SEASON—

Continued

Landing location Period ending Halibut standard

ex-vessel price

Sablefish

standard exvessel price

4ALL-ALASKA ............................................... March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.86

$2.54

$2.50

$2.38

$2.38

$2.41

$2.48

$2.48

$2.48

$2.76

$2.56

$2.37

$2.25

$2.11

$2.25

$2.35

$2.35

$2.35 5ALL .............................................................. March 31 ....................................................................................

April 30 .......................................................................................

May 31 ........................................................................................

June 30 .......................................................................................

July 31 ........................................................................................

August 31 ...................................................................................

September 30 .............................................................................

October 31 ..................................................................................

November 30 ..............................................................................

$2.86

$2.54

$2.50

$2.38

$2.38

$2.41

$2.48

$2.48

$2.48

$2.76

$2.56

$2.37

$2.25

$2.11

$2.25

$2.35

$2.35

$2.35

..................................................................................................... .............................. ....................

1Landing 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. 2Landing 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. 3Landing 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. 4Landing Locations Within Port Group - All Alaska: All landing locations included in 1, 2, and 3.

5Landing Locations Within Port Group - All Alaska: All landing locations included in 1, 2, and 3. 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, Stanwood, Other Washington.

For Canada: Port Hardy, Port Edward, Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Haines Junction, Other Canada. *

Data not available or not presented to protect confidentiality of data submissions.

This action is required by § 679.45

and is exempt from review under

Executive Order 12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

Dated: November 30, 2000.

Clarence Pautzke,

Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 00–31032 Filed 12–06–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE: 3510–22–S