Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 231 / Monday, December 2, 2024 / Notices 95185 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William Fritz, (301) 427–8078. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Sections 312(b) through (e) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act (16 

U.S.C. 1861a (b) through (e)) generally 

authorizes fishing capacity reduction 

programs. In particular, section 312(d) 

authorizes industry fee systems for 

repaying reduction loans that finance 

reduction programs. Subpart L of 50 

CFR part 600 is the framework rule 

generally implementing section 312(b) 

through (e). Sections 1111 and 1112 of 

the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. 

U.S.C. 1279f and 1279g) generally 

authorizes reduction loans. 

Enacted on February 20, 2003, section 

212 of division B, title II, of Public Law 

108–7 (section 212) specifically 

authorizes a fishing capacity reduction 

program for that portion of the limited 

entry trawl fishery under the Pacific 

Coast Groundfish Fishery Management 

Plan whose permits, excluding those 

registered to whiting catcher-processors, 

are endorsed for trawl gear operation 

(reduction fishery). 

The reduction program’s objective 

was to reduce the number of vessels and 

permits endorsed for the operation of 

groundfish trawl gear. The program also 

involved corollary fishing capacity 

reduction in the California, Oregon, and 

Washington fisheries for Dungeness crab 

and pink shrimp and the sub-loans for 

these State fisheries have all been 

repaid. 

NMFS proposed the implementing 

notice on May 28, 2003 (68 FR 31653) 

and published the final notice on July 

18, 2003 (68 FR 42613). NMFS allocated 

a $28,428,719 reduction loan to the 

groundfish fishery. The allocation 

became a reduction loan repayable by 

fees from the groundfish fishery. 

NMFS published in the Federal 

Register on July 13, 2005 (70 FR 40225), 

the final rule to implement the industry 

fee system for repaying the program’s 

reduction loan. The regulations 

implementing the program are located at 

50 CFR part 600 subpart M. On August 

8, 2005, NMFS published in the Federal 

Register (70 FR 45695) a notice of the 

fee effective date and established 

September 8, 2005 as the effective date 

when fee collection and loan repayment 

began. 

II. Purpose 

The purpose of this notice is to adjust, 

in accordance with the framework rule’s 

§ 600.1013(b), the fee rate for the 

groundfish fishery. Section 600.1013(b) 

directs NMFS to recalculate the fee rate 

that will be reasonably necessary to 

ensure reduction loan repayment within 

the specified 30-year term. NMFS has 

determined that the current fee rate of 

3.5 percent for the groundfish fishery is 

projected to collect more than the 

annual amortization amount needed for 

2025. Therefore, NMFS is decreasing the 

fee rate to 2.25 percent for all landings 

beginning January 1, 2025. 

Fish buyers may continue to disburse 

collected fee deposits to NMFS by using 

https://www.pay.gov or by mailing 

payments to our lockbox. Our lockbox’s 

address is: ‘‘NMFS Pacific Coast 

Groundfish Buyback Loan, P.O. Box 

979008, St. Louis, MO 63197–9000. Fish 

buyers must include the fee collection 

report with the fee payment. Fish buyers 

using https://www.pay.gov will find an 

electronic fee collection report form. 

Fish buyers not using https://

www.pay.gov may also access the NMFS 

website for a copy of the fee collection 

report at: https://www.fisheries.

noaa.gov/national/funding-andfinancial-services/pacific-coastgroundfish-buyback. 

III. Notice 

The new 2.25 percent fee rate for the 

groundfish fishery will begin for all 

landings starting January 1, 2025. From 

and after this date, all groundfish 

program fish sellers paying fees shall 

begin paying groundfish program fees at 

the revised rate. The first due date for 

fee payments with the decreased rate 

will be February 14, 2025. 

Fee collection and submission shall 

follow previously established methods 

in § 600.1013 of the framework rule and 

in the final fee rule published in the 

Federal Register on July 13, 2005 (70 FR 

40225). 

Authority: The authority for this 

action is Pub. L. 107 206, Pub. L. 108 

7, 16 U.S.C. 1861a (b) through (e), and 

50 CFR 600.1000 et seq. 

Dated: November 22, 2024. 

Brian T. Pawlak, 

Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative 

Officer, Director, Office of Management and 

Budget, NOAA Fisheries. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28144 Filed 11–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE485] 

Fishing Capacity Reduction Program 

for the Longline Catcher Processor 

Subsector of the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands Non-Pollock 

Groundfish Fishery 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of fee rate adjustment. 

SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice to 

inform the public that there will be a 

decrease of the fee rate required to repay 

the reduction loan financing the nonpollock groundfish fishing capacity 

reduction program. Effective January 1, 

2025, NMFS is decreasing the Loan A 

fee rate to $0.016 per pound to ensure 

timely repayment of the loan. The fee 

rate for Loan B will remain unchanged 

at $0.001 per pound. The decreased fee 

rate is due to a recalculation based on 

the required amortization target and 

projected non-pollock groundfish Total 

Allowable Catch (TAC) for 2025, as well 

as a temporary adjustment related to 

2024 Season B. 

DATES: The non-pollock groundfish 

program fee rate decrease will begin 

with landings on January 1, 2025. The 

first due date for fee payments with the 

decreased rate will be February 15, 

2025. 

ADDRESSES: Send questions about this 

notice to William Fritz, Financial 

Assistance Specialist, Financial Services 

Division, National Marine Fisheries 

Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver 

Spring, MD 20910–3282. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

William Fritz, (301) 427–8078. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Sections 312(b)–(e) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.) 

generally authorizes fishing capacity 

reduction programs. In particular, 

section 312(d) authorizes industry fee 

systems for repaying reduction loans 

which finance reduction program costs. 

Subpart L of 50 CFR part 600 is the 

framework rule generally implementing 

section 312(b)–(e). Sections 1111 and 

1112 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 

(46 App. U.S.C. 1279f and 1279g) 

generally authorize reduction loans. 

Enacted on December 8, 2004, section 

219, Title II, of FY 2005 Appropriations 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
95186 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 231 / Monday, December 2, 2024 / Notices 

Act, Public Law 104–447 (Act) 

authorizes a fishing capacity reduction 

program implementing capacity 

reduction plans submitted to NMFS by 

catcher processor subsectors of the 

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) 

non-pollock groundfish fishery 

(reduction fishery) as set forth in the 

Act. 

The longline catcher processor 

subsector (Longline Subsector) is among 

the catcher processor subsectors eligible 

to submit to NMFS a capacity reduction 

plan under the terms of the Act. The 

longline subsector non-pollock 

groundfish reduction program’s 

objective was to reduce the number of 

vessels and permits endorsed for 

longline subsector of the non-pollock 

groundfish fishery. All post-reduction 

fish landings from the reduction fishery 

are subject to the longline subsector 

non-pollock groundfish program’s fee. 

NMFS proposed the implementing 

notice on August 11, 2006 (71 FR 

46364), and published the final notice 

on September 29, 2006 (71 FR 57696). 

NMFS allocated the $35,000,000 

reduction loan (A Loan) to the reduction 

fishery and this loan is repayable by fees 

from the fishery. 

On September 24, 2007, NMFS 

published in the Federal Register (72 

FR 54219), the final rule to implement 

the industry fee system for repaying the 

non-pollock groundfish program’s 

reduction loan and established October 

24, 2007, as the effective date when fee 

collection and loan repayment began. 

The regulations implementing the 

program are located at § 600.1012. 

NMFS published a final rule to 

implement a second $2,700,000 

reduction loan (B Loan) for this fishery 

in the Federal Register on September 

24, 2012 (77 FR 58775). The loan was 

disbursed December 18, 2012 with fee 

collection of $0.001 per pound to begin 

January 1, 2013. This fee is in addition 

to the A Loan fee. 

Purpose 

The purpose of this notice is to adjust 

the fee rate for the reduction fishery in 

accordance with the framework rule’s 

§ 600.1013(b). Section 600.1013(b) 

directs NMFS to recalculate the fee rate 

that will be reasonably necessary to 

ensure reduction loan repayment within 

the specified 30 year term. 

NMFS has determined for the 

reduction fishery that the current fee 

rate of Loan A, $0.020 per pound, is 

more than that needed to service the 

loan in 2025. Therefore, NMFS is 

decreasing the Loan A fee rate to $0.016 

per pound. NMFS has determined 

$0.017 per pound is sufficient to ensure 

timely loan repayment, with an 

additional temporary $0.001 per pound 

adjustment related to the 2024 Season B 

rate having been set at $0.020 per pound 

rather than $0.019 per pound. The fee 

rate for Loan B will remain $0.001 per 

pound. 

Subsector members may continue to 

use Pay.gov to disburse collected fee 

deposits at: https\://www.pay.gov/ 

paygov/. 

Please visit the NMFS website for 

additional information at:https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ 

funding-and-financial-services/longlinecatcher-processor-subsector-bering-seaand-aleutian-islands-non-pollock. 

Notice 

The new fee rate for the non-pollock 

groundfish fishery will begin on January 

1, 2025. 

From and after this date, all subsector 

members paying fees on the non-pollock 

groundfish fishery shall begin paying 

non-pollock groundfish fishery program 

fees at the revised rate. 

Fee collection and submission shall 

follow previously established methods 

in § 600.1013 of the framework rule and 

in the final fee rule published in the 

Federal Register on September 24, 2007 

(72 FR 54219). 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.; Pub. 

L. 108–447. 

Dated: November 26, 2024. 

Brian T. Pawlak, 

Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative 

Officer, Director, Office of Management and 

Budget, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28163 Filed 11–29–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XE341] 

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to 

Specified Activities; Taking Marine 

Mammals Incidental to the Maryland 

Offshore Wind Project Offshore of 

Maryland 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice; issuance of Letter of 

Authorization. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

(MMPA) as amended, and implementing 

regulations, notification is hereby given 

that a Letter of Authorization (LOA) has 

been issued to US Wind, Inc. (US 

Wind), for the taking of marine 

mammals incidental to the construction 

of the Maryland Offshore Wind Project 

(hereafter known as the ‘‘Project’’). 

DATES: The LOA is effective from 

January 1, 2025 through December 31, 

2029. 

ADDRESSES: The LOA and supporting 

documentation are available online at: 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/ 

incidental-take-authorizations-undermarine-mammal-protection-act. In case 

of problems accessing these documents, 

please call the contact listed below (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Jessica Taylor, Office of Protected 

Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The MMPA prohibits the ‘‘take’’ of 

marine mammals, with certain 

exceptions. Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and 

(D) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 

seq.) direct the Secretary of Commerce 

(as delegated to NMFS) to allow, upon 

request, the incidental, but not 

intentional, taking of small numbers of 

marine mammals by U.S. citizens who 

engage in a specified activity (other than 

commercial fishing) within a specified 

geographical region if certain findings 

are made, regulations are promulgated 

(when applicable), and public notice 

and an opportunity for public comment 

are provided. 

An authorization for incidental 

takings shall be granted if NMFS finds 

that the taking will have a negligible 

impact on the species or stock(s) and 

will not have an unmitigable adverse 

impact on the availability of the species 

or stock(s) for taking for subsistence 

uses (where relevant). If such findings 

are made, NMFS must prescribe the 

permissible methods of taking; ‘‘other 

means of effecting the least practicable 

adverse impact’’ on the affected species 

or stocks and their habitat, paying 

particular attention to rookeries, mating 

grounds, and areas of similar 

significance, and on the availability of 

the species or stocks for taking for 

certain subsistence uses (referred to as 

‘‘mitigation’’); and requirements 

pertaining to the monitoring and 

reporting of such takings. The MMPA 

defines ‘‘take’’ to mean harass, hunt, 

capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, 

hunt, capture, or kill any marine 

mammal (16 U.S.C. 1362(13); 50 CFR 

216.103). Level A harassment is defined 

as any act of pursuit, torment, or 

annoyance which has the potential to 

injure a marine mammal or marine 

mammal stock in the wild (16 U.S.C. 

1362(18); 50 CFR 216.3). Level A 

harassment is defined as any act of 


ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1