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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 231 (Monday, December 2, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95185-95186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28163]

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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.

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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 non-pollock 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 Magnuson-Stevens 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

[[Page 95186]]

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 Sec.  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 Sec.  
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/longline-catcher-processor-subsector-bering-sea-and-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 Sec.  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
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