[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 22, 2001)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 28131-28132]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-12872]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 600

[Docket No. 010119022-1113-02; I.D. 120800A]
RIN 0648-AO89


Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; 
Amendment of Foreign Fishing Fee Table

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this final rule to amend the fee table for foreign 
vessels fishing in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The intent 
of this action is to comply with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), which requires 
the establishment of a schedule of reasonable fees that apply non-
discriminatorily to each foreign fishing nation.

DATES: Effective June 21, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert A. Dickinson, 301-713-2276

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations at 50 CFR part 600, subpart F 
govern foreign fishing under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 
et seq.). The regulations provide for the application and issuance of 
foreign fishing permits under provisions of section 204 (b) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Act. Under section 204 (b), foreign vessels may be 
permitted to catch, process, scout, support and transship in the EEZ.
    Section 204 (b)(10) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the 
establishment of a schedule of reasonable fees to apply non-
discriminatorily to each foreign fishing nation. Regulations at 50 CFR 
600.518 require, among other things, that foreign vessels authorized to 
directly harvest fish in the EEZ pay fees based on the number of metric 
tons of allocated species harvested. The species potentially available 
for foreign fishing and the fees associated with those species are 
found in the table at 50 CFR 600.518 (b)(1). In a proposed rule 
published on March 8, 2001, at 66 FR 13870, NMFS proposed to amend this 
table by removing species no longer available for allocation, 
clarifying listings for certain species appearing in the table, adding 
Atlantic herring as an allocable species, and establishing the fees to 
be paid for the resulting list of allocable species.
    NMFS believes the fees and other changes to the table at 50 CFR 
600.518 (b)(1) discussed in the proposed rule published on March 8, 
2001, at 66 FR 13870, constitute, in accordance with section 204 
(b)(10) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, a schedule of reasonable fees to 
apply non-discriminatorily to each foreign fishing nation. The specific 
details of all the changes proposed for the table at 50 CFR 600.518 
(b)(1) are discussed in the preamble to the proposed rule published on 
March 8, 2001, at 66 FR 13870, and are not repeated here. The fees and 
other changes are adopted as final. No comments were received regarding 
the proposed rule published on March 8, 2001, at 66 FR 13870.
    Under NOAA Administrative Order 205-11, 7.01, dated December 17, 
1990, the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere has delegated to 
the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, NOAA, the authority to sign 
material for publication in the Federal Register.

Classification

    This final rule has been determined to be not significant for 
purposes of Executive Order 12866.

[[Page 28132]]

    The Chief Counsel for Regulation of the Department of Commerce 
certified to the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration when this rule was proposed that it would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
No comments were received regarding the economic impacts of this action 
on small entities. As a result, the basis for the certification has not 
changed and a regulatory flexibility analysis was not prepared.

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 600

    Fisheries, Fishing, Foreign relations, Intergovernmental relations.

    Dated: May 16, 2001.
Clarence Pautzke,
Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, 50 CFR Chapter VI is 
amended as follows:

PART 600--MAGNUSON-STEVENS ACT PROVISIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 600 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 561 and 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    2. In Sec. 600.518 (b)(1), the table is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 600.518  Fee schedule for foreign fishing.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) * * *

                    TABLE--SPECIES AND POUNDAGE FEES
                         [Dollars per metric ton]
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                                                                Poundage
                            Species                               fees
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northwest Atlantic Ocean fisheries:
  1. Butterfish...............................................    277.96
  2. Herring, Atlantic........................................     25.75
  3. Herring, River...........................................     49.59
  4. Mackerel, Atlantic.......................................     64.76
  5. Other finfish............................................     45.48
  6. Squid, Illex.............................................     97.56
  7. Squid, Loligo............................................    321.68
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[FR Doc. 01-12872 Filed 5-21-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S