Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 242 / Monday, December 17, 2001 / Rules and Regulations 64915

Dated: September 26, 2001.

William J. Wagner III,

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the

Port Corpus Christi.

[FR Doc. 01–31012 Filed 12–14–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–15–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

50 CFR Part 679

[Docket No. 991207325–0063–02; I.D.

100699A]

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic

Zone Off Alaska; North Pacific Halibut

and Sablefish IFQ Cost Recovery

Program

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),

Commerce.

ACTION: Announcement 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, 2002.

DATES: Effective December 17, 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

was amended (by Pub. L. 104–297) 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

fishing quota program’’ (Section

304(d)(2)(A)). Section 304(d)(2)(B) of the

Magnuson-Stevens 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 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 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 2001, the Regional Administrator

has determined that a fee of 2.0 percent

(0.020) is necessary to recover the actual

management and enforcement costs.

Therefore, the Regional Administrator is

adjusting the cost recovery fee

applicable to year 2001 IFQ landings

from 3 percent (0.03) to 2.0 percent

(0.020).

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 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.

64916 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 242 / Monday, December 17, 2001 / Rules and Regulations

REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD EX-VESSEL PRICES BY LANDING LOCATION FOR 2001 IFQ SEASON

LANDING LOCATION PERIOD ENDING

HALIBUT STANDARD EX-VESSEL

PRICE

SABLEFISH

STANDARD EXVESSEL PRICE

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

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

May 31 .................................... $2.08

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

July 31 .................................... $2.15

August 31 ............................... $2.21

September 30 ......................... $2.25

October 31 .............................. $2.25

November 30 .......................... $2.25

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

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

May 31 .................................... $1.62

June 30 ................................... $1.66

July 31 .................................... $1.76

August 31 ............................... $1.78 $1.88

September 30 ......................... $1.79

October 31 .............................. $1.79

November 30 .......................... $1.79

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

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

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

June 30 ................................... $2.03

July 31 .................................... $2.14

August 31 ............................... $2.08

September 30 ......................... $2.07

October 31 .............................. $2.07

November 30 .......................... $2.07

KODIAK March 31 ................................ $2.06 $2.27

April 30 ................................... $2.00 $2.11

May 31 .................................... $1.81

June 30 ................................... $1.90

July 31 .................................... $1.97

August 31 ............................... $1.94

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

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

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

PETERSBURG March 31 ................................ $2.39

April 30 ................................... $2.23

May 31 .................................... $2.15

June 30 ................................... $2.08

July 31 .................................... $2.17

August 31 ............................... $2.19

September 30 ......................... $2.16

October 31 .............................. $2.16

November 30 .......................... $2.16

SEWARD March 31 ................................ $2.40 $2.35

April 30 ................................... $2.10 $1.97

May 31 .................................... $2.02 $1.96

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

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

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

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

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

November 30 .......................... 1BERING SEA March 31 ................................

April 30 ................................... $1.89

May 31 .................................... $1.61 $1.86

June 30 ................................... $1.66 $1.76

July 31 .................................... $1.76 $1.81

August 31 ............................... $2.05 $2.05

September 30 ......................... $1.76 $2.02

October 31 .............................. $1.76 $2.02

November 30 .......................... $1.76 $2.02 2CENTRAL GULF March 31 ................................ $2.39 $2.25

April 30 ................................... $2.16 $2.02

May 31 .................................... $1.98 $2.01

June 30 ................................... $1.96 $2.02

July 31 .................................... $2.02 $2.18

August 31 ............................... $2.02 $2.28

September 30 ......................... $1.98 $2.10

Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 242 / Monday, December 17, 2001 / Rules and Regulations 64917

REGISTERED BUYER STANDARD EX-VESSEL PRICES BY LANDING LOCATION FOR 2001 IFQ SEASON—

Continued

LANDING LOCATION PERIOD ENDING

HALIBUT STANDARD EX-VESSEL

PRICE

SABLEFISH

STANDARD EXVESSEL PRICE

October 31 .............................. $1.98 $2.10

November 30 .......................... $1.98 $2.10 3SOUTHEAST March 31 ................................ $2.41 $2.25

April 30 ................................... $2.27 $2.16

May 31 .................................... $2.22 $2.00

June 30 ................................... $2.28 $2.16

July 31 .................................... $2.26 $2.13

August 31 ............................... $2.24 $2.06

September 30 ......................... $2.18 $2.19

October 31 .............................. $2.18 $2.19

November 30 .......................... $2.18 $2.19 4ALL March 31 ................................ $2.40 $2.24

April 30 ................................... $2.21 $2.07

May 31 .................................... $2.05 $2.00

June 30 ................................... $2.03 $2.07

July 31 .................................... $2.01 $2.09

August 31 ............................... $2.09 $2.10

September 30 ......................... $1.98 $2.15

October 31 .............................. $1.98 $2.15

November 30 .......................... $1.98 $2.15

1 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, 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. 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.

Dated: December 11, 2001.

Jonathan M. Kurland,

Acting Director, Office of Sustainable

Fisheries,National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 01–31014 Filed 12–14–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510–22–S