Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program, 11766-11768 [2014-04636]

Download as PDF 11766 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 41 / Monday, March 3, 2014 / Notices market objectives, and goals for participation. If the U.S. Department of Commerce receives an incomplete application, the Department may reject the application, request additional information, or take the lack of information into account when evaluating the applications. Each applicant must also certify that the products and services it seeks to export through the mission are either produced in the United States, or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51 percent U.S. content of the value of the finished product or service. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Selection Criteria for Participation Suitability of the company’s products or services to the mission goals. Applicant’s potential for business in Russia, including likelihood of exports resulting from the mission. Consistency of the applicant’s goals and objectives with the stated scope of the mission. Diversity of company size, sector or subsector, and location may also be considered during the review process. Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing references to partisan political activities (including political contributions) will be removed from an applicant’s submission and not considered during the selection process. Timeframe for Recruitment and Applications Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Commerce Department trade mission calendar—www.ita.doc.gov/doctm/ tmcal.html—and other Internet Web sites, press releases to general and trade media, direct mail, broadcast fax, notices by industry trade associations and other multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, conferences, and trade shows. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately, and conclude July 15, 2014. The U.S. Department of Commerce will review applications and make selection decisions on May 7, 2014 and again on July 28, 2014 until the maximum of 20 participants is selected. Applications received after July 15, 2014, will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit. Contacts Frank Spector, Trade Missions Office, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230, Tel: 202–482–2054, VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:40 Feb 28, 2014 Jkt 232001 Fax: 202–482–9000, Frank.Spector@ trade.gov. Scott Pozil, Deputy Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy, Moscow, Russia, Tel: 7–495–728–5364, Fax: +7–495–728–5585, Scott.Pozil@ trade.gov. Frank Spector, Senior International Trade Specialist, Trade Missions Office. 202–482–2054. [FR Doc. 2014–04506 Filed 2–28–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–DR–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RIN 0648–XD119 Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska; Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notification of standard prices and fee percentage. AGENCY: SUMMARY: NMFS publishes the standard ex-vessel prices and fee percentage for cost recovery under the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program. This action is intended to provide participants in a rockfish cooperative with the standard prices and fee percentage for the 2013 fishing year, which was authorized from May 1 through November 15. The fee percentage is 2.5 percent. The fee liability payments were due from each rockfish cooperative by February 15, 2014. DATES: Effective March 3, 2014. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Troie Zuniga, 907–586–7255. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The rockfish fisheries are conducted in Federal waters near Kodiak, AK, by trawl and longline vessels. Regulations implementing the Central Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Rockfish Program (Rockfish Program) are set forth at 50 CFR part 679. Exclusive harvesting privileges are allocated under the Rockfish Program for rockfish primary and secondary species. The rockfish primary species are northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, and dusky rockfish. In 2012, dusky rockfish replaced the pelagic shelf rockfish species group in the GOA PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Groundfish Harvest Specifications (77 FR 15194, March 14, 2012). The rockfish secondary species include Pacific cod, rougheye rockfish, shortraker rockfish, sablefish, and thornyhead rockfish. Rockfish cooperatives began fishing under the Rockfish Program on May 1, 2012. The Rockfish Program is a type of limited access privilege program established under the provisions of section 303A of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Section 303A requires that NMFS collect fees for limited access programs to recover the actual costs directly related to management, data collection and analysis, and enforcement activities. Section 304(d)(2) of the MSA requires that NMFS collect fees for the Rockfish Program equal to the actual costs directly related to management, enforcement, and data collection (management costs). Section 304(d)(2) of the MSA also limits the cost recovery fee so that it may not exceed 3 percent of the ex-vessel value of the fish harvested under the Rockfish Program. Standard Prices NMFS calculates cost recovery fees based on standard ex-vessel value price, rather than actual price data provided by each rockfish cooperative quota (CQ) holder. Use of a standard ex-vessel price is allowed under sections 303A and 304(d)(2) of the MSA. NMFS generates a standard ex-vessel price for each rockfish primary and secondary species on a monthly basis to determine the average price paid per pound for all shoreside processors receiving rockfish primary and secondary species CQ. Regulations at § 679.85(b)(2) require the Regional Administrator to publish rockfish standard ex-vessel values during the first quarter of each calendar year. The standard prices are described in U.S. dollars per pound for rockfish primary and secondary species CQ landings made during the previous year. Fee Percentage NMFS assesses a fee on the standard ex-vessel value of rockfish primary species and rockfish secondary species CQ harvested by rockfish cooperatives in the Central GOA and waters adjacent to the Central GOA when rockfish primary species caught by a cooperative is deducted from the Federal total allowable catch. The rockfish entry level longline fishery and opt-out vessels are not subject to cost recovery fees because those participants do not receive rockfish CQ. Specific details on the Rockfish Program’s cost recovery provision may be found in the E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM 03MRN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 41 / Monday, March 3, 2014 / Notices implementing regulations set forth at § 679.85. NMFS informs—by letter—each rockfish cooperative of the fee percentage applied to the previous year’s landings and the total amount due. Fees are due on February 15 of each year. Failure to pay on time would result in the permit holder’s quota share becoming non-transferable and the person would be ineligible to receive any additional quota share by transfer. In addition, cooperative members would not receive any rockfish CQ the following year until full payment of the fee liability is received by NMFS. NMFS calculates and publishes in the Federal Register the fee percentage in the first quarter of each year according to the factors and methodology described in Federal regulations at § 679.85(c)(2). NMFS determines the fee percentage that applies to landings made in the previous year by dividing the total actual costs during the previous year by the total value of the rockfish primary species and rockfish secondary species for all rockfish CQ landings made during the previous year. NMFS captures the actual cost of managing the fishery through an established accounting system that allows staff to track labor, travel, and procurement. Fee collections in any given year may be less than, or greater than, the actual costs and fishery value for that year, because, by regulation, the fee percentage is established in the first quarter of the calendar year based on the fishery value and the costs of the previous calendar year. The rockfish fee percentage amount must not exceed 3.0 11767 percent pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)(B). This is the second year of fee collection under the Rockfish Program. Using the fee percentage formula described above, the estimated percentage of costs to value for the 2013 calendar year is 2.5 percent of the standard ex-vessel value. The 2013 fee liability percentage of 2.5 is an increase of 1.1 percent from the 2012 fee liability of 1.4 percent (78 FR 14076, March 4, 2013). The change in the fee percentage between 2012 and 2013 can be attributed primarily to a decrease in the standard ex-vessel value and volume of rockfish and to a lesser extent an increase in NMFS management and enforcement costs. TABLE 1—STANDARD EX-VESSEL PRICES BY SPECIES FOR THE 2013 ROCKFISH PROGRAM SEASON IN KODIAK, ALASKA. Standard ex-vessel price per pound Species Period ending Dusky rockfish* ................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ August 31 ........................................................................... September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... November 30 ..................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ August 31 ........................................................................... September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... November 30 ..................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... November 30 ..................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ August 31 ........................................................................... September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... November 30 ..................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ August 31 ........................................................................... September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... November 30 ..................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ August 31 ........................................................................... September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... November 30 ..................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ August 31 ........................................................................... September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... Northern rockfish ................................................................. Pacific cod ........................................................................... Pacific ocean perch ............................................................. Rougheye rockfish .............................................................. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Sablefish .............................................................................. Shortraker rockfish .............................................................. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:40 Feb 28, 2014 Jkt 232001 PO 00000 Frm 00018 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM 03MRN1 0.17 0.15 0.15 0.00 0.15 0.15 0.18 0.17 0.15 0.15 0.00 0.15 0.15 0.17 0.24 0.23 0.24 0.20 0.23 0.22 0.21 0.28 0.20 0.00 0.19 0.20 0.20 0.16 0.00 0.23 0.00 0.25 0.17 0.20 2.37 2.12 2.37 0.00 2.09 1.70 2.20 0.20 0.23 0.22 0.00 0.26 0.28 11768 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 41 / Monday, March 3, 2014 / Notices TABLE 1—STANDARD EX-VESSEL PRICES BY SPECIES FOR THE 2013 ROCKFISH PROGRAM SEASON IN KODIAK, ALASKA.—Continued Species Standard ex-vessel price per pound Period ending Thornyhead rockfish ............................................................ November 30 ..................................................................... May 31 ............................................................................... June 30 .............................................................................. July 31 ................................................................................ August 31 ........................................................................... September 30 .................................................................... October 31 ......................................................................... November 30 ..................................................................... 0.23 0.49 0.32 0.15 0.00 0.46 0.59 0.35 *The pelagic shelf rockfish (PSR) species group has been changed to ‘‘dusky rockfish.’’ Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 1801 et seq.; 3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 108–447. Dated: February 26, 2014. James P. Burgess, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2014–04636 Filed 2–28–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [Docket No. CPSC–2013–0016] Petition Requesting Exception From Lead Content Limits: BIC USA Inc.; Reopening of the Comment Period U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Comment request. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) has received a petition requesting an exception from the 100 ppm lead content limit under section 101(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), as amended by Public Law 112–28, for a children’s pen from BIC USA Inc. (BIC). On April 30, 2013 (78 FR 25256), the CPSC published notice of the petition inviting written comments concerning the petition. On January 21, 2014, BIC submitted a letter to the Commission to provide additional information about the possible availability of a low lead stainless steel alternative to the nickel silver alloy point for which a lead limit exception would be required. A copy of the letter may be viewed on: https:// www.regulations.gov, under docket number CPSC–2013–0016, Supporting and Related Materials. To allow interested parties to comment on the additional information, the Commission is reopening the comment period for 30 days. DATES: Submit comments by April 2, 2014. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:40 Feb 28, 2014 Jkt 232001 You may submit comments, identified by Docket No. CPSC–2013– 0016, by any of the following methods: Electronic Submissions: Submit electronic comments to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. The Commission does not accept comments submitted by electronic mail (email), except through www.regulations.gov. The Commission encourages you to submit electronic comments by using the Federal eRulemaking Portal, as described above. Written Submissions: Submit written submissions in the following way: Mail/ hand delivery/courier to: Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Room 820, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; telephone (301) 504–7923. Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name and docket number for this notice. All comments received may be posted without change, including any personal identifiers, contact information, or other personal information provided, to: https://www.regulations.gov. Do not submit confidential business information, trade secret information, or other sensitive or protected information that you do not want to be available to the public. If furnished at all, such information should be submitted in writing. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to: https:// www.regulations.gov, and insert the docket number CPSC–2013–0016, into the ‘‘Search’’ box, and follow the prompts. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristina Hatlelid, Ph.D., M.P.H., Directorate for Health Sciences, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 5 Research Pl, Rockville, MD 20850; email: khatlelid@cpsc.gov; telephone: 301–987–2558. PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 On March 25, 2013, BIC submitted a petition requesting an exception from the lead content limit of 100 ppm under section 101(b) of the CPSIA for a new line of writing instrument products intended for children age five and up (BIC Children’s Pen) to address the needs of young children who are in the early stages of learning to write. BIC specifically requested an exception for the accessible portion of the nickel silver point assembly (which includes the point and point support subassembly) that BIC proposed to use in the BIC Children’s Pen. The petition noted that the point and point support subassembly in the BIC Children’s Pen contained total lead of approximately 8720 ppm. According to BIC, all of the other accessible components of the BIC Children’s Pen contained total lead below 100 ppm. BIC asserted that removing or making excess lead inaccessible in manufacturing the BIC Children’s Pen is neither practicable nor technologically feasible. In the Federal Register of April 30, 2013 (78 FR 25256), the CPSC invited comments on the issues raised by the petition. The Commission received five comments in response to the notice. On January 21, 2014, BIC submitted a letter to the CPSC to inform the Commission about the possible availability of a low lead stainless steel alternative to the nickel silver alloy point currently used in BIC’s solvent based ink pens and for which a lead limit exception would be required. BIC states that a trial batch of the stainless steel points passed BIC’s technical qualification when tested with BIC’s solvent based inks. BIC further states that production of the low lead stainless steel points on a consistent basis in industrial quantities to meet the volume and timing demands of customers is not technically feasible. Accordingly, BIC suggests that BIC’s earlier request for an exception for the continued use of the nickel silver alloy point be limited to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM 03MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 41 (Monday, March 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11766-11768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04636]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XD119


Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish 
of the Gulf of Alaska; Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program

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

ACTION: Notification of standard prices and fee percentage.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: NMFS publishes the standard ex-vessel prices and fee 
percentage for cost recovery under the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish 
Program. This action is intended to provide participants in a rockfish 
cooperative with the standard prices and fee percentage for the 2013 
fishing year, which was authorized from May 1 through November 15. The 
fee percentage is 2.5 percent. The fee liability payments were due from 
each rockfish cooperative by February 15, 2014.

DATES: Effective March 3, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Troie Zuniga, 907-586-7255.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The rockfish fisheries are conducted in Federal waters near Kodiak, 
AK, by trawl and longline vessels. Regulations implementing the Central 
Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Rockfish Program (Rockfish Program) are set forth 
at 50 CFR part 679. Exclusive harvesting privileges are allocated under 
the Rockfish Program for rockfish primary and secondary species. The 
rockfish primary species are northern rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, 
and dusky rockfish. In 2012, dusky rockfish replaced the pelagic shelf 
rockfish species group in the GOA Groundfish Harvest Specifications (77 
FR 15194, March 14, 2012). The rockfish secondary species include 
Pacific cod, rougheye rockfish, shortraker rockfish, sablefish, and 
thornyhead rockfish. Rockfish cooperatives began fishing under the 
Rockfish Program on May 1, 2012.
    The Rockfish Program is a type of limited access privilege program 
established under the provisions of section 303A of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA). Section 303A 
requires that NMFS collect fees for limited access programs to recover 
the actual costs directly related to management, data collection and 
analysis, and enforcement activities. Section 304(d)(2) of the MSA 
requires that NMFS collect fees for the Rockfish Program equal to the 
actual costs directly related to management, enforcement, and data 
collection (management costs). Section 304(d)(2) of the MSA also limits 
the cost recovery fee so that it may not exceed 3 percent of the ex-
vessel value of the fish harvested under the Rockfish Program.

Standard Prices

    NMFS calculates cost recovery fees based on standard ex-vessel 
value price, rather than actual price data provided by each rockfish 
cooperative quota (CQ) holder. Use of a standard ex-vessel price is 
allowed under sections 303A and 304(d)(2) of the MSA. NMFS generates a 
standard ex-vessel price for each rockfish primary and secondary 
species on a monthly basis to determine the average price paid per 
pound for all shoreside processors receiving rockfish primary and 
secondary species CQ.
    Regulations at Sec.  679.85(b)(2) require the Regional 
Administrator to publish rockfish standard ex-vessel values during the 
first quarter of each calendar year. The standard prices are described 
in U.S. dollars per pound for rockfish primary and secondary species CQ 
landings made during the previous year.

Fee Percentage

    NMFS assesses a fee on the standard ex-vessel value of rockfish 
primary species and rockfish secondary species CQ harvested by rockfish 
cooperatives in the Central GOA and waters adjacent to the Central GOA 
when rockfish primary species caught by a cooperative is deducted from 
the Federal total allowable catch. The rockfish entry level longline 
fishery and opt-out vessels are not subject to cost recovery fees 
because those participants do not receive rockfish CQ. Specific details 
on the Rockfish Program's cost recovery provision may be found in the

[[Page 11767]]

implementing regulations set forth at Sec.  679.85.
    NMFS informs--by letter--each rockfish cooperative of the fee 
percentage applied to the previous year's landings and the total amount 
due. Fees are due on February 15 of each year. Failure to pay on time 
would result in the permit holder's quota share becoming non-
transferable and the person would be ineligible to receive any 
additional quota share by transfer. In addition, cooperative members 
would not receive any rockfish CQ the following year until full payment 
of the fee liability is received by NMFS.
    NMFS calculates and publishes in the Federal Register the fee 
percentage in the first quarter of each year according to the factors 
and methodology described in Federal regulations at Sec.  679.85(c)(2). 
NMFS determines the fee percentage that applies to landings made in the 
previous year by dividing the total actual costs during the previous 
year by the total value of the rockfish primary species and rockfish 
secondary species for all rockfish CQ landings made during the previous 
year. NMFS captures the actual cost of managing the fishery through an 
established accounting system that allows staff to track labor, travel, 
and procurement. Fee collections in any given year may be less than, or 
greater than, the actual costs and fishery value for that year, 
because, by regulation, the fee percentage is established in the first 
quarter of the calendar year based on the fishery value and the costs 
of the previous calendar year. The rockfish fee percentage amount must 
not exceed 3.0 percent pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)(B). This is the 
second year of fee collection under the Rockfish Program.
    Using the fee percentage formula described above, the estimated 
percentage of costs to value for the 2013 calendar year is 2.5 percent 
of the standard ex-vessel value. The 2013 fee liability percentage of 
2.5 is an increase of 1.1 percent from the 2012 fee liability of 1.4 
percent (78 FR 14076, March 4, 2013). The change in the fee percentage 
between 2012 and 2013 can be attributed primarily to a decrease in the 
standard ex-vessel value and volume of rockfish and to a lesser extent 
an increase in NMFS management and enforcement costs.


      Table 1--Standard Ex-Vessel Prices by Species for the 2013 Rockfish Program Season in Kodiak, Alaska.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                            Standard ex-vessel
                    Species                                   Period ending                  price per pound
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dusky rockfish*................................  May 31................................                     0.17
                                                 June 30...............................                     0.15
                                                 July 31...............................                     0.15
                                                 August 31.............................                     0.00
                                                 September 30..........................                     0.15
                                                 October 31............................                     0.15
                                                 November 30...........................                     0.18
Northern rockfish..............................  May 31................................                     0.17
                                                 June 30...............................                     0.15
                                                 July 31...............................                     0.15
                                                 August 31.............................                     0.00
                                                 September 30..........................                     0.15
                                                 October 31............................                     0.15
                                                 November 30...........................                     0.17
Pacific cod....................................  May 31................................                     0.24
                                                 June 30...............................                     0.23
                                                 July 31...............................                     0.24
                                                 September 30..........................                     0.20
                                                 October 31............................                     0.23
                                                 November 30...........................                     0.22
Pacific ocean perch............................  May 31................................                     0.21
                                                 June 30...............................                     0.28
                                                 July 31...............................                     0.20
                                                 August 31.............................                     0.00
                                                 September 30..........................                     0.19
                                                 October 31............................                     0.20
                                                 November 30...........................                     0.20
Rougheye rockfish..............................  May 31................................                     0.16
                                                 June 30...............................                     0.00
                                                 July 31...............................                     0.23
                                                 August 31.............................                     0.00
                                                 September 30..........................                     0.25
                                                 October 31............................                     0.17
                                                 November 30...........................                     0.20
Sablefish......................................  May 31................................                     2.37
                                                 June 30...............................                     2.12
                                                 July 31...............................                     2.37
                                                 August 31.............................                     0.00
                                                 September 30..........................                     2.09
                                                 October 31............................                     1.70
                                                 November 30...........................                     2.20
Shortraker rockfish............................  May 31................................                     0.20
                                                 June 30...............................                     0.23
                                                 July 31...............................                     0.22
                                                 August 31.............................                     0.00
                                                 September 30..........................                     0.26
                                                 October 31............................                     0.28

[[Page 11768]]

 
                                                 November 30...........................                     0.23
Thornyhead rockfish............................  May 31................................                     0.49
                                                 June 30...............................                     0.32
                                                 July 31...............................                     0.15
                                                 August 31.............................                     0.00
                                                 September 30..........................                     0.46
                                                 October 31............................                     0.59
                                                 November 30...........................                     0.35
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The pelagic shelf rockfish (PSR) species group has been changed to ``dusky rockfish.''


    Authority:  16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 1801 et seq.; 3631 et seq.; 
Pub. L. 108-447.

    Dated: February 26, 2014.
James P. Burgess,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National 
Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-04636 Filed 2-28-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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