Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Trawl Rationalization Program; 2023 Cost Recovery Fee Notice, 76026-76027 [2022-26923]

Download as PDF lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 76026 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 237 / Monday, December 12, 2022 / Notices is completed. The GMT will reconvene Tuesday, January 10 through Friday, January 13, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. until business for each day has been completed. ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Pacific Fishery Management Council Office, Large Conference Room, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220–1384. The meeting will also be broadcast via webinar. Specific meeting information, including directions on how to join the meeting and system requirements will be provided in the meeting announcement on the Pacific Council’s website (see www.pcouncil.org). Please contact Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@noaa.gov) or (503) 820–2412 for technical assistance. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Todd Phillips, Pacific Council; phone: (503) 820–2426. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The primary purpose of this week-long work session is for the GMT to prepare for 2023 Pacific Council meetings. Specific agenda items will include: Amendment 31 groundfish stock definitions, workload and new groundfish management measure prioritization, non-trawl Rockfish Conservation Area management, pot gear marking, and GMT chair/vice chair elections. The GMT may also address groundfish management actions the Pacific Council has indicated on their year-at-a-glance calendar, such as sablefish gear switching and the 2025/26 harvest specifications and management measure process. A detailed agenda will be available on the Pacific Council’s website prior to the meeting. The meeting is open to the public, except for a single closed session which will be held from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., on Monday, January 9, 2023. Although nonemergency issues not contained in the meeting agenda may be discussed, those issues may not be the subject of formal action during these meetings. Action will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this document and any issues arising after publication of this document that require emergency action under section 305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, provided the public has been notified of the intent to take final action to address the emergency. Special Accommodations A public listening station is physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for auxiliary aids should be directed to Mr. Kris Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@ VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:08 Dec 09, 2022 Jkt 259001 noaa.gov; (503) 820–2412) at least 10 business days prior to the meeting date. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Dated: December 7, 2022. Rey Israel Marquez, Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2022–26906 Filed 12–9–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648–XC587] Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; Trawl Rationalization Program; 2023 Cost Recovery Fee Notice National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice, 2023 cost recovery fee percentages and average mothership cooperative program pricing. AGENCY: This action provides participants in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program with the 2023 cost recovery fee percentages and the average mothership (MS) price per pound to be used in the catcher/processor (C/P) Co-op program to calculate the fee amount for the upcoming calendar year. For the 2023 calendar year, NMFS announces the following fee percentages by sector specific program: 3.0 percent for the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program; 0.1 percent for the C/P Co-op Program; and 1.7 percent for the MS Co-op Program. For 2023, the MS pricing to be used as a proxy by the C/ P Co-op Program is $0.10/pound (lb) for Pacific whiting. DATES: Applicable January 1, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Biegel, (206) 247–8252, christopher.biegel@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 304(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) authorizes and requires NMFS to collect fees to recover the costs directly related to the management, data collection and analysis, and enforcement directly related to and in support of a limited access privilege program (LAPP) (16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)), also called ‘‘cost recovery.’’ Cost recovery fees recover the actual costs directly related to the management, data collection and analysis, and enforcement of the programs (MSA SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Section 303A(e), 16 U.S.C. 1853a(e)). Section 304(d) of the MSA mandates that cost recovery fees not exceed 3 percent of the annual ex-vessel value of fish harvested by a program subject to a cost recovery fee, and that the fee be collected either at the time of landing, filing of a landing report, or sale of such fish during a fishing season or in the last quarter of the calendar year in which the fish is harvested. The Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program is a LAPP, implemented in 2011, and consists of three sector-specific programs: the Shorebased IFQ Program, the MS Co-op Program, and the C/P Co-op Program. In accordance with the MSA, and based on a recommended structure and methodology developed in coordination with the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council), NMFS began collecting mandatory fees of up to 3 percent of the ex-vessel value of groundfish from each program (Shorebased IFQ Program, MS Co-op Program, and C/P Co-op Program) in 2014. NMFS collects the fees to recover the incremental costs of management, data collection and analysis, and enforcement of the Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program. Additional background can be found in the cost recovery proposed rule (78 FR 7371, February 1, 2013) and final rule (78 FR 75268, December 11, 2013). The details of cost recovery for the Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program are in regulation at 50 CFR 660.115 (Trawl fishery—cost recovery program), § 660.140 (Shorebased IFQ Program), § 660.150 (MS Co-op Program), and § 660.160 (C/P Co-op Program). By December 31 of each year, NMFS announces the next year’s fee percentages and the applicable MS pricing for the C/P Co-op Program. To calculate the fee percentages, NMFS used the formula specified in regulation at § 660.115(b)(1), where the fee percentage by sector equals the lower of 3 percent or direct program costs (DPC) for that sector divided by total ex-vessel value (V) for that sector multiplied by 100 (Fee percentage = the lower of 3 percent or (DPC/V) × 100). ‘DPC,’ as defined in the regulations at § 660.115(b)(1)(i), are the actual incremental costs for the previous fiscal year directly related to the management, data collection and analysis, and enforcement of each program (Shorebased IFQ Program, MS Co-op Program, and C/P Co-op Program). Actual incremental costs means those net costs that would not have been incurred but for the implementation of the Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program, including both increased costs E:\FR\FM\12DEN1.SGM 12DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 237 / Monday, December 12, 2022 / Notices lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1 for new requirements of the program and reduced costs resulting from any program efficiencies or adjustments to costs from previous years. ‘V,’ as specified at § 660.115(b)(1)(ii), is the total ex-vessel value, as defined at § 660.111, for each sector from the previous calendar year. To determine the ex-vessel value for the Shorebased IFQ Program, NMFS used the ex-vessel value for calendar year 2021 as reported in the Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) from Shorebased IFQ electronic fish tickets as this was the most recent complete set of data. To determine the ex-vessel value for the MS Co-op Program and the C/P Co-op Program, NMFS used the retained catch estimates (weight) for each sector as reported in the North Pacific Observer Program database multiplied by the average price of Pacific whiting as reported by participants in the MS Coop program for 2021. The fee calculations for the 2023 fee percentages are described below. IFQ Program: • 3.5 percent = ($1,701,903.39/ $48,344,359.00) × 100. C/P Co-op Program: • 0.1 percent = ($33,840.12/ $22,901,112.30) × 100. MS Co-op Program: • 1.7 percent = ($128,758.92/ $7,674,927.60) × 100. However, the calculated fee percentage cannot exceed the statutory limit of 3 percent. The IFQ Program fee calculation (3.5 percent) exceeds this limit; therefore, the 2023 fee percentage for the IFQ Program is 3 percent. The final 2023 fee percentages are 3.0 percent for the IFQ Program, 0.1 percent for the C/P Co-op Program, and 1.7 percent for the MS Co-op Program. MS Average Pricing MS pricing is the average price per pound that the C/P Co-op Program will use to determine the fee amount due for that sector. The C/P sector value (V) is calculated by multiplying the retained catch estimates (weight) of Pacific whiting harvested by the vessel registered to a C/P-endorsed limited entry trawl permit by the MS pricing. NMFS has calculated the 2023 MS pricing to be used as a proxy by the CP Co-op Program as: $0.10/lb for Pacific whiting. Cost recovery fees are submitted to NMFS by fish buyers via Pay.gov (https://www.pay.gov/). Fees are only accepted in Pay.gov by credit/debit card or bank transfers. Cash or checks cannot be accepted. Fish buyers registered with Pay.gov can login in the upper righthand corner of the screen. Fish buyers not registered with Pay.gov can go to the VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:08 Dec 09, 2022 Jkt 259001 cost recovery forms directly from the website below. The links to the Pay.gov forms for each program (IFQ, MS, or C/ P) are listed below: IFQ: https://www.pay.gov/public/ form/start/58062865; MS: https://www.pay.gov/public/ form/start/58378422; and C/P: https://www.pay.gov/public/ form/start/58102817. As stated in the preamble to the cost recovery proposed and final rules, in the spring of each year, NMFS will release an annual report documenting the details and data used for the fee percentage calculations. Annual reports are available at: https:// www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/ sustainable-fisheries/west-coastgroundfish-trawl-catch-shareprogram#cost-recovery. Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., 16 U.S.C.773 et seq., and 16 U.S.C. 7001 et seq. Dated: December 6, 2022. Jennifer M. Wallace, Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2022–26923 Filed 12–9–22; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [RTID 0648–XC601] Pacific Fishery Management Council; Public Meetings and Hearings National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of availability of reports; public meetings, and hearings. AGENCY: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (Pacific Council) has begun its annual preseason management process for the 2023 ocean salmon fisheries. This document announces the availability of Pacific Council documents, as well as the anticipated dates and locations of upcoming Pacific Council meetings and public hearings hosted by the Pacific Council. These documents and events comprise the Pacific Council’s complete schedule for determining the annual proposed and final modifications to ocean salmon fishery management measures. The agendas for the March and April 2023 Pacific Council meetings will be published in subsequent Federal Register documents prior to the actual meetings. SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 76027 Written comments on the salmon management alternatives must be submitted through the Pacific Council’s e-portal (https://pfmc.psmfc.org) and received by the public comment deadline prior to the April 2023 Council meeting. Information will be available on the Pacific Council’s website (https:// www.pcouncil.org) as the date for the April Council meeting approaches. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for specific dates. ADDRESSES: Documents will be available upon request from the Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220–1384; telephone: (503) 820– 2280 (voice) or (503) 820–2299 (fax). Council address: Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, OR 97220. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Robin Ehlke, telephone: (503) 820–2280. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DATES: Tentative Schedule for Document Completion and Availability February 14, 2023: ‘‘Review of 2022 Ocean Salmon Fisheries, Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Document for the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan’’ is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific Council website at https://www.pcouncil.org. March 2, 2023: ‘‘Preseason Report I— Stock Abundance Analysis and Environmental Assessment Part 1 for 2023 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations’’ is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific Council website at https:// www.pcouncil.org. March 20, 2023: ‘‘Preseason Report II—Proposed Alternatives and Environmental Assessment Part 2 for 2023 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations.’’ The report will include a description of the adopted salmon management alternatives and a summary of their biological and economic impacts. The public hearings schedule will also be included on the inside cover of the report and will be posted on the Pacific Council website at https://www.pcouncil.org. April 18, 2023: ‘‘Preseason Report III—Council-Adopted Management Measures and Environmental Assessment Part 3 for 2023 Ocean Salmon Fishery Regulations’’ is scheduled to be posted on the Pacific Council website at https:// www.pcouncil.org. May 16, 2023: Federal regulations for 2023 ocean salmon regulations are published in the Federal Register and implemented. E:\FR\FM\12DEN1.SGM 12DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 237 (Monday, December 12, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76026-76027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-26923]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[RTID 0648-XC587]


Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery; Trawl Rationalization Program; 2023 Cost Recovery Fee Notice

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

ACTION: Notice, 2023 cost recovery fee percentages and average 
mothership cooperative program pricing.

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

SUMMARY: This action provides participants in the Pacific Coast 
Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program with the 2023 cost recovery 
fee percentages and the average mothership (MS) price per pound to be 
used in the catcher/processor (C/P) Co-op program to calculate the fee 
amount for the upcoming calendar year. For the 2023 calendar year, NMFS 
announces the following fee percentages by sector specific program: 3.0 
percent for the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program; 0.1 
percent for the C/P Co-op Program; and 1.7 percent for the MS Co-op 
Program. For 2023, the MS pricing to be used as a proxy by the C/P Co-
op Program is $0.10/pound (lb) for Pacific whiting.

DATES: Applicable January 1, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christopher Biegel, (206) 247-8252, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 304(d) of the 
Magnuson[hyphen]Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) 
authorizes and requires NMFS to collect fees to recover the costs 
directly related to the management, data collection and analysis, and 
enforcement directly related to and in support of a limited access 
privilege program (LAPP) (16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)), also called ``cost 
recovery.'' Cost recovery fees recover the actual costs directly 
related to the management, data collection and analysis, and 
enforcement of the programs (MSA Section 303A(e), 16 U.S.C. 1853a(e)). 
Section 304(d) of the MSA mandates that cost recovery fees not exceed 3 
percent of the annual ex-vessel value of fish harvested by a program 
subject to a cost recovery fee, and that the fee be collected either at 
the time of landing, filing of a landing report, or sale of such fish 
during a fishing season or in the last quarter of the calendar year in 
which the fish is harvested.
    The Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program is a 
LAPP, implemented in 2011, and consists of three sector-specific 
programs: the Shorebased IFQ Program, the MS Co-op Program, and the C/P 
Co-op Program. In accordance with the MSA, and based on a recommended 
structure and methodology developed in coordination with the Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (Council), NMFS began collecting mandatory 
fees of up to 3 percent of the ex[hyphen]vessel value of groundfish 
from each program (Shorebased IFQ Program, MS Co-op Program, and C/P 
Co-op Program) in 2014. NMFS collects the fees to recover the 
incremental costs of management, data collection and analysis, and 
enforcement of the Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program. Additional 
background can be found in the cost recovery proposed rule (78 FR 7371, 
February 1, 2013) and final rule (78 FR 75268, December 11, 2013). The 
details of cost recovery for the Groundfish Trawl Rationalization 
Program are in regulation at 50 CFR 660.115 (Trawl fishery--cost 
recovery program), Sec.  660.140 (Shorebased IFQ Program), Sec.  
660.150 (MS Co-op Program), and Sec.  660.160 (C/P Co-op Program).
    By December 31 of each year, NMFS announces the next year's fee 
percentages and the applicable MS pricing for the C/P Co-op Program. To 
calculate the fee percentages, NMFS used the formula specified in 
regulation at Sec.  660.115(b)(1), where the fee percentage by sector 
equals the lower of 3 percent or direct program costs (DPC) for that 
sector divided by total ex-vessel value (V) for that sector multiplied 
by 100 (Fee percentage = the lower of 3 percent or (DPC/V) x 100).
    `DPC,' as defined in the regulations at Sec.  660.115(b)(1)(i), are 
the actual incremental costs for the previous fiscal year directly 
related to the management, data collection and analysis, and 
enforcement of each program (Shorebased IFQ Program, MS Co-op Program, 
and C/P Co-op Program). Actual incremental costs means those net costs 
that would not have been incurred but for the implementation of the 
Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program, including both increased 
costs

[[Page 76027]]

for new requirements of the program and reduced costs resulting from 
any program efficiencies or adjustments to costs from previous years.
    `V,' as specified at Sec.  660.115(b)(1)(ii), is the total ex-
vessel value, as defined at Sec.  660.111, for each sector from the 
previous calendar year. To determine the ex-vessel value for the 
Shorebased IFQ Program, NMFS used the ex-vessel value for calendar year 
2021 as reported in the Pacific Fisheries Information Network (PacFIN) 
from Shorebased IFQ electronic fish tickets as this was the most recent 
complete set of data. To determine the ex-vessel value for the MS Co-op 
Program and the C/P Co-op Program, NMFS used the retained catch 
estimates (weight) for each sector as reported in the North Pacific 
Observer Program database multiplied by the average price of Pacific 
whiting as reported by participants in the MS Co-op program for 2021.
    The fee calculations for the 2023 fee percentages are described 
below.
    IFQ Program:
     3.5 percent = ($1,701,903.39/$48,344,359.00) x 100.
    C/P Co-op Program:
     0.1 percent = ($33,840.12/$22,901,112.30) x 100.
    MS Co-op Program:
     1.7 percent = ($128,758.92/$7,674,927.60) x 100.
    However, the calculated fee percentage cannot exceed the statutory 
limit of 3 percent. The IFQ Program fee calculation (3.5 percent) 
exceeds this limit; therefore, the 2023 fee percentage for the IFQ 
Program is 3 percent. The final 2023 fee percentages are 3.0 percent 
for the IFQ Program, 0.1 percent for the C/P Co-op Program, and 1.7 
percent for the MS Co-op Program.

MS Average Pricing

    MS pricing is the average price per pound that the C/P Co-op 
Program will use to determine the fee amount due for that sector. The 
C/P sector value (V) is calculated by multiplying the retained catch 
estimates (weight) of Pacific whiting harvested by the vessel 
registered to a C/P-endorsed limited entry trawl permit by the MS 
pricing. NMFS has calculated the 2023 MS pricing to be used as a proxy 
by the CP Co-op Program as: $0.10/lb for Pacific whiting.
    Cost recovery fees are submitted to NMFS by fish buyers via Pay.gov 
(https://www.pay.gov/). Fees are only accepted in Pay.gov by credit/
debit card or bank transfers. Cash or checks cannot be accepted. Fish 
buyers registered with Pay.gov can login in the upper right-hand corner 
of the screen. Fish buyers not registered with Pay.gov can go to the 
cost recovery forms directly from the website below. The links to the 
Pay.gov forms for each program (IFQ, MS, or C/P) are listed below:
    IFQ: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/58062865;
    MS: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/58378422; and
    C/P: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/58102817.
    As stated in the preamble to the cost recovery proposed and final 
rules, in the spring of each year, NMFS will release an annual report 
documenting the details and data used for the fee percentage 
calculations. Annual reports are available at: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/sustainable-fisheries/west-coast-groundfish-trawl-catch-share-program#cost-recovery.
    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., 16 U.S.C.773 et seq., and 16 
U.S.C. 7001 et seq.

    Dated: December 6, 2022.
Jennifer M. Wallace,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-26923 Filed 12-9-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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