Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area; Cost Recovery Fee Notice for the Western Alaska Community Development Quota and Trawl Limited Access Privilege Programs, 82336-82338 [2023-25957]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
82336
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 225 / Friday, November 24, 2023 / Notices
on the subsistence uses of the affected
marine mammal species or stocks by
Alaskan Natives. NMFS has defined
‘‘unmitigable adverse impact’’ in 50 CFR
216.103 as an impact resulting from the
specified activity: (1) That is likely to
reduce the availability of the species to
a level insufficient for a harvest to meet
subsistence needs by: (i) Causing the
marine mammals to abandon or avoid
hunting areas; (ii) Directly displacing
subsistence users; or (iii) Placing
physical barriers between the marine
mammals and the subsistence hunters;
and (2) That cannot be sufficiently
mitigated by other measures to increase
the availability of marine mammals to
allow subsistence needs to be met.
Subsistence activities in Unalaska
have historically included the harvest of
pinnipeds and sea otters. However,
subsistence harvests of marine
mammals declined between 1994 and
2008 (the last year for which data are
available) (ADF&G 2022). Additionally,
a ban on firearm discharge within the
city limits of the City of Unalaska means
that current subsistence harvesting
typically occurs from skiffs in areas
outside of Dutch Harbor and Iliuliuk
Bay, including Wide Bay, Kalekta Bay,
Bishop Point, Wislow Island, and
Beaver Inlet. The planned activity
would not impact these areas.
Any impacts to marine mammals from
the planned activity are likely to be
short-term and temporary, and limited
to the area around the blasting site.
While a limited number of individuals
may experience PTS, there are no
expected impacts to the availability of
marine mammals for subsistence uses
due to the blasting activity.
Based on the description of the
specified activity, and the mitigation
and monitoring measures, NMFS has
determined that there will not be an
unmitigable adverse impact on
subsistence uses from USACE’s
construction activities.
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Endangered Species Act
Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal
agency insure that any action it
authorizes, funds, or carries out is not
likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of any endangered or
threatened species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of
designated critical habitat. To ensure
ESA compliance for the issuance of
IHAs, NMFS consults internally
whenever we propose to authorize take
for endangered or threatened species, in
this case with NMFS Alaska Regional
Office.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:46 Nov 22, 2023
Jkt 262001
There are two marine mammal
species (western DPS Steller sea lion
and humpback whale (Mexico and
Western North Pacific DPSs)) with
confirmed occurrence in the project area
that are listed as endangered under the
ESA. The NMFS Alaska Regional Office
Protected Resources Division issued a
Biological Opinion on November 16,
2023 under section 7 of the ESA, on the
issuance of an IHA to USACE under
section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA by the
NMFS Permits and Conservation
Division. The Biological Opinion
concluded that the action is not likely
to jeopardize the continued existence of
Western DPS Steller sea lions or
humpback whales from either the
Mexico or Western North Pacific DPSs,
and is not likely to destroy or adversely
modify humpback whale critical habitat.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD512]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic
Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area;
Cost Recovery Fee Notice for the
Western Alaska Community
Development Quota and Trawl Limited
Access Privilege Programs
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of standard prices and
fee percentage.
AGENCY:
To comply with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
NOAA Administrative Order (NAO)
216–6A, NMFS must review our
proposed action (i.e., the issuance of an
IHA) with respect to potential impacts
on the human environment.
This action is consistent with
categories of activities identified in
Categorical Exclusion B4 (IHAs with no
anticipated serious injury or mortality)
of the Companion Manual for NOAA
Administrative Order 216–6A, which do
not individually or cumulatively have
the potential for significant impacts on
the quality of the human environment
and for which we have not identified
any extraordinary circumstances that
would preclude this categorical
exclusion. Accordingly, NMFS has
determined that the issuance of the IHA
qualifies to be categorically excluded
from further NEPA review.
NMFS publishes standard
prices and fee percentages for cost
recovery for the Amendment 80
Program, the American Fisheries Act
(AFA) Program, the Aleutian Islands
Pollock (AIP) Program, and the Western
Alaska Community Development Quota
(CDQ) Program in the Bering Sea
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management
area. The fee percentages for 2023 are
1.37 percent for the Amendment 80
Program, 0.26 percent for the AFA
inshore cooperatives, 0 percent for the
AIP program, and 1.07 percent for the
CDQ Program. This notice is intended to
provide the 2023 standard prices and
fee percentages to calculate the required
payment for cost recovery fees due by
December 31, 2023.
DATES: The standard prices and fee
percentages are valid on November 24,
2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Charmaine Weeks, Fee Coordinator,
907–586–7231.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authorization
Background
As a result of these determinations,
NMFS has issued an IHA to the USACE
for conducting confined blasting in
Iliuliuk Bay, Unalaska between January
1, 2024 and December 31, 2024,
incorporating the previously mentioned
mitigation, monitoring, and reporting
requirements. The IHA can be found at:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/
incidental-take-authorization-us-armycorps-engineers-unalaska-dutch-harborchannel.
Section 304(d) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens
Act) authorizes and requires that NMFS
collect cost recovery fees for limited
access privilege programs and the CDQ
Program. Cost recovery fees include
NMFS’ actual costs directly related to its
management, data collection, and
enforcement of the programs. Section
304(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act
mandates that cost recovery fees not
exceed 3 percent of the annual ex-vessel
value of fish harvested under any
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
National Environmental Policy Act
Dated: November 20, 2023.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–25934 Filed 11–22–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
PO 00000
Frm 00024
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\24NON1.SGM
24NON1
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 225 / Friday, November 24, 2023 / Notices
the calendar year in which the fish is
harvested.
NMFS manages the Amendment 80
Program, AFA Program, and AIP
Program as limited access privilege
programs. On January 5, 2016, NMFS
published a final rule to implement cost
recovery for these three limited access
privilege programs and the CDQ
program (81 FR 150). The designated
representative (for the purposes of cost
recovery) for each program is
responsible for submitting the fee
payment to NMFS on or before
December 31 of the year in which the
landings were made. The total dollar
amount of the fee due is determined by
multiplying the NMFS published fee
percentage by the ex-vessel value of all
landings under the program made
during the fishing year. NMFS publishes
this notice of the fee percentages for the
Amendment 80, AFA, AIP, and CDQ
programs in the Federal Register by
December 1 each year.
Standard Prices
The fee liability is based on the exvessel value of fish harvested in each
program. For purposes of calculating
cost recovery fees, NMFS uses a
standard ex-vessel price (standard price)
for each species. A standard price is
determined using information on
landings purchased (volume) and exvessel value paid (value). For most
82337
groundfish species, NMFS annually
summarizes volume and value
information for landings of all fishery
species subject to cost recovery to
estimate a standard price for each
species. The standard prices are
described in U.S. dollars per pound for
landings made during the year. The
standard prices for all species in the
Amendment 80, AFA, AIP, and CDQ
programs are provided in Table 1. Each
landing made under each program is
multiplied by the appropriate standard
price to arrive at an ex-vessel value for
each landing. These values are summed
together to arrive at the ex-vessel value
of each program (fishery value).
TABLE 1—STANDARD EX-VESSEL PRICES BY SPECIES FOR THE 2023 FISHING YEAR
Species
Gear type
Reporting period
Arrowtooth flounder ...................................
Atka mackerel ...........................................
Flathead sole ............................................
Greenland turbot .......................................
CDQ halibut ..............................................
Pacific cod .................................................
All ..............................................................
All ..............................................................
All ..............................................................
All ..............................................................
Fixed gear .................................................
Fixed gear .................................................
Trawl gear .................................................
All ..............................................................
All ..............................................................
All ..............................................................
All ..............................................................
Fixed gear .................................................
Trawl gear .................................................
All ..............................................................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to March ......................................
April to December .....................................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
January to December ...............................
Pacific ocean perch ..................................
Pollock .......................................................
Rock sole ..................................................
Sablefish ...................................................
Yellowfin sole ............................................
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
Fee Percentage
Annually, NMFS calculates the
applicable fee percentage for each of the
four programs according to the factors
and methods described at 50 CFR 679
under §§ 679.33(c)(2) for CDQ,
679.66(c)(2) for AFA, 679.67(c)(2) for
AIP, and 679.95(c)(2) for Amendment
80. NMFS determines the fee percentage
that applies to landings made during the
year by dividing the total costs directly
related to the management, data
collection, and enforcement of each
program (direct program costs) during
the year by the fishery value. NMFS
captures direct program costs through
an established accounting system that
allows staff to track labor, travel,
contracts, rent, and procurement costs.
For 2023, the direct program costs for
each program were tracked from
October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023
(the end of the fiscal year). The 2023 fee
percentages for the Amendment 80 and
CDQ Programs are more than the fee
percentages calculated for them in 2022.
The 2023 fee percentage for the AFA
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:46 Nov 22, 2023
Jkt 262001
Program is less than the fee percentage
calculated for it in 2022. The 2023
percentage for the AIP Program is zero
because there was no AIP fishery in
2023, thus no associated harvest.
NMFS will provide an annual report
that summarizes direct program costs
for each of the programs in early 2024.
NMFS calculates the values for each
fishery as described earlier under the
Standard Prices section of this notice.
Amendment 80 Program Standard
Prices and Fee Percentage
The Amendment 80 Program allocates
total allowable catches (TACs) of
groundfish species, other than Bering
Sea pollock, to identified trawl catcher/
processors fishing in the BSAI. The
Amendment 80 Program allocates a
portion of the BSAI TACs of six species:
Atka mackerel, Pacific cod, flathead
sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, and
Aleutian Islands Pacific ocean perch. In
recent years, participants in the
Amendment 80 sector have established
a cooperative to harvest these
allocations. Each Amendment 80
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Standard
ex-vessel
price per
pound
($)
0.24
0.24
0.18
0.62
5.25
0.53
0.42
0.18
0.20
0.23
0.19
1.38
0.56
0.18
cooperative is responsible for payment
of the cost recovery fee for fish landed
under the Amendment 80 Program. Cost
recovery requirements for the
Amendment 80 Program are at § 679.95.
For Amendment 80 species other than
rock sole, NMFS annually summarizes
volume and value information for
landings of all fishery species subject to
cost recovery in order to estimate a
standard price for each fishery species.
Regulations specify that for rock sole,
NMFS shall calculate a separate
standard price for two periods, January
1 through March 31 and April 1 through
October 31, which has historically
accounted for a substantial difference in
estimated rock sole prices during the
first quarter of the year relative to the
remainder of the year. The volume and
value information are obtained from the
First Wholesale Volume and Value
Report submitted by catcher/processors
that harvested Amendment 80 or CDQ
species, and the Pacific Cod Ex-Vessel
Volume and Value Report submitted by
shoreside processors and motherships
E:\FR\FM\24NON1.SGM
24NON1
82338
Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 225 / Friday, November 24, 2023 / Notices
that processed landings of BSAI or CDQ
Pacific cod.
Using the fee percentage formula
described generally above, the estimated
percentage of direct program costs to
fishery value for the 2023 calendar year
is 1.37 percent for the Amendment 80
Program. For 2023, NMFS applied the
fee percentage to each Amendment 80
species landing that was debited from
an Amendment 80 cooperative quota
allocation between January 1 and
December 31 to calculate the
Amendment 80 fee liability for each
Amendment 80 cooperative. The 2023
fee payments must be submitted to
NMFS on or before December 31, 2023.
Payment must be made in accordance
with the payment methods set forth in
§ 679.95(a)(3)(iv).
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
AFA Standard Price and Fee
Percentages
The AFA Program allocates the Bering
Sea directed pollock fishery TAC to
three sectors: catcher/processor,
mothership, and inshore. Each sector
has established cooperatives to harvest
the sector’s exclusive allocation. In
2023, each cooperative for the inshore
sector is responsible for paying the fee
for Bering Sea pollock landed under the
AFA Program. Cost recovery
requirements for the AFA sectors are
found at § 679.66.
NMFS calculates the standard price
for pollock using the most recent annual
value information reported to the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game for the
Commercial Operator’s Annual Report
and compiled in the Alaska Commercial
Fisheries Entry Commission Gross
Earnings data. Due to the time required
to compile the data, there is a 1-year
delay between the gross earnings data
year and the fishing year to which it is
applied. For example, NMFS used 2022
gross earnings data to calculate the
standard price for 2023 pollock
landings.
Under the fee percentage formula
described above, the estimated
percentage of direct program costs to
fishery value for the 2023 calendar year
is 0.26 percent for the AFA inshore
sector. To calculate the 2023 fee
liabilities, NMFS applied the respective
fee percentages to the landings of Bering
Sea pollock debited from each
cooperative’s fishery allocation that
occurred between January 1 and
December 31. The 2023 fee payments
must be submitted to NMFS on or before
December 31, 2023. Payment must be
made in accordance with the payment
methods set forth in § 679.66(a)(4)(iv).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
21:46 Nov 22, 2023
Jkt 262001
AIP Program Standard Price and Fee
Percentage
The AIP Program allocates the
Aleutian Islands directed pollock
fishery TAC to the Aleut Corporation,
consistent with the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2004 (Pub. L.
108–109) and implementing regulations.
Annually, prior to the start of the
pollock season, the Aleut Corporation
provides NMFS with the identity of its
designated representative for harvesting
the Aleutian Islands directed pollock
fishery TAC. The same individual is
responsible for the submission of all
cost recovery fees for pollock landed
under the AIP Program. Cost recovery
requirements for the AIP Program are at
§ 679.67.
NMFS calculates the standard price
for pollock using the most recent annual
value information reported to the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game for the
Commercial Operator’s Annual Report
and compiled in the Alaska Commercial
Fisheries Entry Commission Gross
Earnings data for Aleutian Islands
pollock. As explained above, due to the
time required to compile the data, there
is a 1-year delay between the gross
earnings data year and the fishing year
to which it is applied.
For the 2023 fishing year, the Aleut
Corporation did not select any
participants to harvest or process the
Aleutian Islands directed pollock
fishery TAC, and most of that TAC was
reallocated to the Bering Sea directed
pollock fishery TAC. Since there was no
fishery for the AIP Program in 2023, the
fee percentage is zero.
recovery requirements for the CDQ
Program are at § 679.33.
For most CDQ groundfish species,
NMFS annually summarizes volume
and value information for landings of all
fishery species subject to cost recovery
in order to estimate a standard price for
each fishery species. The volume and
value information are obtained from the
First Wholesale Volume and Value
Report and the Pacific Cod Ex-Vessel
Volume and Value Report. For CDQ
halibut and fixed-gear sablefish, NMFS
calculates the standard prices using
information from the Individual Fishing
Quota (IFQ) Ex-Vessel Volume and
Value Report, which collects
information on both IFQ and CDQ
volume and value.
Using the fee percentage formula
described above, the estimated
percentage of direct program costs to
fishery value for the 2023 calendar year
is 1.07 percent for the CDQ Program. For
2023, NMFS applied the calculated CDQ
fee percentage to all CDQ groundfish
and halibut landings made between
January 1 and December 31 to calculate
the CDQ fee liability for each CDQ
group. The 2023 fee payments must be
submitted to NMFS on or before
December 31, 2023. Payment must be
made in accordance with the payment
methods set forth in § 679.33(a)(3)(iv).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 20, 2023.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–25957 Filed 11–22–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P
CDQ Standard Price and Fee Percentage
The CDQ Program was implemented
in 1992 to provide access to BSAI
fishery resources to villages located in
Western Alaska. Section 305(i) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act identifies 65
villages eligible to participate in the
CDQ Program and the six CDQ groups
to represent these villages. CDQ groups
receive exclusive harvesting privileges
of the TACs for a broad range of crab
species, groundfish species, and halibut.
NMFS implemented a CDQ cost
recovery program for the BSAI crab
fisheries in 2005 (70 FR 10174, March
2, 2005) and published the cost recovery
fee percentage for the 2022/2023 crab
fishing year on August 3, 2023 (88 FR
51301). This notice provides the cost
recovery fee percentage for the CDQ
Program with respect to groundfish and
halibut. Each CDQ group is subject to
cost recovery fee requirements and the
designated representative of each CDQ
group is responsible for submitting
payment for their CDQ group. Cost
PO 00000
Frm 00026
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD553]
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management
Council (MAFMC); Public Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; public meeting.
AGENCY:
The Mid-Atlantic and New
England Fishery Management Councils
(Councils) will hold a public meeting of
their joint Northeast Trawl Advisory
Panel (NTAP).
DATES: The meeting will be held on
Thursday, December 14, 2023, from 12
p.m. to 2 p.m. EDT. For agenda details,
see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held
via webinar. Connection information
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\24NON1.SGM
24NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 225 (Friday, November 24, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82336-82338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25957]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD512]
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands Management Area; Cost Recovery Fee Notice for the
Western Alaska Community Development Quota and Trawl Limited Access
Privilege Programs
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of standard prices and fee percentage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: NMFS publishes standard prices and fee percentages for cost
recovery for the Amendment 80 Program, the American Fisheries Act (AFA)
Program, the Aleutian Islands Pollock (AIP) Program, and the Western
Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program in the Bering Sea
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) management area. The fee percentages for 2023
are 1.37 percent for the Amendment 80 Program, 0.26 percent for the AFA
inshore cooperatives, 0 percent for the AIP program, and 1.07 percent
for the CDQ Program. This notice is intended to provide the 2023
standard prices and fee percentages to calculate the required payment
for cost recovery fees due by December 31, 2023.
DATES: The standard prices and fee percentages are valid on November
24, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charmaine Weeks, Fee Coordinator, 907-
586-7231.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 304(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) authorizes and requires that NMFS
collect cost recovery fees for limited access privilege programs and
the CDQ Program. Cost recovery fees include NMFS' actual costs directly
related to its management, data collection, and enforcement of the
programs. Section 304(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act mandates that cost
recovery fees not exceed 3 percent of the annual ex-vessel value of
fish harvested under any 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
[[Page 82337]]
the calendar year in which the fish is harvested.
NMFS manages the Amendment 80 Program, AFA Program, and AIP Program
as limited access privilege programs. On January 5, 2016, NMFS
published a final rule to implement cost recovery for these three
limited access privilege programs and the CDQ program (81 FR 150). The
designated representative (for the purposes of cost recovery) for each
program is responsible for submitting the fee payment to NMFS on or
before December 31 of the year in which the landings were made. The
total dollar amount of the fee due is determined by multiplying the
NMFS published fee percentage by the ex-vessel value of all landings
under the program made during the fishing year. NMFS publishes this
notice of the fee percentages for the Amendment 80, AFA, AIP, and CDQ
programs in the Federal Register by December 1 each year.
Standard Prices
The fee liability is based on the ex-vessel value of fish harvested
in each program. For purposes of calculating cost recovery fees, NMFS
uses a standard ex-vessel price (standard price) for each species. A
standard price is determined using information on landings purchased
(volume) and ex-vessel value paid (value). For most groundfish species,
NMFS annually summarizes volume and value information for landings of
all fishery species subject to cost recovery to estimate a standard
price for each species. The standard prices are described in U.S.
dollars per pound for landings made during the year. The standard
prices for all species in the Amendment 80, AFA, AIP, and CDQ programs
are provided in Table 1. Each landing made under each program is
multiplied by the appropriate standard price to arrive at an ex-vessel
value for each landing. These values are summed together to arrive at
the ex-vessel value of each program (fishery value).
Table 1--Standard Ex-Vessel Prices by Species for the 2023 Fishing Year
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard ex-
vessel
Species Gear type Reporting period price per
pound ($)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arrowtooth flounder...................... All........................ January to December........ 0.24
Atka mackerel............................ All........................ January to December........ 0.24
Flathead sole............................ All........................ January to December........ 0.18
Greenland turbot......................... All........................ January to December........ 0.62
CDQ halibut.............................. Fixed gear................. January to December........ 5.25
Pacific cod.............................. Fixed gear................. January to December........ 0.53
Trawl gear................. January to December........ 0.42
Pacific ocean perch...................... All........................ January to December........ 0.18
Pollock.................................. All........................ January to December........ 0.20
Rock sole................................ All........................ January to March........... 0.23
All........................ April to December.......... 0.19
Sablefish................................ Fixed gear................. January to December........ 1.38
Trawl gear................. January to December........ 0.56
Yellowfin sole........................... All........................ January to December........ 0.18
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fee Percentage
Annually, NMFS calculates the applicable fee percentage for each of
the four programs according to the factors and methods described at 50
CFR 679 under Sec. Sec. 679.33(c)(2) for CDQ, 679.66(c)(2) for AFA,
679.67(c)(2) for AIP, and 679.95(c)(2) for Amendment 80. NMFS
determines the fee percentage that applies to landings made during the
year by dividing the total costs directly related to the management,
data collection, and enforcement of each program (direct program costs)
during the year by the fishery value. NMFS captures direct program
costs through an established accounting system that allows staff to
track labor, travel, contracts, rent, and procurement costs. For 2023,
the direct program costs for each program were tracked from October 1,
2022 to September 30, 2023 (the end of the fiscal year). The 2023 fee
percentages for the Amendment 80 and CDQ Programs are more than the fee
percentages calculated for them in 2022. The 2023 fee percentage for
the AFA Program is less than the fee percentage calculated for it in
2022. The 2023 percentage for the AIP Program is zero because there was
no AIP fishery in 2023, thus no associated harvest.
NMFS will provide an annual report that summarizes direct program
costs for each of the programs in early 2024. NMFS calculates the
values for each fishery as described earlier under the Standard Prices
section of this notice.
Amendment 80 Program Standard Prices and Fee Percentage
The Amendment 80 Program allocates total allowable catches (TACs)
of groundfish species, other than Bering Sea pollock, to identified
trawl catcher/processors fishing in the BSAI. The Amendment 80 Program
allocates a portion of the BSAI TACs of six species: Atka mackerel,
Pacific cod, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, and Aleutian
Islands Pacific ocean perch. In recent years, participants in the
Amendment 80 sector have established a cooperative to harvest these
allocations. Each Amendment 80 cooperative is responsible for payment
of the cost recovery fee for fish landed under the Amendment 80
Program. Cost recovery requirements for the Amendment 80 Program are at
Sec. 679.95.
For Amendment 80 species other than rock sole, NMFS annually
summarizes volume and value information for landings of all fishery
species subject to cost recovery in order to estimate a standard price
for each fishery species. Regulations specify that for rock sole, NMFS
shall calculate a separate standard price for two periods, January 1
through March 31 and April 1 through October 31, which has historically
accounted for a substantial difference in estimated rock sole prices
during the first quarter of the year relative to the remainder of the
year. The volume and value information are obtained from the First
Wholesale Volume and Value Report submitted by catcher/processors that
harvested Amendment 80 or CDQ species, and the Pacific Cod Ex-Vessel
Volume and Value Report submitted by shoreside processors and
motherships
[[Page 82338]]
that processed landings of BSAI or CDQ Pacific cod.
Using the fee percentage formula described generally above, the
estimated percentage of direct program costs to fishery value for the
2023 calendar year is 1.37 percent for the Amendment 80 Program. For
2023, NMFS applied the fee percentage to each Amendment 80 species
landing that was debited from an Amendment 80 cooperative quota
allocation between January 1 and December 31 to calculate the Amendment
80 fee liability for each Amendment 80 cooperative. The 2023 fee
payments must be submitted to NMFS on or before December 31, 2023.
Payment must be made in accordance with the payment methods set forth
in Sec. 679.95(a)(3)(iv).
AFA Standard Price and Fee Percentages
The AFA Program allocates the Bering Sea directed pollock fishery
TAC to three sectors: catcher/processor, mothership, and inshore. Each
sector has established cooperatives to harvest the sector's exclusive
allocation. In 2023, each cooperative for the inshore sector is
responsible for paying the fee for Bering Sea pollock landed under the
AFA Program. Cost recovery requirements for the AFA sectors are found
at Sec. 679.66.
NMFS calculates the standard price for pollock using the most
recent annual value information reported to the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game for the Commercial Operator's Annual Report and compiled
in the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission Gross Earnings
data. Due to the time required to compile the data, there is a 1-year
delay between the gross earnings data year and the fishing year to
which it is applied. For example, NMFS used 2022 gross earnings data to
calculate the standard price for 2023 pollock landings.
Under the fee percentage formula described above, the estimated
percentage of direct program costs to fishery value for the 2023
calendar year is 0.26 percent for the AFA inshore sector. To calculate
the 2023 fee liabilities, NMFS applied the respective fee percentages
to the landings of Bering Sea pollock debited from each cooperative's
fishery allocation that occurred between January 1 and December 31. The
2023 fee payments must be submitted to NMFS on or before December 31,
2023. Payment must be made in accordance with the payment methods set
forth in Sec. 679.66(a)(4)(iv).
AIP Program Standard Price and Fee Percentage
The AIP Program allocates the Aleutian Islands directed pollock
fishery TAC to the Aleut Corporation, consistent with the Consolidated
Appropriations Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-109) and implementing
regulations. Annually, prior to the start of the pollock season, the
Aleut Corporation provides NMFS with the identity of its designated
representative for harvesting the Aleutian Islands directed pollock
fishery TAC. The same individual is responsible for the submission of
all cost recovery fees for pollock landed under the AIP Program. Cost
recovery requirements for the AIP Program are at Sec. 679.67.
NMFS calculates the standard price for pollock using the most
recent annual value information reported to the Alaska Department of
Fish and Game for the Commercial Operator's Annual Report and compiled
in the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission Gross Earnings data
for Aleutian Islands pollock. As explained above, due to the time
required to compile the data, there is a 1-year delay between the gross
earnings data year and the fishing year to which it is applied.
For the 2023 fishing year, the Aleut Corporation did not select any
participants to harvest or process the Aleutian Islands directed
pollock fishery TAC, and most of that TAC was reallocated to the Bering
Sea directed pollock fishery TAC. Since there was no fishery for the
AIP Program in 2023, the fee percentage is zero.
CDQ Standard Price and Fee Percentage
The CDQ Program was implemented in 1992 to provide access to BSAI
fishery resources to villages located in Western Alaska. Section 305(i)
of the Magnuson-Stevens Act identifies 65 villages eligible to
participate in the CDQ Program and the six CDQ groups to represent
these villages. CDQ groups receive exclusive harvesting privileges of
the TACs for a broad range of crab species, groundfish species, and
halibut. NMFS implemented a CDQ cost recovery program for the BSAI crab
fisheries in 2005 (70 FR 10174, March 2, 2005) and published the cost
recovery fee percentage for the 2022/2023 crab fishing year on August
3, 2023 (88 FR 51301). This notice provides the cost recovery fee
percentage for the CDQ Program with respect to groundfish and halibut.
Each CDQ group is subject to cost recovery fee requirements and the
designated representative of each CDQ group is responsible for
submitting payment for their CDQ group. Cost recovery requirements for
the CDQ Program are at Sec. 679.33.
For most CDQ groundfish species, NMFS annually summarizes volume
and value information for landings of all fishery species subject to
cost recovery in order to estimate a standard price for each fishery
species. The volume and value information are obtained from the First
Wholesale Volume and Value Report and the Pacific Cod Ex-Vessel Volume
and Value Report. For CDQ halibut and fixed-gear sablefish, NMFS
calculates the standard prices using information from the Individual
Fishing Quota (IFQ) Ex-Vessel Volume and Value Report, which collects
information on both IFQ and CDQ volume and value.
Using the fee percentage formula described above, the estimated
percentage of direct program costs to fishery value for the 2023
calendar year is 1.07 percent for the CDQ Program. For 2023, NMFS
applied the calculated CDQ fee percentage to all CDQ groundfish and
halibut landings made between January 1 and December 31 to calculate
the CDQ fee liability for each CDQ group. The 2023 fee payments must be
submitted to NMFS on or before December 31, 2023. Payment must be made
in accordance with the payment methods set forth in Sec.
679.33(a)(3)(iv).
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: November 20, 2023.
Kelly Denit,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-25957 Filed 11-22-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
