83 FR 63833 - Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Longline Catcher Processor Subsector of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Non Pollock Groundfish Fishery

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 238 (December 12, 2018)

NMFS issues this notice to inform the public that there will be an increase of the fee rate required to repay the $35,000,000 reduction loan financing the non-pollock groundfish fishing capacity reduction program. Effective January 1, 2019, NMFS is increasing the Loan A fee rate to $0.017 per pound to ensure timely loan repayment. The fee rate for Loan B will remain unchanged at $0.001 per pound.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 238 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63833-63834]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26884]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XG656


Fishing Capacity Reduction Program for the Longline Catcher 
Processor Subsector of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Non Pollock 
Groundfish Fishery

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

ACTION: Notice of fee rate adjustment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS issues this notice to inform the public that there will 
be an increase of the fee rate required to repay the $35,000,000 
reduction loan financing the non-pollock groundfish fishing capacity 
reduction program. Effective January 1, 2019, NMFS is increasing the 
Loan A fee rate to $0.017 per pound to ensure timely loan repayment. 
The fee rate for Loan B will remain unchanged at $0.001 per pound.

DATES: The non-pollock groundfish program fee rate increase will begin 
with landings on and after January 1, 2019. The first due date for fee 
payments with the increased rate will be February 15, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Send questions about this notice to Michael A. Sturtevant, 
Acting Chief, Financial Services Division, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3282.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elaine Saiz, (301) 427-8752.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Sections 312(b)-(e) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1861a(b) through (e)) generally 
authorizes fishing capacity reduction programs. In particular, section 
312(d) authorizes industry fee systems for repaying reduction loans 
which finance reduction program costs. Subpart L of 50 CFR part 600 is 
the framework rule generally implementing section 312(b)-(e). Sections 
1111 and 1112 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1279f 
and 1279g) generally authorize reduction loans.
    Enacted on December 8, 2004, section 219, Title II, of FY 2005 
Appropriations Act, Public Law 104-447 (Act) authorizes a fishing 
capacity reduction program implementing capacity reduction plans 
submitted to NMFS by catcher processor subsectors of the Bering Sea and 
Aleutian Islands (``BSAI'') non-pollock groundfish fishery (``reduction 
fishery'') as set forth in the Act.
    The longline catcher processor subsector (the ``Longline 
Subsector'') is among the catcher processor subsectors eligible to 
submit to NMFS a capacity reduction plan under the terms of the Act.
    The longline subsector non-pollock groundfish reduction program's 
objective was to reduce the number of vessels and permits endorsed for 
longline subsector of the non-pollock groundfish fishery.
    All post-reduction fish landings from the reduction fishery are 
subject to the longline subsector non-pollock groundfish program's fee.
    NMFS proposed the implementing notice on August 11, 2006 (71 FR 
46364), and published the final notice on September 29, 2006 (71 FR 
57696).
    NMFS allocated the $35,000,000 reduction loan (A Loan) to the 
reduction fishery and this loan is repayable by fees from the fishery.
    On September 24, 2007, NMFS published in the Federal Register (72 
FR 54219), the final rule to implement the industry fee system for 
repaying the non-pollock groundfish program's reduction loan and 
established October 24, 2007, as the effective date when fee collection 
and loan repayment began. The regulations implementing the program are 
located at Sec.  600.1012 of 50 CFR part 600's subpart M.
    NMFS published, in the Federal Register on November 2, 2009 (74 FR 
56592), a notice to decrease the A Loan fee rate to $0.016 per pound 
effective January 1, 2010. On November 12, 2010, NMFS published a 
notice (75 FR 69401), to decrease the fee rate to $0.015 per pound, 
effective January 1, 2011. NMFS published a notice on November 30, 2011 
(76 FR 74048) to decrease the fee rate to $0.0145 per pound effective 
January 1, 2012. NMFS published a notice on February 13, 2013 (78 FR 
10136) to further decrease the fee rate once more to $0.0111 per pound 
effective January 1, 2013. NMFS published a notice on January 8, 2018 
(83 FR 793) to increase the fee rate to $0.013 per pound effective 
January 1, 2018.
    NMFS published a final rule to implement a second $2,700,000 
reduction loan (B Loan) for this fishery in the Federal Register on 
September 24, 2012 (77 FR 58775). The loan was disbursed December 18, 
2012 with fee collection of $0.001 per pound to begin January 1, 2013. 
This fee is in addition to the A Loan fee.

[[Page 63834]]

II. Purpose

    The purpose of this notice is to adjust the fee rate for the 
reduction fishery in accordance with the framework rule's Sec.  
600.1013(b). Section 600.1013(b) directs NMFS to recalculate the fee 
rate that will be reasonably necessary to ensure reduction loan 
repayment within the specified 30 year term.
    NMFS has determined for the reduction fishery that the current fee 
rate of $0.013 per pound is less than that needed to service the A 
Loan. Therefore, NMFS is increasing the Loan A fee rate to $0.017 per 
pound which NMFS has determined is sufficient to ensure timely loan 
repayment. The fee rate for Loan B will remain $0.001 per pound.
    Subsector members may continue to use Pay.gov to disburse collected 
fee deposits at: http://www.pay.gov/paygov/ paygov/.
    Please visit the NMFS website for additional information at: 
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/funding-and-financial-services/longline-catcher-processor-subsector-bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-non-pollock.

III. Notice

    The new fee rate for the non-pollock Groundfish fishery will begin 
on January 1, 2019.
    From and after this date, all subsector members paying fees on the 
non-pollock groundfish fishery shall begin paying non-pollock 
groundfish fishery program fees at the revised rate.
    Fee collection and submission shall follow previously established 
methods in Sec.  600.1013 of the framework rule and in the final fee 
rule published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2007 (72 FR 
54219).

    Authority:  The authority for this action is Public Law 108-447, 
16 U.S.C. 1861a (b-e), and 50 CFR 600.1000 et seq.

     Dated: December 3, 2018.
Brian Pawlak,
CFO/CAO Director, Office of Management and Budget, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-26884 Filed 12-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P