[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 230 (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 74048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30851]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA839


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 decrease the fee rate for the non-
pollock groundfish fishery to repay the $35,000,000 reduction loan to 
finance the non-pollock groundfish fishing capacity reduction program.

DATES: The non-pollock groundfish program fee rate decrease will begin 
on January 1, 2012.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Marx, (301) 427-8799.

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 authorizes 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 to the reduction 
fishery and is repayable by fees from the fishery.
    NMFS published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2007 (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 fee rate to .016 per pound effective 
January 1, 2010. Then, on November 12, 2010 (75 FR 69401), a notice to 
decrease the fee rate to $0.015 per pound, effective January 1, 2011.

II. Purpose

    The purpose of this notice is to adjust, in accordance with the 
framework rule's Sec.  600.1013(b), the fee rate for the reduction 
fishery. 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 $0.015 per pound is more than needed to service the loan. 
Therefore, NMFS is decreasing the fee rate to $0.0145 per pound which 
NMFS has determined is sufficient to ensure timely loan repayment.
    Subsector members may continue to use Pay.gov to disburse collected 
fee deposits at: http://www.pay.gov/paygov/ paygov/.
    Please visit the NMFS Web site for additional information at: 
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/mb/financial_services/buyback.htm.

III. Notice

    The new fee rate for the non-pollock Groundfish fishery will begin 
on January 1, 2012.
    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: November 23, 2011.
Gary C. Reisner,
Director, Office of Management and Budget, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-30851 Filed 11-29-11; 8:45 am]
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