NMFS Publishes Cost Recovery Fee Percentage for Pacific Cod Trawl Cooperative Program

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) on Aug. 1 published in the Federal Register its fee percentage of 1.92% for cost recovery for the Pacific Cod Trawl Cooperative (PCTC) program.

The notice is intended to provide the information to calculate the required payment for cost recovery fees due by Aug. 31.

Section 304(d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act authorizes and requires NMFS to collect cost recovery fees for limited access privilege programs.

These fees include NMFS’ actual costs directly related to its management, data collection and enforcement of the programs.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act mandates that cost recovery fees not exceed 3% 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 the calendar year in which the fish is harvested.

NMFS manages the PCTC program as a limited access privilege program. The PCTC allocates total allowable catch of Pacific cod to trawl catcher vessels and processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area. PCTC participants must form a cooperative and associate with a processor.

The annual PCTC program cost recovery process builds on other existing cost recovery requirements implemented under other programs. The fee liability is based on the ex-vessel value of fish harvested in that program.

NMFS said that failure to pay cost recovery fee liabilities by Aug. 31 will result in NMFS disapproval of a cooperative’s application to transfer cooperative quota (CQ) or issue a CQ permit the following year until full payment of the fee liability is received by NMFS.