(a) Cost Recovery Fee Program for CDQ groundfish and halibut—(1) Who is Responsible? The person documented with NMFS as the CDQ group representative at the time of a CDQ landing.

(i) Subsequent transfer, under §679.31(c), of a CDQ allocation by a CDQ group does not affect the CDQ group representative's liability for noncompliance with this section.

(ii) Changes in amount of a CDQ allocation to a CDQ group do not affect the CDQ group representative's liability for noncompliance with this section.

(2) Fee collection. Each CDQ group that receives a CDQ allocation of groundfish and halibut is responsible for submitting the cost recovery payment for all CDQ landings debited against that CDQ group's allocations.

(3) Payment—(i) Payment due date. A CDQ group representative must submit all CDQ fee payment(s) to NMFS at the address provided in paragraph (a)(3)(iii) of this section no later than December 31 of the calendar year in which the CDQ groundfish and halibut landings were made.

(ii) Payment recipient. Make electronic payment payable to NMFS.

(iii) Payment address. Submit payment and related documents as instructed on the fee submission form. Payments must be made electronically through the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. Instructions for electronic payment will be made available on both the payment Web site and a fee liability summary letter mailed to the CDQ group representative.

(iv) Payment method. Payment must be made electronically in U.S. dollars by automated clearing house, credit card, or electronic check drawn on a U.S. bank account.

(b) CDQ standard ex-vessel value determination and use—(1) General. A CDQ group representative must use the CDQ standard prices determined by NMFS under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(2) CDQ standard prices—(i) General. Each year the Regional Administrator will publish CDQ standard prices for groundfish and halibut in the Federal Register by December 1 of the year in which the CDQ groundfish and halibut landings were made. The CDQ standard prices will be described in U.S. dollars per CDQ equivalent pound for CDQ groundfish and halibut landings made during the current calendar year.

(ii) Effective duration. The CDQ standard prices published by NMFS shall apply to all CDQ groundfish and halibut landings made during the current calendar year.

(iii) Determination. NMFS will calculate the CDQ standard prices for each CDQ fishery as follows:

(A) CDQ halibut and CDQ fixed gear sablefish. NMFS will calculate the CDQ standard prices for CDQ halibut and CDQ fixed gear sablefish to reflect, as closely as possible by port or port-group, the variations in the actual ex-vessel values of CDQ halibut and fixed-gear sablefish based on information provided in the IFQ Registered Buyer Ex-vessel Volume and Value Report described at §679.5(l)(7). The Regional Administrator will base CDQ standard prices on the following information:

(1) Landed pounds of IFQ halibut and sablefish and CDQ halibut in the Bering Sea port-group;

(2) Total ex-vessel value of IFQ halibut and sablefish and CDQ halibut in the Bering Sea port-group; and

(3) Price adjustments, including retroactive payments.

(B) CDQ Pacific cod. NMFS will use the standard prices calculated for Pacific cod based on information provided in the Pacific Cod Ex-vessel Volume and Value Report described at §679.5(u)(1) for CDQ Pacific cod.

(C) CDQ pollock. NMFS will use the standard prices calculated for AFA pollock described at §679.66(b) for CDQ pollock.

(D) Other CDQ groundfish including sablefish caught with trawl gear.

(1) NMFS will base all CDQ standard prices for all other CDQ groundfish species on the First Wholesale Volume and Value reports specified in §679.5(u)(2).

(2) NMFS will establish CDQ standard prices for all other CDQ groundfish species on an annual basis; except the Regional Administrator will establish a first CDQ standard price for rock sole for all landings from January 1 through March 31, and a second CDQ standard price for rock sole for all landings from April 1 through December 31.

(3) The average first wholesale product prices reported will be multiplied by 0.4 to obtain a proxy for the ex-vessel prices of those CDQ groundfish species.

(c) CDQ fee percentage—(1) Established percentage. The CDQ fee percentage for CDQ groundfish and halibut is the amount as determined by the factors and methodology described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section. This amount will be announced by publication in the Federal Register in accordance with paragraph (c)(3) of this section. This amount must not exceed 3.0 percent pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)(B).

(2) Calculating fee percentage value. Each year NMFS will calculate and publish the CDQ fee percentage according to the following factors and methodology:

(i) Factors. NMFS will use the following factors to determine the fee percentage:

(A) The catch to which the CDQ groundfish and halibut cost recovery fee will apply;

(B) The ex-vessel value of that catch; and

(C) The costs directly related to the management, data collection, and enforcement of the CDQ Program for groundfish and halibut.

(ii) Methodology. NMFS will use the following equations to determine the fee percentage: 100 × DPC/V, where:

(A) DPC = the direct program costs for the CDQ Program for groundfish and halibut for the most recent Federal fiscal year (October 1 through September 30) with any adjustments to the account from payments received in the previous year.

(B) V = total of the CDQ standard ex-vessel value of the catch subject to the CDQ fee liability for the current year.

(3) Publication—(i) General. NMFS will calculate and announce the CDQ fee percentage in a Federal Register notice by December 1 of the year in which the CDQ groundfish and halibut landings were made. NMFS will calculate the CDQ fee percentage based on the calculations described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(ii) Effective period. NMFS will apply the calculated CDQ fee percentage to CDQ groundfish and halibut landings made between January 1 and December 31 of the same year.

(4) Applicable percentage. The CDQ group representative must use the CDQ fee percentage applicable at the time a CDQ groundfish and halibut landing is debited from a CDQ group's allocation to calculate the CDQ fee liability for any retroactive payments for that CDQ species.

(5) Fee liability determination for a CDQ group.

(i) Each CDQ group will be subject to a CDQ fee for any CDQ groundfish and halibut debited from that CDQ group's allocation during a calendar year.

(ii) The CDQ fee assessed to a CDQ group will be based on the proportion of the standard ex-vessel value of CDQ groundfish and halibut debited from a CDQ group's allocation relative to all CDQ groups during a calendar year as determined by NMFS.

(iii) NMFS will provide a CDQ fee liability summary letter to each CDQ group representative by December 1 of each year. The summary will explain the CDQ fee liability determination including the current fee percentage, and details of CDQ pounds debited from the CDQ group allocations by permit, species, date, and prices.

(d) Underpayment of fee liability—(1) No CDQ group will receive its allocations of CDQ groundfish or halibut until the CDQ group representative submits full payment of that CDQ group's complete CDQ fee liability.

(2) If a CDQ group representative fails to submit full payment for its CDQ fee liability by the date described in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, the Regional Administrator may:

(i) At any time thereafter send an IAD to the CDQ group representative stating that the CDQ group's estimated fee liability, as indicated by his or her own submitted information, is the CDQ fee liability due from the CDQ group.

(ii) Disapprove any application to transfer CDQ to or from the CDQ group in accordance with §679.31(c).

(3) If a CDQ group fails to submit full payment by December 31 of each year, the Regional Administrator will not issue allocations of CDQ groundfish and halibut to that CDQ group for the following calendar year.

(4) Upon final agency action determining that a CDQ group representative has not paid the CDQ fee liability due for that CDQ group, the Regional Administrator may continue to not issue allocations of CDQ groundfish and halibut for that CDQ group for any subsequent calendar years until NMFS receives the unpaid fees. If payment is not received by the 30th day after the final agency action, the agency may pursue collection of the unpaid fees.

(e) Over payment. Upon issuance of final agency action, payment submitted to NMFS in excess of the CDQ fee liability determined to be due by the final agency action will be returned to the CDQ group representative unless the CDQ group representative requests the agency to credit the excess amount against the CDQ group's future CDQ fee liability.

(f) Appeals. A CDQ group representative who receives an IAD for incomplete payment of a CDQ fee liability may appeal under the appeals procedures set out at 15 CFR part 906.

(g) Annual report. Each year, NMFS will publish a report describing the CDQ Cost Recovery Fee Program for groundfish and halibut.

[81 FR 167, Jan. 5, 2016]