(a) Cost recovery fee program for Aleutian Islands pollock—(1) Representative. The person identified as the representative, designated by the Aleut Corporation, at the time of an Aleutian Islands pollock landing is responsible for submitting all cost recovery fees.

(2) Fee collection. The designated representative (as identified under paragraph (a)(1) of this section) is responsible for submitting the cost recovery payment for all Aleutian Islands pollock landings made under the authority of Aleut Corporation.

(3) Payment.

(i) Payment due date. The designated representative (as identified under paragraph (a)(1) of this section) must submit all cost recovery 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 Aleutian Islands pollock 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 designated representative of the Aleut Corporation.

(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) Aleutian Islands pollock standard ex-vessel value determination and use—(1) General. The designated representative of the Aleut Corporation must use the Aleutian Islands pollock standard price determined by NMFS under paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

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

(ii) Effective duration. The Aleutian Islands pollock standard price published by NMFS shall apply to all Aleutian Islands pollock landings during the current calendar year.

(iii) Determination. NMFS will calculate the Aleutian Islands pollock standard price to reflect, as closely as possible, the standard price of Aleutian Islands pollock landings based on information provided in the COAR for the previous year, as described in §679.5(p). The Regional Administrator will base Aleutian Islands pollock standard price on the following information:

(A) Landed pounds of Aleutian Islands pollock;

(B) Total ex-vessel value of Aleutian Islands pollock; and

(C) Price adjustments, including retroactive payments.

(c) Aleutian Islands pollock fee percentage—(1) Established percentage. The Aleutian Islands pollock fee percentage 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 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 Aleutian Islands pollock 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 Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery.

(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 Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery for the most recent 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 standard ex-vessel value of the catch subject to the Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability for the current year.

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

(ii) Effective period. NMFS will apply the calculated Aleutian Islands pollock fee percentage to all Aleutian Islands pollock landings made between January 1 and December 31 of the current year.

(4) Applicable percentage. The designated representative must use the Aleutian Islands pollock fee percentage applicable at the time an Aleutian Islands pollock landing is debited from the Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery allocation to calculate the Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability for any retroactive payments for that pollock.

(5) Fee liability determination.

(i) The Aleut Corporation will be subject to a fee for any Aleutian Islands pollock debited from the Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery allocation during a calendar year.

(ii) NMFS will provide a fee liability summary letter to the Aleut Corporation by December 1 of each year. The summary will explain the fee liability determination including the current fee percentage, and details of Aleutian Islands pollock pounds debited from the Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery allocation by permit, species, date, and prices.

(d) Underpayment of fee liability—(1) The Aleut Corporation will not receive its Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery allocation until the Aleut Corporation's designated representative submits full payment of the Aleut Corporation's cost recovery fee liability.

(2) If the Aleut Corporation's designated representative fails to submit full payment for Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability by the date described in paragraph (a)(3) of this section, the Regional Administrator may at any time thereafter send an IAD to the Aleut Corporation's designated representative stating that the estimated fee liability, based on the information submitted by the designated representative, is the Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability due from the Aleut Corporation.

(3) If the Aleut Corporation's designated representative fails to submit full payment by the Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability payment deadline described at paragraph (a)(3) of this section, the Regional Administrator will not issue the Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery allocation to the Aleut Corporation for that calendar year.

(4) Upon final agency action determining that the Aleut Corporation has not paid its Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability, the Regional Administrator may continue to not issue the Aleutian Islands directed pollock fishery allocation 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 Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability determined to be due by the final agency action will be returned to the Aleut Corporation unless its designated representative requests the agency to credit the excess amount against the cooperative's future Aleutian Islands pollock fee liability.

(f) Appeals. A representative of the Aleut Corporation who receives an IAD for incomplete payment of an Aleutian Islands pollock fee 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 Aleutian Islands Pollock Cost Recovery Fee Program.

[81 FR 170, Jan. 5, 2016]