Cost Recovery Programs, Fee Collection and Fee Payment in Alaska

Cost Recovery Fee Percentages, Reports and Program Information

Section 304(d)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act authorizes and requires NOAA Fisheries to recover the actual costs directly related to the management, data collection, and enforcement of any Limited Access Privilege (LAP) program and the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program.  Recovering costs is a four-step annual process: 

1. Calculate the incremental costs incurred to manage and enforce the fishery.
2. Calculate the total value of the fishery.
3. Divide the total costs in step one by the total fishery value in step two to determine the fee percentage.
4. Apply the fee percentage to each permit holder’s catch and invoice each permit holder.   

Fee Percentages, Ex-Vessel Prices and Standard Prices 

• Amendment 80 Program, American Fisheries Act Program, Aleutian Islands Pollock Program, and Western Alaska Community Development Quota Groundfish and Halibut Programs
  • Groundfish Cost Recovery Frequently Asked Questions (Small Entity Compliance Guide)
• Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab Rationalization
• Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program
• Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ)
  • NOAA uses average standard prices per pound for fish caught to compute the IFQ fee liability.  Permit holders can request NOAA use actual prices by submitting landing tickets and a completed IFQ Fee Calculation Form to NOAA via mail or an e-mail attachment sent to nmfs.akr.fees@noaa.gov.

Cost Recovery Reports

• Aleutian Islands Pollock
• Amendment 80
• American Fisheries Act 
• Community Development Quota
• Crab Rationalization
• Individual Fishing Quota
• Rockfish Program

Observer Fee Collection Program

Observer coverage for vessels in the partial coverage category is funded through a system of fees based on the ex-vessel value of their harvest of groundfish and halibut. 

• Fee Collection and Payment Information for the Observer Program

How to Pay Fees

Fees must be paid online at eFISH with a credit card or electronic check

• Payment Instructions for Cost Recovery and Observer Program fees using eFISH
• Cost Recovery fees are due for the following programs:
  • Aleutian Islands Pollock - Payments due by December 31.
  • Amendment 80 - Payments due by December 31.
  • American Fisheries Act Inshore - Payments due by December 31.   
  • BSAI Crab - Payments due by July 31.
  • Central GOA Rockfish - Payments due by February 15.
  • Community Development Quota - Payments due by December 31. 
  • Halibut/Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota I(FQ) - Payments due by January 31

• Observer Program fee payment is due by February 15. 

How to Make Amendments

An IFQ permit holder must either accept the accuracy of the NMFS estimated fee liability associated with his or her IFQ landings for each IFQ permit or calculate a revised IFQ fee liability for all or part of his or her IFQ landings using the Fee Submission Form

• IFQ Permit Holder Fee Calculation Form (Payments due by January 31) 
• Registered Crab Receiver Fee Calculation Form (Payments due by July 31)

Payment Method Changes

• Effective December 1, 2019, NMFS will no longer accept checks or money orders.
• Effective May 23, 2016, NMFS will no longer accept credit card information by phone, mail, fax, or in-person. Credit card payments may only be made online through your eFISH account.
• Effective June 1, 2015, the maximum transaction limit for credit cards was reduced to $24,999.99.

Questions

• If you have questions about using eFISH, contact eFISH Support
• If you have questions about how to pay fees, please email the Fee Program at: nmfs.akr.fees@noaa.gov or contact: Charmaine Weeks, Alaska Region Fee Coordinator