The deadline for submitting the widow rockfish QS reallocation application was December 26, 2017. All current widow rockfish QS holders submitted their application by the deadline date and accepted their reallocated widow rockfish QS amount.
Issuance of the Initial Administrative Determination (IAD) and Revised QS Permit
Today, NOAA Fisheries sent by certified mail, an IAD letter to each of the applicants which approves their reallocated widow rockfish QS amount. Included with the IAD letter is a revised QS permit with an effective date of January 18, 2018. The amount of widow rockfish QS given on the revised QS permit is the reallocated amount accepted in each application. The QS amounts given for all other individual fishing quota/individual bycatch quota species are the amounts of QS as of January 1, 2018. Please note that your reissued permit does not include any other QS trades made in 2018.
Quota Share Account Reallocation Actions
For those individuals who have widow rockfish QS, NOAA Fisheries will take the following actions in your QS account:
- Removal of interim widow rockfish QS: NOAA Fisheries will transfer out your widow rockfish QS amount given as of January 1, 2018 (Under Account Balance tab go to QS Transfer Summary – transfer type will be given as “NMFS QS Reallocation Transfer”).
- Deposit of reallocated widow rockfish QS: NOAA Fisheries will transfer in the reallocated amount of widow rockfish QS. No further action is required on your part for this transfer.
- Top-off widow QP: NOAA Fisheries will transfer in additional widow QP to QS accounts which receive a net increase in widow QS (old vs reallocated amount). For accounts that have a net loss (or for those with no widow QS), this transfer amount will be zero. (Under Account Balance tab go to QP Transfer Summary).
- Widow AMP QP pass-through: NOAA Fisheries will also transfer in all widow AMP QPs at this time. Your widow AMP QP is proportional to your reallocated widow QS.
Please login into your QS account to transfer your widow rockfish QPs to a vessel account.
Transfer of Widow Rockfish QS
As provided for in the IAD letter, widow rockfish QS holders may appeal NOAA Fisheries' decision on a limited basis and an appeal must be made in writing to NOAA Fisheries no later than March 19, 2018. If no appeals are requested, NOAA Fisheries will remove the moratorium on widow rockfish QS transfers shortly after the appeal deadline. If one or more appeals are received by the appeal deadline date, widow rockfish QS will not be transferrable until January 1, 2019.
In March 2018, NOAA Fisheries will issue another public notice providing updated information on when widow rockfish QS will be transferrable and on the divestiture and abandonment deadline.
Background information and documents for the widow rockfish reallocation, including a small entity compliance guide, are available at the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Website.
