Pacific Coast Groundfish Buyback Program

Congress authorized a $46 million buyback program, of which $10 million was appropriated and the remainder to be financed under Title XI.

West Coast

National

Congress authorized a $46 million buyback program, of which $10 million was appropriated and the remainder to be financed under Title XI. In a reverse auction bidding process, this program permanently removed 91 vessels and 239 fishing permits for $45,662,471 from the groundfish trawl fishery and associated corollary fisheries of Dungeness crab and pink shrimp off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington.

Fees for repayment of the loan are authorized under section 312(d)(2)(C) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and are to be paid on groundfish harvests using federal trawl permits. Fish sellers are required to pay the fee and all parties making the first ex-vessel purchase of groundfish (“fish buyers”) are required to collect the fee, account for and forward the fee revenue for the purpose of repaying the loan. Effective January 1, 2020, the current fee rate for Groundfish Trawl Fishery is 3.5 percent. Sub-loans for Oregon Pink Shrimp and California Dungeness Crab were repaid in 2012, followed by Washington Pink Shrimp in 2013, Oregon Dungeness Crab in 2015, California Pink Shrimp was repaid in 2016, and Washington Dungeness Crab was repaid in 2017. NOAA Fisheries completed a $5.9 million principal reduction for the Pacific Coast Groundfish buyback loan on August 10, 2020 in accordance with provisions of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2020, P.L. 116-94.

Please see the links below for more information and visit Pay.gov to submit fee collection payments.

Summary of groundfish loan balances

Pacific Coast Groundfish Buyback Loan Fees are due by the 14th of the month after landings occurred when they are over $100; otherwise buyback fees are due by the 14th of January of the next year. Buyback fees received after these due dates are subject to a 1.5 percent per month late fee.