Trawl Rationalization Program Cost Recovery Annual Report: Fee Calculation for 2016 and Fishing Year 2015 Payments

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) requires NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to collect fees to recover the costs directly related to the management, data collection, and enforcement of a limited access privilege program (LAPP) (16 U.S.C. 1854(d)(2)), also called “cost recovery.” The Pacific coast groundfish trawl rationalization program is a LAPP and consists of three sectors: the Shorebased Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program, the Mothership (MS) Coop Program, and the Catcher/Processor (C/P) Coop Program.

In accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens Act and based on a recommended structure and methodology developed in coordination with the Council, NMFS collects mandatory fees of up to three percent of the ex-vessel value of groundfish by sector (Shorebased IFQ Program, MS Coop Program, and C/P Coop Program). NMFS collects the fees to cover the incremental costs of management, data collection, and enforcement of the trawl rationalization program.

Cost recovery for the trawl rationalization program was implemented in January 2014. The details of cost recovery for the trawl rationalization program are in regulation at 50 CFR 660.115.