Rockfish Fishers: Pay Your 3% Fee by February Deadline
Published Date: 4/11/2025
Notice
Summary
If you’re part of the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program, here’s the scoop: for the 2024 fishing year (May 1 to Nov 15), the cost recovery fee is set at 3% of the fish’s value. Rockfish cooperatives had to pay their fees by February 15, 2025, helping cover management and enforcement costs. This keeps the fishery fair and sustainable while making sure everyone chips in their share.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Penalties for Late or Nonpayment of Fees
If a permit holder fails to pay the fee by February 15, the holder's rockfish quota share becomes non-transferable and the person is ineligible to receive additional quota share by transfer. Cooperative members will not receive any rockfish cooperative quota the following year until full payment is received by NMFS.
3% Cost-Recovery Fee for 2024 Rockfish Season
For the Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program, the cost recovery fee for the 2024 fishing year (May 1 through November 15, 2024) is set at 3.00 percent of the standard ex-vessel value of rockfish CQ landings. Rockfish cooperatives were required to pay their fees on or before February 15, 2025.
Estimated 2024 Costs Would Have Exceeded Statutory Cap
NMFS estimated that program costs were 7.51 percent of the standard ex-vessel value for 2024, driven by a 25.8 percent increase in program costs and an approximate 39.9 percent decrease in fishery value; however, the fee percentage is capped by statute at 3.00 percent and was set at that cap.
Standard Prices Used to Calculate Fees
NMFS uses published standard ex-vessel prices (dollars per pound) for each rockfish primary and secondary species on a monthly basis to compute the fee. For the 2024 Kodiak season, examples include Sablefish at $0.56–$0.60 per pound and Pacific Cod at $0.22–$0.26 per pound for May through November 2024.
Who Is Not Subject to the Fee
Participants in the rockfish entry level longline fishery and trawl vessels that opt out of joining a cooperative are not subject to the Rockfish Program cost recovery fee because they do not receive rockfish cooperative quota (CQ).
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