Alaska's Fish Watchers Get a Fee Price Adjustment
Published Date: 12/30/2025
Notice
Summary
Starting January 1, 2026, the government is updating the standard prices used to calculate fees for observers on Alaska’s groundfish and halibut fishing boats. Vessel owners, processors, and buyers will get invoices by January 15, 2027, and must pay fees by February 15, 2027. These fees help fund the observer program that keeps Alaska’s fisheries healthy and well-managed.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Observer Fee Rate Set at 1.65%
A fee equal to 1.65 percent of the ex-vessel value will be assessed on landings of groundfish and halibut that are subject to the observer fee for 2026. NMFS determines ex-vessel value by applying the published standard prices to landed weights and then charging 1.65% of that value.
Standard Prices Used to Compute Fees
NMFS published the standard ex-vessel prices that will be used to compute observer fees for 2026 landings; these prices take effect January 1, 2026. Examples: halibut prices listed include $3.04 (Craig), $7.02 (AK statewide), and $8.07 (Homer); sablefish prices include $1.61 (Kodiak), $2.37 (Homer), and $1.79 (AK statewide).
Who Gets Billed and Payment Rules
NMFS will send invoices to processors and registered buyers by January 15, 2027, and payments are due by February 15, 2027, via the eFISH system. Under the system, shoreside processors and registered buyers are responsible for collecting fees from catcher vessel owners and remitting the full fee to NMFS, while owners of catcher/processors in the partial coverage category remit the full fee themselves.
No Fee If No Standard Price Listed
If no standard ex-vessel price is listed for a species, species group, and gear/port combination in the published tables, no observer fee will be assessed on that landing for 2026. NMFS will add volume and value data for that species to future standard price calculations if data become available.
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