North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan; Crab Vessel Fee Exemption

NMFS issues a final rule to exempt certain crab catcher vessels from the 1995 fee-collection program authorized pursuant to the North Pacific Fisheries Research Plan (Research Plan). This exemption responds to a request from the State of Alaska to conform the Research Plan to a recent change in its crab observer coverage requirements for catcher vessels participating in the Dutch Harbor and Adak area king crab fisheries, and will avoid a ``double payment'' by the affected vessels of both Research Plan fees and costs of the State required observer coverage. This final rule is consistent with the intent of the final rule implementing the Research Plan and is intended to facilitate Federal/State cooperative implementation of the crab and groundfish observer programs during the first year of the fee-collection program authorized under the Research Plan.