Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fishing Capacity Reduction Program; Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery; California, Washington, and Oregon Fisheries for Coastal Dungeness Crab and Pink Shrimp

NMFS issues this final notice about a voluntary fishing capacity reduction program in the Pacific Coast groundfish fishery. After a successful referendum, harvesters accepted to participate would be paid to surrender their fishing permits and restrict their vessels. A loan, which would be repaid by fishermen remaining in the fishery, will finance the majority of the program's cost. The program will invite bids from owners of groundfish trawl permits (except those harvesting whiting and processing it at sea) that are willing to surrender their fishing privileges, score the bids in a reverse auction against the value of bidders' harvests, and then conduct a referendum regarding repayment of the loan. If the referendum is successful, accepted bidders must relinquish their California, Oregon, and Washington fishing licenses for coastal Dungeness crab and pink shrimp. Accepted bidders must also surrender their Federal groundfish permits, as well as all other Federal fishing licenses, fishery permits, area and species endorsements, and any other fishery privileges issued to vessels named in their bids (or to persons on the basis of their operation or ownership of those vessels). The fishing vessels involved will never again be eligible to fish. If the referendum is not successful, bidders are excused from all such obligations. The groundfish program aims to increase the remaining harvesters' productivity, help financially stabilize the fishery, and help conserve and manage its fish. This notice also contains the groundfish program's invitation to bid and bidding document.