§ 600.1101 - Inshore fee system for repayment of the loan to harvesters of Pollock from the directed fishing allowance allocated to the inshore component under section 206(b)(1) of the AFA.

§ 600.1101 Inshore fee system for repayment of the loan to harvesters of Pollock from the directed fishing allowance allocated to the inshore component under section 206(b)(1) of the AFA.

(a) Definition. In addition to the definitions in the Magnuson-Stevens Act and in § 679.2 of this title, the terms used in this subpart have the following meanings:

American Fisheries Act (AFA) means Title II of Pub.L. 105-277.

Borrower means (individually and collectively) all persons who, after January 1, 2000, harvest fee fish from the IC directed fishing allowance.

Business week means a 7-day period, Saturday through Friday.

Delivery value means the gross ex-vessel value of all fee fish at fish delivery.

Deposit principal means all collected fee revenue that a fish buyer deposits in a segregated deposit account maintained in a federally chartered national bank for the sole purpose of aggregating collected fee revenue before sending the fee revenue to NMFS for repaying the loan.

Fee means the six-tenths (0.6) of one cent that fish buyers deduct at fish delivery from the delivery value of each pound of round weight fee fish.

Fee fish means all pollock harvested from the IC directed fishing allowance beginning on February 10, 2000 and ending at such time as the loan's principal and interest are fully repaid.

Fish buyer means the first ex-vessel fish buyer who purchases fee fish from a fish seller.

Fish delivery means the point at which a fish buyer first takes delivery or possession of fee fish from a fish seller.

Fish seller means the harvester who catches and first sells fee fish to a fish buyer.

IC directed fishing allowance means the directed fishing allowance allocated to the inshore component under section 206(b)(1) of the AFA.

Loan means the loan authorized by section 207(a) of the AFA.

Net delivery value means the delivery value minus the fee.

Subaccount means the Inshore Component Pollock Subaccount of the Fishing Capacity Reduction Fund in the U.S. Treasury for the deposit of all funds involving the loan.

(b) Loan -

(1) Principal amount. The loan's principal amount is $75,000,000 (seventy five million dollars).

(2) Interest. Interest shall, from December 30, 1998, when NMFS disbursed the loan, until the date the borrower fully repays the loan, accrue at a fixed rate of 7.09 percent. Interest shall be simple interest and shall accrue on the basis of a 365-day year.

(3) Repayment. The fee shall be the exclusive source of loan repayment. The fee shall be paid on all fee fish.

(4) Application of fee receipts. NMFS shall apply all fee receipts it receives, first, to payment of the loan's accrued interest and, second, to reduction of the loan's principal balance.

(5) Obligation. The borrower shall repay the loan in accordance with the AFA and this subpart.

(c) Fee payment and collection -

(1) Payment and collection.

(i) The fee is due and payable at the time of fish delivery. Each fish buyer shall collect the fee at the time of fish delivery by deducting the fee from the delivery value before paying or promising later to pay the net delivery value. Each fish seller shall pay the fee at the time of fish delivery by receiving from the fish buyer the net delivery value or the fish buyer's promise later to pay the net delivery value rather than the delivery value. Regardless of when the fish buyer pays the net delivery value, the fish buyer shall collect the fee at the time of fish delivery;

(ii)

(A) Each fish seller shall be deemed, for the purpose of the fee collection, deposit, disbursement, and accounting requirements of this subpart, to be both the fish seller and the fish buyer - and all requirements and penalties under this subpart applicable to both a fish seller and a fish buyer shall equally apply to the fish seller - each time that the fish seller sells fee fish to:

(1) Any fish buyer whose place of business is not located in the United States, who does not take delivery or possession of the fee fish in the United States, who is not otherwise subject to this subpart, or to whom or against whom NMFS cannot otherwise apply or enforce this subpart,

(2) Any fish buyer who is a general food-service wholesaler or supplier, a restaurant, a retailer, a consumer, some other type of end-user, or some other fish buyer not engaged in the business of buying fish from fish sellers for the purpose of reselling the fish, or

(3) Any other fish buyer who the fish seller has good reason to believe is a fish buyer not subject to this subpart or to whom or against whom NMFS cannot otherwise apply or enforce this subpart,

(B) In each such case the fish seller shall, with respect to the fee fish involved in each such case, discharge, in addition to the fee payment requirements of this subpart, all the fee collection, deposit, disbursement, accounting, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements that this subpart otherwise imposes on the fish buyer, and the fish seller shall be subject to all the penalties this subpart provides for a fish buyer's failure to discharge such requirements;

(2) Notification.

(i) NMFS will send an appropriate fee payment and collection commencement notification to each affected fish seller and fish buyer of whom NMFS has knowledge.

(ii) When NMFS determines that the loan is fully repaid, NMFS will publish a Federal Register notification that the fee is no longer in effect and should no longer be either paid or collected. NMFS will then also send an appropriate fee termination notification to each affected fish seller and fish buyer of whom NMFS has knowledge;

(3) Failure to pay or collect.

(i) If a fish buyer refuses to collect the fee in the amount and manner that this subpart requires, the fish seller shall then advise the fish buyer of the fish seller's fee payment obligation and of the fish buyer's fee collection obligation. If the fish buyer still refuses to properly collect the fee, the fish seller, within the next 7 calendar days, shall forward the fee to NMFS. The fish seller at the same time shall also advise NMFS in writing of the full particulars, including:

(A) The fish buyer's and fish seller's name, address, and telephone number,

(B) The name of the fishing vessel from which the fish seller made fish delivery and the date of doing so,

(C) The quantity and delivery value of fee fish that the fish seller delivered, and

(D) The fish buyer's reason (if known) for refusing to collect the fee in accordance with this subpart;

(ii) If a fish seller refuses to pay the fee in the amount and manner that this subpart requires, the fish buyer shall then advise the fish seller of the fish buyer's collection obligation and of the fish seller's payment obligation. If the fish seller still refuses to pay the fee, the fish buyer shall then either deduct the fee from the delivery value over the fish seller's protest or refuse to buy the fee fish. The fish buyer shall also, within the next 7 calendar days, advise NMFS in writing of the full particulars, including:

(A) The fish buyer's and fish seller's name, address, and telephone number,

(B) The name of the fishing vessel from which the fish seller made or attempted to make fish delivery and the date of doing so,

(C) The quantity and delivery value of fee fish the fish seller delivered or attempted to deliver,

(D) Whether the fish buyer deducted the fee over the fish seller's protest or refused to buy the fee fish, and

(E) The fish seller's reason (if known) for refusing to pay the fee in accordance with this subpart.

(d) Fee collection deposits, disbursements, records, and reports -

(1) Deposit accounts. Each fish buyer that this subpart requires to collect a fee shall maintain a segregated account at a federally insured financial institution for the sole purpose of depositing collected fee revenue and disbursing the fee revenue directly to NMFS in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.

(2) Fee collection deposits. Each fish buyer, no less frequently than at the end of each business week, shall deposit, in the deposit account established under paragraph (a) of this section, all fee revenue, not previously deposited, that the fish buyer has collected through a date not more than 2 calendar days before the date of deposit. Neither the deposit account nor the principal amount of deposits in the account may be pledged, assigned, or used for any purpose other than aggregating collected fee revenue for disbursement to the subaccount in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section. The fish buyer is entitled, at any time, to withdraw deposit interest, if any, but never deposit principal, from the deposit account for the fish buyer's own use and purposes.

(3) Deposit principal disbursement. On the last business day of each month, or more frequently if the amount in the account exceeds the account limit for insurance purposes, the fish buyer shall disburse to NMFS the full amount of deposit principal then in the deposit account. The fish buyer shall do this by check made payable to “NOAA Inshore Component Pollock Loan Subaccount.” The fish buyer shall mail each such check to the subaccount lockbox account that NMFS establishes for the receipt of the disbursements of deposit principal. Each disbursement shall be accompanied by the fish buyer's settlement sheet completed in the manner and form that NMFS specifies. NMFS will specify the subaccount's lockbox and the manner and form of settlement sheet by means of the notification in § 600.1101(c).

(4) Records maintenance. Each fish buyer shall maintain, in a secure and orderly manner for a period of at least 3 years from the date of each transaction involved, at least the following information:

(i) For all deliveries of fee fish that the fish buyer buys from each fish seller:

(A) The date of delivery,

(B) The fish seller's identity,

(C) The round weight of fee fish delivered,

(D) The identity of the fishing vessel that delivered the fee fish,

(E) The delivery value,

(F) The net delivery value,

(G) The identity of the party to whom the net delivery value is paid, if other than the fish seller,

(H) The date the net delivery value was paid, and

(I) The total fee amount collected;

(ii) For all fee collection deposits to and disbursements from the deposit account:

(A) The dates and amounts of deposits,

(B) The dates and amounts of disbursements to the subaccount's lockbox account, and

(C) The dates and amounts of disbursements to the fish buyer or other parties of interest earned on deposits.

(5) Annual report. By January 15, 2001, and by each January 15 thereafter until the loan is fully repaid, each fish buyer shall submit to NMFS a report, on or in the form NMFS specifies, containing the following information for the preceding year for all fee fish each fish buyer purchases from fish sellers:

(i) Total round weight bought;

(ii) Total delivery value paid;

(iii) Total fee amount collected;

(iv) Total fee collection amounts deposited by month;

(v) Dates and amounts of monthly disbursements to the subaccount lockbox;

(vi) Total amount of interest earned on deposits; and

(vii) Depository account balance at year-end.

(6) State records. If landing records that a state requires from fish sellers contain some or all of the data that this section requires and state confidentiality laws or regulations do not prevent NMFS' access to the records maintained for the state, then fish buyers can use such records to meet appropriate portions of this section's recordkeeping requirements. If, however, state confidentiality laws or regulations make such records unavailable to NMFS, then fish buyers shall maintain separate records for NMFS that meet the requirements of this section.

(7) Audits. NMFS or its agents may audit, in whatever manner NMFS believes reasonably necessary for the duly diligent administration of the loan, the financial records of the fish buyers and the fish sellers in order to ensure proper fee payment, collection, deposit, disbursement, accounting, recordkeeping, and reporting. Fish buyers and fish sellers shall make all records of all transactions involving fee fish catches, fish deliveries, and fee payments, collections, deposits, disbursements, accounting, recordkeeping, and reporting available to NMFS or its agents at reasonable times and places and promptly provide all requested information reasonably related to these records that such fish sellers and fish buyers may otherwise lawfully provide. Trip tickets (or similar accounting records establishing the round weight pounds of fee fish that each fish buyer buys from each fish seller each time that each fish buyer does so) are essential audit documentation.

(8) Confidentiality of records. NMFS and its auditing agents shall maintain the confidentiality of all data to which NMFS has access under this section and shall neither release the data nor allow the data's use for any purpose other than the purpose of this subpart, unless otherwise required by law; provided, however, that NMFS may aggregate such data so as to preclude their identification with any fish buyer or any fish seller and use them in the aggregate for other purposes.

(9) Refunds. When NMFS determines that the loan is fully repaid, NMFS will refund any excess fee receipts, on a last-in/first-out basis, to the fish buyers. Fish buyers shall return the refunds, on a last-in/first-out basis, to the fish sellers who paid the amounts refunded.

(e) Late charges. The late charge to fish buyers for fee payment, collection, deposit, and/or disbursement shall be one and one-half (1.5) percent per month, or the maximum rate permitted by state law, for the total amount of the fee not paid, collected, deposited, and/or disbursed when due to be paid, collected, deposited, and/or disbursed within 5 days of the date due. The full late charge shall apply to the fee for each month or portion of a month that the fee remains unpaid, uncollected, undeposited, and/or undisbursed.

(f) Enforcement. In accordance with applicable law or other authority, NMFS may take appropriate action against each fish seller and/or fish buyer responsible for non-payment, non-collection, non-deposit, and/or non-disbursement of the fee in accordance with this subpart to enforce the collection from such fish seller and/or fish buyer of any fee (including penalties and all costs of collection) due and owing the United States on account of the loan that such fish seller and/or fish buyer should have, but did not, pay, collect, deposit, and/or disburse in accordance with this subpart. All such loan recoveries shall be applied to reduce the unpaid balance of the loan.

(g) Prohibitions and penalties.

(1) The following activities are prohibited, and it is unlawful for anyone to:

(i) Avoid, decrease, interfere with, hinder, or delay payment or collection of, or otherwise fail to fully and properly pay or collect, any fee due and payable under this subpart or convert, or otherwise use for any purpose other than the purpose this subpart intends, any paid or collected fee;

(ii) Fail to fully and properly deposit on time the full amount of all fee revenue collected under this subpart into a deposit account and disburse the full amount of all deposit principal to the subaccount's lockbox account - all as this subpart requires;

(iii) Fail to maintain full, timely, and proper fee payment, collection, deposit, and/or disbursement records or make full, timely, and proper reports of such information to NMFS-all as this subpart requires;

(iv) Fail to advise NMFS of any fish seller's refusal to pay, or of any fish buyer's refusal to collect, any fee due and payable under this subpart;

(v) Refuse to allow NMFS or agents that NMFS designates to review and audit at reasonable times all books and records reasonably pertinent to fee payment, collection, deposit, disbursement, and accounting under this subpart or otherwise interfere with, hinder, or delay NMFS or it agents in the course of their activities under this subpart;

(vi) Make false statements to NMFS, any of the NMFS' employees, or any of NMFS' agents about any of the matters in this subpart;

(vii) Obstruct, prevent, or unreasonably delay or attempt to obstruct, prevent, or unreasonably delay any audit or investigation NMFS or its agents conduct, or attempt to conduct, in connection with any of the matters in this subpart; and/or

(viii) Otherwise materially interfere with the efficient and effective repayment of the loan.

(2) Anyone who violates one or more of the prohibitions of paragraph (a) of this section is subject to the full range of penalties the Magnuson-Stevens Act and 15 CFR part 904 provide (including, but not limited to: civil penalties, sanctions, forfeitures, and punishment for criminal offenses) and to the full penalties and punishments otherwise provided by any other applicable law of the United States.