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(a) Requirements. Only persons who are U.S. citizens are authorized to receive or hold permits under this section, with the exception that an IFQ hired master permit or a CDQ hired master permit need not be held by a U.S. citizen.

(1) What permits are available? Various types of permits are issued for programs codified at 50 CFR parts 300 and 679. These permits are listed in the following table. The date of effectiveness for each permit is given along with certain reference paragraphs for further information.

(2) Permit and logbook required by participant and fishery. For the various types of permits issued, refer to § 679.5 for recordkeeping and reporting requirements. For subsistence permits, refer to § 300.65 of this title for recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

(3) Permit application. (i) A person may obtain an application for a new permit or for renewal or revision of an existing permit for any of the permits under this section and must submit forms to NMFS as instructed in application instructions. With appropriate software, all permit applications may be completed online and printed from the Alaska Region website at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

(ii) Upon receipt of an incomplete or improperly completed permit application, the Program Administrator, RAM, will notify the applicant of the deficiency in the permit application. If the applicant fails to correct the deficiency, the permit will not be issued. No permit will be issued to an applicant until a complete application is received.

this section ( § 679.4) and retain a copy of each permit application, whether the application is requesting an initial permit or renewing or revising an existing permit.

(iv) The information requested on the application must be typed or printed legibly.

(7) Sanctions and denials. Procedures governing sanctions and denials are found at subpart D of 15 CFR part 904. Such procedures are required for enforcement purposes, not administrative purposes.

(8) Harvesting privilege. Quota shares, permits, or licenses issued pursuant to this part are neither a right to the resource nor any interest that is subject to the “takings” provision of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Rather, such quota shares, permits, or licenses represent only a harvesting privilege that may be revoked or amended subject to the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and other applicable law.

(9) Permit surrender. The Regional Administrator will recognize the voluntary surrender of a permit issued in this section, § 679.4, if a permit may be surrendered and it is submitted by the person named on the permit, owner of record, or agent. Submit the original permit to Program Administrator, RAM Program, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, by certified mail or other method that provides written evidence that NMFS Alaska Region received it. The receiving date of signature by NMFS staff is the date the permit was surrendered.

(b) Federal fisheries permit (FFP)— (1) Groundfish. No vessel of the United States may be used to fish for groundfish in the GOA or BSAI unless the owner first obtains a Federal fisheries permit for the vessel, issued under this part. A Federal fisheries permit is issued without charge.

(4) Duration— (i) Length of permit effectiveness. An FFP is in effect from the effective date through the expiration date, unless it is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under § 600.735 or § 600.740 of this chapter.

(ii) Surrendered permit. An FFP permit may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. An FFP may be reissued to the permit holder of record in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered. Contact NMFS/RAM by telephone, locally at 907-586-7202 (Option #2) or toll-free at 800-304-4846 (Option #2).

(iii) Amended permit. An owner or operator, who applied for and received an FFP, must notify NMFS of any change in the permit information by submitting an FFP application found at the NMFS website at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov as instructed on the application form. Upon receipt and approval of a permit amendment, the Program Administrator, RAM, will issue an amended FFP.

(5) Contents of an FFP application. To obtain a Federal fisheries permit, the owner must complete a Federal fisheries permit application and provide the following information for each vessel to be permitted:

(B) Indicate directed fishing for Atka mackerel in the harvest limit area, as defined in § 679.2.

(C) Selections for species endorsements will remain valid until an FFP is amended to remove those endorsements or the permit with these endorsements is surrendered or revoked.

(6) Issuance. (i) Except as provided in subpart D of 15 CFR part 904, upon receipt of a properly completed permit application, the Regional Administrator will issue a Federal fisheries permit required by this paragraph (b).

(ii) The Regional Administrator will send the Federal fisheries permit to the applicant with the appropriate logbooks, as provided under § 679.5.

(iii) NMFS will reissue a Federal fisheries permit to any person who holds a Federal fisheries permit issued for a vessel if that vessel was used to make any legal rockfish landings and is subject to a sideboard limit as described under § 679.82(d) through (h).

(iv) NMFS will reissue a Federal fisheries permit to any person who holds a Federal fisheries permit issued to an Amendment 80 vessel.

(d) IFQ permits, IFQ hired master permits, and Registered Buyer permits. The permits described in this section are required in addition to the permit and licensing requirements prescribed in the annual management measures published in the Federal Register pursuant to § 300.62 of this title and in the permit requirements of this section.

(1) IFQ permit. (i) An IFQ permit authorizes the person identified on the permit to harvest IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish from a specified IFQ regulatory area at any time during an open fishing season during the fishing year for which the IFQ permit is issued until the amount harvested is equal to the amount specified under the permit, or until the permit is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under 15 CFR part 904.

(ii) A legible copy of any IFQ permit that specifies the IFQ regulatory area and vessel length overall from which IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish may be harvested by the IFQ permit holder must be carried on board the vessel used by the permitted person to harvest IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish at all times that such fish are retained on board.

(2) IFQ hired master permit. (i) An IFQ hired master permit authorizes the individual identified on the IFQ hired master permit to land IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish for debit against the specified IFQ permit until the IFQ hired master permit expires, or is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under 15 CFR part 904, or cancelled on request of the IFQ permit holder.

(ii) A legible copy of an IFQ hired master permit issued to an eligible individual in accordance with § 679.42(i) and (j) by the Regional Administrator must be onboard the vessel that harvests IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish at all times that such fish are retained onboard by a hired master. Except as specified in § 679.42(d), an individual that is issued an IFQ hired master permit must remain onboard the vessel used to harvest IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish with that IFQ hired master permit during the IFQ fishing trip and at the landing site during all IFQ landings.

(iii) Each IFQ hired master permit issued by the Regional Administrator will display an IFQ permit number and the name of the individual authorized by the IFQ permit holder to land IFQ halibut or IFQ sablefish for debit against the IFQ permit holder's IFQ. In addition, IFQ hired master permits will also display the ADF&G vessel identification number of the authorized vessel.

(3) Registered Buyer permit. (i) A Registered Buyer permit authorizes the person identified on the permit to receive and make an IFQ landing by an IFQ permit holder or IFQ hired master permit holder or to receive and make a CDQ halibut landing by a CDQ permit holder or CDQ hired master permit holder at any time during the fishing year for which it is issued until the Registered Buyer permit expires, or is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under 15 CFR part 904.

(ii) A Registered Buyer permit is required of:

(C) A vessel operator who submits a Departure Report (see § 679.5(l)(4) ).

(iii) A Registered Buyer permit is issued on a 3-year cycle by the Regional Administrator to persons that have a Registered Buyer application approved by the Regional Administrator.

(iv) A Registered Buyer permit is in effect from the first day of the year for which it is issued or from the date of issuance, whichever is later, through the end of the current NMFS 3-year cycle, unless it is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under § 600.735 or § 600.740 of this chapter.

(v) A Registered Buyer permit may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. A Registered Buyer permit may be reissued to the permit holder of record in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered. Contact NMFS/RAM for more information by telephone, locally at 907-586-7202 (Option #2) or toll-free at 800-304-4846 (Option #2).

(4) Issuance. The Regional Administrator will issue IFQ permits and IFQ hired master permits annually or at other times as needed to accommodate transfers, revocations, appeals resolution, and other changes in QS or IFQ holdings, and designation of masters under § 679.42.

(5) Transfer. The quota shares and IFQ issued under this section are not transferable, except as provided under § 679.41. IFQ hired master permits and Registered Buyer permits issued under this paragraph (d) are not transferable.

(6) Inspection— (i) IFQ permit and IFQ hired master permit. The IFQ permit holder must present a legible copy of the IFQ permit for inspection on request of any authorized officer or Registered Buyer receiving IFQ species.

(7) Validity. An IFQ permit issued under this part is valid only if the IFQ permit holder has paid all IFQ fees that are due as a result of final agency action as specified in §§ 679.45 and 679.5(l)(7)(ii).

(e) Halibut CDQ permits and CDQ hired master permits— (1) Requirements. The CDQ group, the operator of the vessel, the manager of a shoreside processor or stationary floating processor, and the Registered Buyer must comply with the requirements of this paragraph (e) and of paragraph § 679.32(f) for the catch of CDQ halibut.

(ii) The CDQ group, vessel owner or operator, and Registered Buyer are subject to all of the IFQ prohibitions at § 679.7(f).

(2) Halibut CDQ permit. The CDQ group must obtain a halibut CDQ permit issued by the Regional Administrator. The vessel operator must have a legible copy of the halibut CDQ permit on any fishing vessel operated by, or for, a CDQ group that will have halibut CDQ onboard and must make the permit available for inspection by an authorized officer. The halibut CDQ permit is non-transferable and is issued annually until revoked, suspended, surrendered, or modified. A halibut CDQ permit may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. The halibut CDQ permit will not be reissued in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered, but a new annual halibut CDQ permit may be issued in a subsequent fishing year to the CDQ group entitled to a CDQ halibut allocation. Contact NMFS/RAM for more information by telephone, locally at 907-586-7202 (Option #2) or toll-free at 800-304-4846 (Option #2).

(5) Landings. A person may land CDQ halibut only if he or she has a valid halibut CDQ hired master permit. The person(s) holding the halibut CDQ hired master permit and the Registered buyer must comply with the requirements of § 679.5(g) and (l)(1) through (6).

(f) Federal processor permit (FPP)— (1) Requirement. No shoreside processor of the United States or stationary floating processor may receive or process groundfish harvested in the GOA or BSAI, unless the owner first obtains a Federal processor permit issued under this part. A Federal processor permit is issued without charge.

(4) Duration— (i) Length of effectiveness. An FPP is in effect from the effective date through the date of permit expiration, unless it is revoked, suspended, surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section, or modified under § 600.735 or § 600.740 of this chapter.

(ii) Surrendered permit. An FPP may be voluntarily surrendered in accordance with paragraph (a)(9) of this section. An FPP may be reissued to the permit holder of record in the same fishing year in which it was surrendered. Contact NMFS/RAM for more information by telephone, locally at 907-586-7202 (Option #2) or toll-free at 800-304-4846 (Option #2).

(iii) Amended permit. An owner or operator, who applied for and received an FPP, must notify NMFS of any change in the permit information by submitting an FPP application found at the NMFS website at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. The owner or operator must submit the application as instructed on the application form. Upon receipt and approval of a permit amendment, the Program Administrator, RAM, will issue an amended FPP.

(5) Transfer. A Federal processor permit issued under this paragraph (f) is not transferable or assignable and is valid only for the processor for which it is issued.

(i) The MLOA specified on the scallop license is equal to the length overall on February 8, 1999, of the longest vessel that was authorized by a Federal or State of Alaska Scallop Moratorium Permit to harvest scallops and used by the eligible applicant to make legal landings of scallops during the scallop LLP qualification period, as specified at § 679.4(g)(2)(iii) of this part.

(ii) The gear specified on a scallop license will be restricted to two dredges with a combined width of no more than 20 feet (6.1 m) in all areas if the eligible applicant was a moratorium permit holder with a Scallop Registration Area H (Cook Inlet) endorsement and did not make a legal landing of scallops caught outside Area H during the qualification period specified in paragraph (g)(2)(iii) of this section.

(4) Application for a scallop license —(i) General. The Regional Administrator will issue a scallop license to an applicant if a complete application is submitted by or on behalf of the applicant during the specified application period, and if that applicant meets all the criteria for eligibility in this part. An application that is postmarked or hand delivered after the ending date for the application period for the scallop LLP specified in paragraph § 679.4(g)(4)(ii) will be denied. An application form will be sent to the last known address of the person identified as an eligible applicant by the official LLP record. An application form may be requested from the Regional Administrator.

(ii) Application Period. January 16, 2001, through February 12, 2001.