Notice2023-21179
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Alaska Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Charter
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 28, 2023
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 187 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 187 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66817-66819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21179]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Alaska Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Charter
AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Information Collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received on or before November 27, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
[[Page 66818]]
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cf81808e8ee19f9d8e8fa1a0aeaee1a8a0b9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dd93929c9cf38d8f9c9db3b2bcbcf3bab2ab">[email protected]</span></a>. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0575 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed
to Gabrielle Aberle, 709 W 9th Street, Juneau, AK 99801, 907-586-7356,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3a5d5b5848535f56565f145b585f48565f7a54555b5b145d554c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="aacdcbc8d8c3cfc6c6cf84cbc8cfd8c6cfeac4c5cbcb84cdc5dc">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Region, is
requesting extension of a currently approved information collection for
the Pacific halibut charter fishery off Alaska.
Management of and regulations for Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus
stenolepis) in Alaska are developed on the international, Federal, and
state levels by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC),
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the NMFS Alaska Region,
and the State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). The IPHC
and NMFS manage fishing for Pacific halibut through regulations
established under authority of the Convention between the United States
Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, the
Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (16 U.S.C. 773), and section
303(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
(16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
NMFS manages the charter halibut fishery off Alaska under the
Charter Halibut Limited Access Program (CHLAP; 75 FR 554, January 5,
2010) and the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP; 78 FR 75844,
December 12, 2013). This information collection is necessary for NMFS
to manage and administer the charter halibut fishery under the CHLAP
and the CSP. Regulations that implement this information collection are
at 50 CFR 300 subpart E and 50 CFR 679.5(l)(7). Information on the
CHLAP and the CSP is on the NMFS Alaska Region website at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/resources-fishing/sport-halibut-fishing-alaska">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/resources-fishing/sport-halibut-fishing-alaska</a>.
The CHLAP established new Federal Charter Halibut Permits (CHPs)
for operators in the sport charter halibut fishery in IPHC regulatory
Areas 2C (Southeast Alaska) and 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska). All
charter halibut vessel operators in Areas 2C and 3A with clients on
board must have a valid CHP on board during every charter vessel
fishing trip. As the period to obtain a CHP, other than a military CHP
or community CHP, ended in 2010, CHPs may now only be obtained through
transfer. This information collection contains the applications used to
annually register CHPs, to apply for new military CHPs, and to transfer
CHPs. The application for a community CHP is approved under OMB Control
Number 0648-0665. Information collected by these applications includes
permit holder information or applicant information, and depending on
the form, may include CHP identification, CHP ownership information and
affiliation, a survey question on the use of the CHP, and transaction
information for transfer of a CHP.
The CSP authorizes annual transfers of commercial halibut
individual fishing quota (IFQ) as guided angler fish (GAF) to qualified
CHP holders for harvest by charter vessel anglers in Area 2C or 3A. GAF
enables CHP holders to lease a limited amount of IFQ from commercial
quota share holders to allow charter vessel anglers to harvest halibut
in addition to, or instead of, the halibut harvested under the daily
bag limit for charter anglers.
This information collection includes the application used to
transfer Area 2C or 3A commercial halibut IFQ to a CHP holder for use
as GAF or for the CHP holder to return unused GAF to the IFQ permit
holder from which it was obtained. Information collected by this
application includes permit holder information, IFQ permit information,
CHP information, GAF permit information, and transaction information.
NMFS, on approving the transfer of IFQ to GAF, issues a GAF permit,
which authorizes the holder to allow charter vessel anglers to retain
GAF halibut caught in the IPHC regulatory area specified on the permit.
This information collection also includes the GAF landing report
and the GAF permit log. The GAF landing report is submitted by GAF
permit holders and collects information on each GAF halibut retained by
an angler on a charter vessel fishing trip in Area 2C or 3A. The GAF
permit log is printed on the back of each GAF permit and is used by the
permit holder to record the GAF landing report confirmation number and
information on GAF halibut after a trip in which GAF halibut were
retained.
This information collection includes the logbook reporting
requirements for the charter halibut fishery. The charter halibut
sector in Areas 2C and 3A is managed to charter catch limits
established under the CSP. Charter operators are required to record all
halibut caught and kept by charter vessel anglers in the ADF&G
Saltwater Charter Logbook. Logbook reporting is the basis for
estimating annual charter harvests of halibut relative to the charter
catch limits.
II. Method of Collection
The information is collected by mail, fax, and electronically. The
forms are available on the NMFS Alaska Region website at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/alaska-sport-charter-halibut-applications-and-reporting-forms">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/alaska-sport-charter-halibut-applications-and-reporting-forms</a>.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0575.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current
information collection).
Affected Public: Business or other for profit organizations;
Individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 656.
Estimated Time per Response: Application for Annual Registration of
CHPs: 15 minutes; Application for Military CHP: 30 minutes; Application
for Transfer of CHP: 2 hours; Application for Transfer (Lease) Between
IFQ and GAF: 1.5 hours; GAF Landing Report: 5 minutes; GAF Permit Log:
2 minutes; ADF&G Saltwater Sport Fishing Charter Trip Logbook: 4
minutes; and Appeals: 4 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,494 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $84,090 in recordkeeping and
reporting costs.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits;
Mandatory.
Legal Authority: The Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (16
U.S.C. 773c); Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
(16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology.
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Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-21179 Filed 9-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 28, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.