Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Charter Recordkeeping, 15958 [2014-06338]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 56 (Monday, March 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 15958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-06338]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Pacific 
Halibut Fisheries: Charter Recordkeeping

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 23, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at JJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Patsy A. Bearden, (907) 586-7008 or 
Patsy.Bearden@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Management of and regulations for Pacific halibut in Alaska are 
developed on the international, Federal, and state levels by the 
International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council (Council), National Marine Fisheries 
Service, Alaska Region (NMFS), 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 (Convention), the Northern Pacific Halibut 
Act of 1982, 16 U.S.C. 773c (Halibut Act), and Section 303(b) of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.). Regulations that implement this collection-of-
information are found at 50 CFR part 300.60 through 300.66 and at 50 
CFR 679.5(l)(7).
    Annual catch quotas are determined by the IPHC, and Federal 
responsibility for halibut management extends to halibut stocks and 
fishing activity within State of Alaska waters. In order to manage 
halibut effectively, international and Federal managers need 
information on halibut fishing effort and harvest by all user groups, 
including the guided sport charter sector of the fishery.
    Federal regulations at 50 CFR 300.65 require charter vessel 
operators fishing in IPHC Areas 2C and 3A to comply with the ADF&G 
annual registration of sport fishing guides and businesses and ADF&G 
saltwater charter halibut logbook. NMFS and ADF&G coordinate closely in 
the development of this information collection for the monitoring and 
enforcement of the charter vessel catch limit of halibut.
    A Catch Sharing Program was developed in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C 
and 3A for the guided sport and commercial fisheries which authorized 
commercial halibut quota share (QS) holders to transfer individual 
fishing quota (IFQ) as guided angler fish (GAF) to charter halibut 
permit holders. A GAF electronic landing report and GAF permit log were 
added to provide efficiency in monitoring quota.
    The primary objectives of the Catch Sharing Program are to change 
the annual process of allocating halibut between the charter and 
commercial fisheries in IPHC Areas 2C and 3A, establish allocations 
that balance the differing needs of the charter and commercial sectors 
that also float with varying levels of annual halibut abundance, and 
specify a process for determining harvest restrictions for charter 
anglers that are intended to limit harvest to the annual charter 
fishery catch limit.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents have a choice of either electronic or paper forms. 
Methods of submittal include email of electronic forms, and mail and 
facsimile transmission of paper forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0575.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently 
approved collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 696.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes each for charter halibut 
logbook and GAF electronic landing report; 2 minutes for GAF permit 
log.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,733.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $2,366 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: March 19, 2014.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-06338 Filed 3-21-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P