Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Region Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Charter, 10413-10414 [2020-03624]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10413-10414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03624]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


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

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
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 comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration all comments must be submitted on or 
before April 24, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or via the 
internet at [email protected]). All comments received are part of the 
public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All 
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Kurt Iverson, National Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. 
Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668; 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is requesting revision 
and extension of a currently approved information collection. This 
information collection is revised to include the collection instruments 
approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0592, after which that control 
number will be discontinued. This revised collection contains 
permitting, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements for the guided 
sport (charter) halibut fishery and the title will be slightly altered 
to ``Alaska Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Charter.''
    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, 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.). 
Regulations that implement this collection-of-information are found at 
50 CFR 300 subpart E and at 50 CFR 679.5(l)(7).
    NMFS manages the charter halibut fishery in IPHC Regulatory Areas 
(Areas) 2C and 3A under the Charter Halibut Limited Access Program, 
which limits the number of operators in the charter halibut fishery. 
All vessel operators in Areas 2C and 3A with charter anglers on board 
must have an original, valid Federal charter halibut permit (CHP) on 
board during every charter vessel fishing trip on which Pacific halibut 
are caught and retained. As the application 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 application forms used to annually register CHPs, to apply 
for new military CHPs, and to transfer CHPs. Information collected by 
these applications include 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.
    NMFS manages the charter halibut sector in Areas 2C and 3A to 
charter catch limits established under the Pacific Halibut Catch 
Sharing Plan (CSP). The CSP authorizes annual transfers of commercial 
halibut Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) as guided angler fish (GAF) to 
CHP holders for harvest in the charter halibut fishery. GAF offers CHP 
holders in Area 2C or Area 3A an opportunity to lease a limited amount 
of IFQ from commercial quota share holders to allow charter

[[Page 10414]]

clients to harvest halibut in addition to, or instead of, the halibut 
harvested under the daily bag limit for charter anglers. This 
information collection contains 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 the 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 contains 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, which is printed on the back of each GAF permit, is used by 
the GAF permit holder to record the GAF landing report confirmation 
number and information on GAF halibut after a trip in which GAF halibut 
were retained.
    Federal regulations at 50 CFR 300.65 require charter vessel 
operators fishing in Areas 2C and 3A to comply with the ADF&G annual 
registration of sport fishing guides and businesses and ADF&G Saltwater 
Sport Fishing Charter Trip Logbook (Charter Logbook). This information 
collection contains the Charter Logbook, which is the primary 
recordkeeping and reporting requirement for charter vessel operators 
for all species harvested in saltwater in Areas 2C and 3A. The logbook 
collects information including where and when charter fishing occurs 
and the species and numbers of fish kept and released by the individual 
charter anglers.

II. Method of Collection

    Information is collected primarily via mail or fax. The application 
forms are available as fillable pdfs on the NMFS Alaska Region website 
and may be downloaded, completed, and printed out prior to submission. 
The GAF landing report is submitted online through eFISH on the NMFS 
Alaska Region website. If a GAF permit holders is unable to submit a 
GAF landing report electronically, the GAF permit holder must contact 
NOAA Office of Law Enforcement by telephone.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0575.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Revision and extension of a current information 
collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 639.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes for Application for Annual 
Registration of Charter Halibut Permits (CHPs); 0.5 hour for 
Application of Military CHP; 2 hours for Application for Transfer of 
CHP; 1.5 hours for Application for Transfer Between IFQ and GAF and 
Issuance of GAF Permit; 5 minutes for GAF Landing Report; 2 minutes for 
GAF Permit Log; 4 minutes for ADF&G Saltwater Sport Fishing Charter 
Trip Logbook; and 4 hours for Appeals.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,403.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $11,198 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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-03624 Filed 2-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P