Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Alaska License Limitation Program for Groundfish, Crab, and Scallops, 83518 [2020-28173]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 246 (Tuesday, December 22, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 83518]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-28173]


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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 License Limitation Program for Groundfish, Crab, and 
Scallops

    The Department of Commerce will submit the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the 
Federal Register on September 3, 2020 (85 FR 54999), during a 60-day 
comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public 
comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Alaska License Limitation Program for Groundfish, Crab, and 
Scallops.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0334.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission, extension of a current 
information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 105.
    Average Hours per Response: 1 hour each for Application for 
Transfer License Limitation Program Groundfish/Crab License and 
Application for Transfer of Scallop LLP License; 4 hours for transfer 
appeals.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 56 hours.
    Needs and Uses: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 
Alaska Regional Office, is requesting renewal of the currently approved 
information collection for the Alaska License Limitation Program (LLP) 
for Groundfish, Crab, and Scallops.
    The License Limitation Program (LLP) restricts access to the 
commercial groundfish, crab, and scallop fisheries in the exclusive 
economic zone off Alaska, except for certain areas where alternative 
programs exist. The intended effect of the LLP is to limit the number 
of participants and reduce fishing capacity in fisheries off Alaska. 
More information on the LLP can be found on the NMFS Alaska Region 
website and at 50 CFR 692, 679.4(g) and (k), and 679.7(i).
    An LLP license is required for vessels participating in directed 
fishing for LLP groundfish species in the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands (BSAI) or Gulf of Alaska (GOA), or fishing in any BSAI LLP crab 
fisheries. An LLP license is also required for any vessel deployed in 
scallop fisheries in Federal waters off Alaska (except for some diving 
operations).
    Vessels participating in directed fishing for LLP groundfish 
species in the GOA or BSAI, or fishing in any BSAI LLP crab fisheries, 
must be named on a valid copy of the LLP license that is on board the 
vessel, with some exceptions. An LLP groundfish or crab license 
authorizes the license holder to deploy the vessel in fisheries in 
accordance with the specific area and species endorsements, the vessel 
and gear designations, the maximum length overall (MLOA) specified on 
the license, and any exemption from the MLOA specified on the license.
    An LLP scallop license authorizes the person named on the license 
to catch and retain scallops in compliance with State of Alaska 
regulations using a vessel that does not exceed the MLOA specified on 
the license and the gear designation specified on the license. Unlike 
the LLP groundfish license, the scallop license is not vessel specific. 
A valid copy of the LLP scallop license must be on board the vessel.
    The LLP originally collected basic information so that NMFS could 
determine which owners of vessels were issued LLP licenses. To receive 
an LLP license, an eligible applicant needed to apply during the 
application periods established when the program was implemented. As 
the application periods and selection process for the LLP licenses have 
ended, an LLP license may now only be obtained through transfer.
    This information collection collects information necessary for 
transfer of LLP licenses for groundfish, crabs, and scallops. This 
collection contains the two applications used for those transfers and 
the transfer appeals process.
    An LLP license holder uses a transfer application to transfer an 
LLP license to a person who meets the eligibility requirements. The 
transfer applications collect information on the transferor, the 
transferee, and the LLP license to be transferred. The groundfish and 
crab transfer application also collects information on the rockfish 
quota share to be transferred, the vessel currently named on the LLP 
license, the vessel to be named on the LLP license, and ownership 
interest and transaction data.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently 
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search 
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB 
Control Number 0648-0334.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-28173 Filed 12-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P