Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Region Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Charter
| Published date | 24 February 2020 |
| Citation | 85 FR 10413 |
| Record Number | 2020-03624 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)
[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 PR[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
