[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 243 (Monday, December 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 79341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31833]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Harvest of 
Pacific Halibut by Guided Sport Charter Vessel Anglers off Alaska

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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 February 18, 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

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 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for renewal of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Pacific halibut is an unusual resource in that halibut management 
in both State and Federal waters is an international and Federal 
responsibility under the North Pacific Halibut Act of 1982. Annual 
catch quotas are determined by the International Pacific Halibut 
Commission (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.
    In order to minimize the recordkeeping and reporting burden on 
guided charter operations, Federal and international managers depend on 
fishing activity and harvest information collected by the State of 
Alaska through its charter logbook program. Federal regulations at 50 
CFR 300.65 require charter vessel operators fishing in IPHC Areas 2C 
and 3A to comply with the State of Alaska logbook reporting 
requirements.
    The State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) Division of 
Sport Fish initiated a mandatory logbook program for charter vessels in 
1998 requiring annual registration of sport fishing guides and 
businesses and logbook reporting. The logbook and registration program 
was intended to provide information on actual participation and harvest 
by individual charter vessels and businesses in various regions of the 
State.
    ADF&G issues charter logbooks to licensed businesses only and also 
provides operators with registration stickers and statistical area 
maps. A schedule of logbook due dates is printed inside the front cover 
of each logbook.
    NMFS and ADF&G coordinated closely in the development of this 
information collection to use the existing ADF&G logbook to record 
information necessary for the monitoring and enforcement of the charter 
vessel angler daily catch limit of halibut, so that a separate Federal 
logbook system would not be necessary. This approach reduces burden to 
both the charter vessel industry and Federal and State management 
agencies.

II. Method of Collection

    The logsheets may be placed in an ADF&G drop box at one of many 
ports in Alaska or mailed to ADF&G.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0575.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (renewal of a currently approved 
collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
individual or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 93,090.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Charter Guide to record required 
information in logsheet, 4 minutes; Charter Anglers to verify 
information and sign logsheet, 1 minute.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,134.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

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: December 14, 2010.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-31833 Filed 12-17-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P