[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 195 (Friday, October 7, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62374-62375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25966]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska 
Recreational Charter Vessel Guide and Owner Data Collection

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 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 December 6, 
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 Amber Himes-Cornell, (206) 526-4221, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Numerous management measures have recently been proposed or 
implemented that affect recreational charter boat fishing for Pacific 
halibut off Alaska. On January 5, 2010, the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS) issued a final rule establishing a limited entry permit 
system for charter vessels in the guided halibut sport fishery in 
International Pacific Halibut Commission Areas 2C (Southeast Alaska) 
and 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska) (75FR554). This permit system is 
intended to address concerns about the growth of fishing capacity in 
this fishery sector, which accounts for a substantial portion of the 
overall recreational halibut catch in Alaska. On March 16, 2011, a size 
limit on Pacific halibut caught while charter boat fishing for the 2011 
fishing season was established (76FR14300). In addition, on July 22, 
2011, a Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (76FR44156) was proposed that would 
alter the way Pacific halibut is allocated between the guided sport 
(i.e., the charter sector) and the commercial halibut fishery.
    To assess the effect of regulatory restrictions (currently in place 
or potential) on charter operator and owner behavior and welfare, it is 
necessary to obtain a better general understanding of the Alaska 
recreational charter boat industry. Some information useful for this 
purpose is already collected from existing sources, such as charter 
vessel logbooks administered by Alaska Department of Fish and Game 
(ADF&G). However, information on vessel and crew characteristics, 
services offered to clients, spatial and temporal aspects of their 
operations and fishing behavior, and costs and earnings information are 
generally not available from these existing data sources and thus must 
be collected directly from the industry through voluntary survey 
efforts.
    In order to address this information gap, NMFS' Alaska Fisheries 
Science Center proposes to conduct a survey of charter vessel owners to 
collect annual cost and earnings data that will supplement logbook data 
collected by ADF&G. The proposed data collection will provide basic 
economic information about the charter sector, including revenues 
produced from different products and services provided to clients, 
fixed and variable operating costs and locations of purchases. These 
data will support improved analysis and of the effects of fisheries 
regulations on the charter fishing industry, information that is 
increasingly needed by the Council and NMFS to deal with ongoing 
halibut resource issues and other fishery management issues involving 
the charter industry.

II. Method of Collection

    The method of data collection will be a survey of charter vessel 
owners implemented through a mailed questionnaire.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (request for a new information 
collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,200.
    Estimated Time per Response: 60 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,200.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 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.

[[Page 62375]]

    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: October 4, 2011.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2011-25966 Filed 10-6-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P