[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 61286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24254]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Alaska Halibut Catch Sharing Plan Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-xxxx.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular (request for a new information 
collection).
    Number of Respondents: 602.
    Average Hours Per Response: Full survey, 30 minutes; follow-up 
telephone survey, 10 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 186.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for a new information collection.
    Numerous management measures have recently been proposed or 
implemented that affect recreational charter boat fishing for Pacific 
halibut off Alaska, including the adoption of a Halibut Catch Sharing 
Plan (78 FR 75843) in International Pacific Halibut Commission 
Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A that alters the way Pacific halibut is 
allocated between the guided sport (i.e., the charter sector) and the 
commercial halibut fishery. The Catch Sharing Plan (CSP) formalizes the 
annual process of allocating catch between the commercial sector and 
charter sector and for determining harvest restrictions in the charter 
sector (78 FR 75843). In addition, the CSP allows leasing of commercial 
halibut individual fishing quota (IFQ) by eligible charter businesses 
holding a charter halibut permit (CHP). The IFQ pounds are leased in 
terms of number of fish, called guided angler fish (GAF), which are 
determined based on a conversion rate published by the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS). Leased GAF can be used by charter businesses 
to relax harvest restrictions for their angler clients, since the fish 
caught under the leased GAF would not be subject to the charter sector-
specific size and bag limits that may be imposed--though the non-
charter sector size and bag limit restrictions (currently two fish of 
any size per day) would still apply to charter anglers who are not 
using GAF.
    To help inform potential future policy discussions about the CSP, 
NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center plans to conduct a survey that 
will collect information on general attitudes toward the CSP and the 
GAF leasing program from Area 2C and Area 3A charter boat businesses 
(CHP holders), and ask them to indicate their preferences for 
hypothetically relaxing specific features of the GAF leasing program 
that are employed in similar types of programs in both fisheries and 
non-fisheries contexts. This information could provide valuable 
information to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in its 
evaluation of the current features of the CSP and provide information 
that may help it evaluate adjustments to the CSP. The survey will also 
provide a broad gauge of attitudes toward the program and its impacts 
on the charter sector and anglers.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. 
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections 
currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: October 7, 2014.
Glenna Mickelson,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-24254 Filed 10-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P