[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 139 (Tuesday, July 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43065-43066]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-17768]


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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 September 21, 
2015.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, 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

[[Page 43066]]

directed to Amber Himes-Cornell, (206) 526-4221; or 
[email protected] or Dan Lew, (530) 554-1842, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for reinstatement, with changes of a previously 
approved information collection.
    Numerous management measures have recently been proposed or 
implemented that affect recreational charter boat fishing for Pacific 
halibut off Alaska. On January 5, 2010, 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 in Area 2C for the 2011 fishing season was 
established (76FR14300). In addition, a Halibut Catch Sharing Plan 
(76FR44156) was implemented in 2014 that altered 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 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game 
(ADF&G). In addition, a voluntary survey under this OMB Control Number 
administered to collect economic information for three fishing seasons 
(2011-2013) from business owners in the charter fleet was administered 
between 2012 and 2014. It collected 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 for the three fishing seasons prior to 
implementation of the Halibut Catch Sharing Plan. These data were 
collected directly from the industry since they are not available from 
other existing data sources. A description of the previously-fielded 
survey and a summary of the results are available in a NOAA Technical 
Memorandum that can be accessed at http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/Publications/AFSC-TM/NOAA-TM-AFSC-299.pdf.
    To evaluate changes in the charter sector associated with the 
Halibut Catch Sharing Plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service's 
(NMFS) Alaska Fisheries Science Center proposes to continue the 
implementation of the survey of charter vessel owners to collect annual 
cost, earnings, and employment data that will supplement logbook data 
collected by ADF&G. The proposed data collection will provide another 
three years of basic economic information about the charter sector 
beyond the 2011 to 2013 data that was collected previously, 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 North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council and NMFS to more completely understand ongoing halibut 
allocation issues and other fishery management issues involving the 
charter industry. The survey will have minor changes, including, 
possibly, a small set of questions about how charter vessels have been 
impacted by a new management program)

II. Method of Collection

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

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0647.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (reinstatement, with changes, of 
a previously approved 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.
    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: July 15, 2015.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-17768 Filed 7-20-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P