[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 209 (Thursday, October 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66492-66493]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-27570]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


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 Recreational Charter Vessel Guide and Owner Data 
Collection.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0647.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (reinstatement without change of a 
previously approved information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 560.
    Average Hours per Response: Mail survey, 90 minutes; follow-up 
telephone survey, 6 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 260.
    Needs and Uses: 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

[[Page 66493]]

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)
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Annually.
    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 26, 2015.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-27570 Filed 10-28-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P