[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35000-35001]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12808]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska 
Saltwater Sport Fishing Economic Survey

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 August 1, 2016.

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 directed to Dr. Dan Lew (Phone: (530) 554-1842; Email: 
[email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for a reinstatement, with changes, of a previously 
approved data collect (OMB Control Number 0648-0639).
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) previously collected 
survey data in 2007 and 2012 for conducting economic analyses of marine 
sport fishing in Alaska. These surveys were necessary to understand the 
factors that affect the economic value of marine recreational fishing 
trips and improve estimates of fishing trip values that can aid fishery 
managers evaluate management options pertaining to sport fisheries. The 
proposed survey is an update of the previously conducted surveys and is 
needed to improve estimates of fishing trip values potentially affected 
by recent changes in federal recreational fisheries off Alaska, most 
notably the Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (76 FR 44156) which went into 
effect in 2014 for the Pacific halibut fishery. Several questions in 
the survey have been updated to better reflect these recent fishery 
management changes.

[[Page 35001]]

    The Federal Government is responsible for the management of the 
Pacific halibut sport fishery off Alaska, while the State of Alaska 
manages the salmon sport fisheries (Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, and 
pink), as well as several other saltwater sport fisheries. The updated 
survey's scope covers marine sport fishing for Pacific halibut, salmon, 
and other popular marine sport species in Alaska (e.g., lingcod and 
rockfish). The data collected from the survey will be used to update 
estimates of the demand for and value of marine fishing to anglers and 
to analyze how the type of fish caught, fishery regulations, and other 
factors affect fishing values and anglers' decisions to participate in 
Alaska marine fishing activities. The economic information provided 
from the survey will help inform fishery managers about the economic 
values of Alaska marine sport fisheries and the changes to 
participation in these fisheries with proposed regulations.

II. Method of Collection

    Data will be collected through a mixed mode mail-telephone survey. 
A random sample of sport anglers who have fished in Alaska will receive 
an advance letter informing them that a survey is on its way. A few 
days later the initial questionnaire will arrive. In subsequent weeks, 
a reminder postcard, a reminder telephone call, and a second 
questionnaire will be mailed to respondents who have not completed and 
returned the mail survey. The reminder telephone calls will collect 
information from individuals who have not responded to the mail survey 
and encourage them to complete and return the survey.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0639.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular (reinstatement with changes).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,500 hours.
    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: May 26, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-12808 Filed 5-31-16; 8:45 am]
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