[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 187 (Thursday, September 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66817-66819]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21179]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Alaska Pacific Halibut Fisheries: Charter

AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection, request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before November 27, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to

[[Page 66818]]

Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0575 in the subject line of your 
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise 
sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Gabrielle Aberle, 709 W 9th Street, Juneau, AK 99801, 907-586-7356, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Region, is 
requesting extension of a currently approved information collection for 
the Pacific halibut charter fishery off Alaska.
    Management of and regulations for Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus 
stenolepis) in Alaska are developed on the international, Federal, and 
state levels by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), 
the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the NMFS Alaska Region, 
and the State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). The IPHC 
and NMFS manage fishing for Pacific halibut through regulations 
established under authority of the Convention between the United States 
Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, the 
Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (16 U.S.C. 773), and section 
303(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).
    NMFS manages the charter halibut fishery off Alaska under the 
Charter Halibut Limited Access Program (CHLAP; 75 FR 554, January 5, 
2010) and the Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan (CSP; 78 FR 75844, 
December 12, 2013). This information collection is necessary for NMFS 
to manage and administer the charter halibut fishery under the CHLAP 
and the CSP. Regulations that implement this information collection are 
at 50 CFR 300 subpart E and 50 CFR 679.5(l)(7). Information on the 
CHLAP and the CSP is on the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/resources-fishing/sport-halibut-fishing-alaska.
    The CHLAP established new Federal Charter Halibut Permits (CHPs) 
for operators in the sport charter halibut fishery in IPHC regulatory 
Areas 2C (Southeast Alaska) and 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska). All 
charter halibut vessel operators in Areas 2C and 3A with clients on 
board must have a valid CHP on board during every charter vessel 
fishing trip. As the period to obtain a CHP, other than a military CHP 
or community CHP, ended in 2010, CHPs may now only be obtained through 
transfer. This information collection contains the applications used to 
annually register CHPs, to apply for new military CHPs, and to transfer 
CHPs. The application for a community CHP is approved under OMB Control 
Number 0648-0665. Information collected by these applications includes 
permit holder information or applicant information, and depending on 
the form, may include CHP identification, CHP ownership information and 
affiliation, a survey question on the use of the CHP, and transaction 
information for transfer of a CHP.
    The CSP authorizes annual transfers of commercial halibut 
individual fishing quota (IFQ) as guided angler fish (GAF) to qualified 
CHP holders for harvest by charter vessel anglers in Area 2C or 3A. GAF 
enables CHP holders to lease a limited amount of IFQ from commercial 
quota share holders to allow charter vessel anglers to harvest halibut 
in addition to, or instead of, the halibut harvested under the daily 
bag limit for charter anglers.
    This information collection includes the application used to 
transfer Area 2C or 3A commercial halibut IFQ to a CHP holder for use 
as GAF or for the CHP holder to return unused GAF to the IFQ permit 
holder from which it was obtained. Information collected by this 
application includes permit holder information, IFQ permit information, 
CHP information, GAF permit information, and transaction information. 
NMFS, on approving the transfer of IFQ to GAF, issues a GAF permit, 
which authorizes the holder to allow charter vessel anglers to retain 
GAF halibut caught in the IPHC regulatory area specified on the permit.
    This information collection also includes the GAF landing report 
and the GAF permit log. The GAF landing report is submitted by GAF 
permit holders and collects information on each GAF halibut retained by 
an angler on a charter vessel fishing trip in Area 2C or 3A. The GAF 
permit log is printed on the back of each GAF permit and is used by the 
permit holder to record the GAF landing report confirmation number and 
information on GAF halibut after a trip in which GAF halibut were 
retained.
    This information collection includes the logbook reporting 
requirements for the charter halibut fishery. The charter halibut 
sector in Areas 2C and 3A is managed to charter catch limits 
established under the CSP. Charter operators are required to record all 
halibut caught and kept by charter vessel anglers in the ADF&G 
Saltwater Charter Logbook. Logbook reporting is the basis for 
estimating annual charter harvests of halibut relative to the charter 
catch limits.

II. Method of Collection

    The information is collected by mail, fax, and electronically. The 
forms are available on the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/alaska-sport-charter-halibut-applications-and-reporting-forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0575.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for profit organizations; 
Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 656.
    Estimated Time per Response: Application for Annual Registration of 
CHPs: 15 minutes; Application for Military CHP: 30 minutes; Application 
for Transfer of CHP: 2 hours; Application for Transfer (Lease) Between 
IFQ and GAF: 1.5 hours; GAF Landing Report: 5 minutes; GAF Permit Log: 
2 minutes; ADF&G Saltwater Sport Fishing Charter Trip Logbook: 4 
minutes; and Appeals: 4 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,494 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $84,090 in recordkeeping and 
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits; 
Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: The Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (16 
U.S.C. 773c); Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.

[[Page 66819]]

    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-21179 Filed 9-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P