[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 31, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61402-61403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-16786]


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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 Saltwater Sportfishing Economic Survey

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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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 September 30, 
2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0639 in the subject line of your 
comments. All comments received are part of the public record and will 
generally be posted on https://www.regulations.gov without change. 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 Dr. Russel Dame, Industry Economist, NOAA/NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way 
NE, Bldg. 4, Seattle, WA 98115-6349, (206) 526-4432, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for reinstatement with changes of a previously 
approved information collection.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) previously collected 
survey data in 2007, 2012, and 2017 for conducting economic analyses of 
marine sport fishing in Alaska. These surveys were necessary to 
understand the factors that affect marine recreational fishing and its 
economic value. Relative to the previously approved information 
collection, this information collection focuses on collecting data from 
a subset of the Alaska saltwater angler population targeted in previous 
collections, specifically all Alaska saltwater anglers fishing by 
charter boat rather than all Alaska saltwater anglers. The focus on 
charter anglers excludes anglers who fish from a private boat or from 
shore. The focus on the charter angler subpopulation is due to that 
population being of primary concern for fishery managers. Charter 
anglers fishing for federally-regulated Pacific halibut are subject to 
different regulations and management actions compared with other Alaska 
saltwater anglers. Harvest regulations (e.g., daily bag limits) for the 
unguided (non-charter) sector for Pacific halibut off Alaska have been 
unchanged for decades and are unlikely to change in the foreseeable 
future. Charter fishing for halibut in Alaska, on the other hand, has 
experienced a number of important changes that affect both charter 
anglers and the charter fishing businesses providing charter fishing 
services. The proposed data collection is needed to improve estimates 
of fishing trip values and fishing behavior potentially affected by 
changes in federal recreational fisheries off Alaska, including recent 
declines in populations of Pacific halibut and subsequent measures to 
manage harvest in the Alaska recreational charter fishing sector. 
Numerous questions in the survey have been updated to better reflect, 
and understand the effects of, recent changes in Alaska marine 
recreational fisheries.
    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 charter 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 Pacific halibut fishing 
to charter 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 charter fishing activities. 
The economic information provided from the survey will help inform 
fishery managers about the economic values of Alaska marine charter 
halibut fisheries and the changes to participation in these fisheries 
with proposed regulations.

II. Method of Collection

    Data will be collected through a push-to-web survey. A random 
sample of sport anglers who have fished in Alaska via a charter or for-
hire boat will be mailed instructions and a personalized URL or QR code 
to access and complete the password protected web-based survey. Follow-
ups to the initial mailing will be done to encourage a response from 
those who have not completed the survey. Among the follow-up efforts 
will be a postcard reminder, a second mailing, and a telephone or email 
contact with non-responding license holders for whom we have telephone 
numbers or email addresses to encourage response and gather data for 
assessing non-response behavior.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0639.

[[Page 61403]]

    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission. Reinstatement with revisions.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,700.
    Estimated Time per Response: 28.7 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,770 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

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.
    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. 2024-16786 Filed 7-30-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P