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###### Department of Commerce

###### National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

                    The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the                     **Federal Register**                     on August 11, 2023, during a 60-day comment period (88 FR 54574). This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.                

*Agency:*                     National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.                

*Title:*                     Alaska Pacific Halibut: Subsistence.                

*OMB Control Number:*                     0648-0512.                

*Form Number(s):*                     None.                

*Type of Request:*                     Regular submission. Extension of a current information collection.                

*Number of Respondents:*                     4,783.                

*Average Hours per Response:*                     Application for SHARC Rural Resident: 10 minutes; Application for SHARC Alaska Native Tribal Member: 10 minutes; Application for SHARC Alaska Native Tribe: 30 minutes; Subsistence Halibut Special Permits Application: 30 minutes; Harvest logs: 30 minutes; Appeal for permit denial: 4 hours; Gear marking: 30 minutes.                

*Total Annual Burden Hours:*                     1,673 hours.                

*Needs and Uses:*                     The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Regional Office, is requesting extension of a currently approved information collection for the Alaska Subsistence Halibut Program.                

The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) promulgates regulations governing the North Pacific halibut fishery under the Convention between the United States and Canada for the Preservation of the Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention). The IPHC's regulations are subject to approval by the Secretary of State with the concurrence of the Secretary of Commerce. The Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act; 16 U.S.C. 773c(a)-(b)), provides the Secretary of Commerce with general responsibility for carrying out the Convention and the Halibut Act, including the authority to adopt regulations necessary to carry out the purposes and objectives of the Convention. The Halibut Act, 16 U.S.C. 773c(c), also provides the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) with authority to develop regulations, including limited access regulations, that are in addition to, and not in conflict with, IPHC regulations.

                    Regulations the Council recommends may be implemented by NMFS only after approval by the Secretary of Commerce. The Council has exercised this authority in the development of subsistence halibut fishery management measures. NMFS has responsibility for managing the subsistence halibut fishery according to regulations approved by the Secretary. Regulations governing the subsistence halibut fishery are at 50 CFR 300.2, 300.4, and subpart E, and in the annual management measures published in the                     **Federal Register**                     pursuant to 50 CFR 300.62.                

This information collection is necessary for NMFS to manage the Alaska Subsistence Halibut Program. Subsistence halibut means halibut caught by a rural resident or a member of an Alaska Native tribe for direct personal or family consumption as food, sharing for personal or family consumption as food, or customary trade. The Alaska Subsistence Halibut Program is intended to allow eligible persons to practice the long-term customary and traditional harvest of Pacific halibut for food in a non-commercial manner. This program provides NMFS the opportunity to enhance estimates of subsistence removals for stock assessment purposes.

Before fishing under subsistence halibut regulations, a Subsistence Halibut Registration Certificate (SHARC) must be obtained. This information collection contains the forms used by participants in the subsistence halibut fishery to apply for SHARCs, apply for special use permits, and submit harvest information for special use permits. This information collection contains two collections for which no forms are used: the appeals process for denied permits and marking subsistence setline fishing gear.

                    Information collected by the permit applications includes applicant information and depending on the                           ( print page 908)                        permit type may include information on the educational program or a description of the cultural or ceremonial occasion the permit will be used for. NMFS uses this information to determine the eligibility of applicants to receive or renew permits.                

The permit coordinators submit the harvest logs for Community Harvest Permits, Ceremonial Permits, and Educational Permits. Harvest logs collect identification information and harvest information for the subsistence fishermen fishing under that permit.

An appeals process is provided for an applicant who receives an adverse initial administrative determination related to their permit application.

Subsistence setline gear buoys must be marked with identification information that consists of the participant's name and address and an “S” to indicate subsistence halibut gear. This information is used by NMFS to link fishing gear to the vessel owner or operator and facilitate enforcement of regulations.

The time and cost burden to mark buoys has been increased based on recent comment received for other fisheries off Alaska (OMB Control Number 0648-0353, Alaska Region Gear Identification Requirements). The time estimate to mark a buoy has been increased from 15 minutes to 30 minutes and the cost has been increased from $15 to $100 per respondent.

Minor editorial changes to the forms were made to increase clarity and consistency with other NMFS Alaska Regional Office forms.

*Affected Public:*                     Not-for-profit institutions; Business or other for-profit organizations.                

*Frequency:*                     On occasion.                

*Respondent's Obligation:*                     Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits, Mandatory.                

*Legal Authority:*                     Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.                

                    This information collection request may be viewed at                     *www.reginfo.gov.*                     Follow the instructions to view the Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.                

                    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website                     *www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain.*                     Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number 0648-0512.                

Sheleen Dumas,

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.

[FR Doc. 2024-00095 Filed 1-5-24; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-P