Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION

ALASKA PACIFIC HALIBUT & SABLEFISH FISHERIES:

INDIVIDUAL FISHING QUOTA (IFQ)

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0272

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE: The application to identify ownership interest for quota share (QS) holder is changed by removing the notary public block.

The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) manage fishing for Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) through regulations established under the authority of the Convention between the United States Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention) and the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 (Halibut Act).

NMFS would revise the IFQ Ownership Form to remove the requirement for notary public certification from this form. This requirement included signature of notary public, date notary commission expires, and a space for notary stamp or seal and was included in Block C. This change would remove from Block C the signature of notary public, date commission expires, and the space for the notary stamp or seal, leaving only the respondent signature, printed name, date and title if authorized representative.

The notary information was simply confirming what is already in NMFS database records. Instead of notary confirmation, the certification block is now considered sufficient because it is signed under penalty of perjury that the information is true and correct. The notary has just been confirming that the person signing the form is the person that appeared before them, not that the information is true and correct.

No increase in cost or burden is anticipated with this change. In fact, there will be a slight decrease in cost and burden due to removal of the notary requirement, to be confirmed in the next renewal of this information collection.

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