The CQE Program was adopted by the
Council in 2002 and implemented in 2004. The CQE Program authorized
a specified set of remote coastal communities with few economic
alternatives to purchase and hold catcher vessel quota share in
IPHC Areas 2C, 3A, and 3B, in order to help ensure access to and
sustain participation in the commercial halibut and sablefish
fisheries. Two subsequent Council-approved actions, that are not
related to the commercial halibut and sablefish Individual Fishing
Quota (IFQ) Program, have included explicit provisions for CQE's
that represent new fishing opportunities. The first action is the
charter halibut limited entry program approved in January 2010. The
second action is the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) fixed gear recency action
approved in April 2009 which adds non-severable, gear-specific
Pacific cod endorsements to fixed gear LLP licenses that qualify
under the landings thresholds in the directed Pacific cod fisheries
in Federal waters in the Western and Central GOA. This action
combines these three actions into one program, the Alaska Community
Quota Entity (CQE) Program This is a resubmission of the request,
with the final rule.
US Code:
16 USC 1801 et seq. Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.