Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

ALASKA COMMUNITY QUOTA ENTITY (CQE) PROGRAM

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0665

JUSTIFICATION: A form is changed by requesting price paid per pound of individual fishing quota (IFQ) transferred to guided angler fish (GAF).

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 (Council), National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region (NMFS), 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 (Convention), the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, 16 U.S.C. 773c (Halibut Act), and Section 303(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

NMFS modified the Charter Halibut Program and this information collection by implementing a Catch Sharing Plan for the guided sport and commercial fisheries for Pacific halibut in IPHC Regulatory Areas 2C (Southeast Alaska) and 3A (Central Gulf of Alaska) on December 12, 2013 (78 FR 75844). Implementing regulations are found at 50 CFR Parts 300 and 679.

The Application for Transfer (Lease) Between Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) and Guided Angler Fish (GAF) by a CQE is used to transfer IFQ to GAF by a CQE holding charter halibut permits for areas 2C or 3A. This form may also be used to return unused GAF to the IFQ permit holder from which it was obtained. The requested information (price paid per pound of IFQ transferred to GAF) to be added to this application will be used by NMFS to ensure that IFQ is transferred in compliance with the regulations governing the leasing of IFQ and GAF.

This revision is not expected to add to the 2-hour burden because the price information is already available and would just need to be recorded on the transfer application.

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