The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published in the Federal Register a notice seeking comment on proposed information collection related to individual fishing quotas for Pacific halibut and sablefish in Alaska fisheries. The deadline for comments is November 20, 2017.
It is all part of NOAA’s continuing effort to reduce paperwork, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
The individual fishing quota program was established to improve the long-term productivity of the Pacific halibut and sablefish fisheries by promoting conservation and management. The Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ) program includes provisions such as ownership caps and vessel use caps that protect small harvesters and processors and others who could be adversely affected by excessive consolidation. Other restrictions of the IFQ program prevent the halibut and sablefish fisheries from domination by large boats or by a specific vessel class.
Now NOAA is inviting comment on whether the proposed collection of information related to these fisheries is necessary for the performance of the agency. NOAA wants the public’s opinion on the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, and ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of information to be collected, as well as ways to minimize the burden of collecting information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
Complete information is online at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/09/19/2017-19888/proposed-information-collection-comment-request-individual-fishing-quotas-for-pacific-halibut-and
(The link, above, is correct. Apparently NOAA is reducing word use as well. –Ed)
