2011-23177. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35).

Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Alaska Saltwater Sport Fishing Economic Survey.

OMB Control Number: None.

Form Number(s): NA.

Type of Request: Regular submission (request for a new information collection).

Number of Respondents: 2,397.

Average Hours per Response: Full survey, 30 minutes; follow-up telephone survey, 10 minutes.

Burden Hours: 1,154.

Needs and Uses: This request is for a new information collection.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) plans to conduct a survey to collect data for conducting economic analyses of marine sport fishing in Alaska. This survey is necessary to understand the factors that affect the economic value of marine recreational fishing trips and improve estimates of fishing trip value.

The Federal Government is responsible for the management of the Pacific halibut sport fishery off Alaska, while the State of Alaska manages the salmon sport fisheries (chinook, coho, sockeye, chum and pink), as well as several other saltwater sport fisheries. The survey's scope covers marine sport fishing for Pacific halibut, salmon, and other popular marine sport species in Alaska (e.g., lingcod and rockfish). The data collected from the survey will be used to estimate the demand for and value of marine fishing to anglers and to analyze how the type of fish caught, fishery regulations, and other factors affect fishing values and anglers' decisions to participate in Alaska marine fishing activities. The economic information provided from the survey will update and augment information collected in an earlier survey conducted in 2007 and is necessary to help inform fishery managers about the economic values of Alaska marine sport fisheries and the changes to participation in these fisheries with proposed regulations.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Frequency: One time.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

OMB Desk Officer: [e-mail].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to [e-mail].

Dated: September 6, 2011.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.