Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on December 30, 2025, during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
Title: Alaska License Limitation Program for Groundfish, Crab, and Scallops.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0334.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection).
Number of Respondents: 68.
Average Hours per Response: 1 hour for Application for the transfer of groundfish and crab LLP licenses; 1 hour for the Application for the transfer of scallop LLP licenses; 4 hours for the Transfer appeal.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 38.
Needs and Uses: This is a request for renewal of an approved information collection. The collection is sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Regional Office (AKR) and is authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and at 50 CFR parts 679 and 680.
This collection contains collection-of-information requirements necessary for the transfer of License Limitation Program (LLP) licenses for the commercial groundfish, crab, and scallop fisheries. The purpose of this collection is to determine whether a transfer is eligible and if endorsements meet regulatory requirements for licensing and permits. An essential feature of the LLP is the ability for participants to transfer their LLP license. Without the ability to track the movement of LLP licenses, NMFS would be unable to effectively manage the LLP. The LLP restricts access to the commercial groundfish, crab, and scallop fisheries in the exclusive economic zone off Alaska, except for certain areas where alternative programs exist. The intended effect of the LLP is to limit the number of participants and reduce fishing capacity in fisheries off Alaska. More information on the LLP can be found on the NMFS Alaska Region website and at 50 CFR part 679.
An LLP license is required for vessels participating in directed fishing for LLP groundfish species in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) or Gulf of Alaska (GOA), or fishing in any BSAI LLP crab fisheries. An LLP license is also required for any vessel deployed in scallop fisheries in Federal waters off Alaska except for some diving operations.
Vessels participating in directed fishing for LLP groundfish species in the GOA or BSAI, or fishing in any BSAI LLP crab fisheries, must be named on a valid copy of the LLP license that is on board the vessel, with some exceptions. An LLP groundfish or crab license authorizes the license holder to deploy the vessel in fisheries in accordance with the specific area and species endorsements, the vessel and gear designations, the maximum length overall (MLOA) specified on the license, and any exemption from the MLOA specified on the license.
An LLP scallop license authorizes the person named on the license to catch and retain scallops in compliance with State of Alaska regulations using a vessel that does not exceed the MLOA specified on the license and the gear designation specified on the license. Unlike the LLP groundfish license, the scallop license is not vessel specific. A valid copy of the LLP scallop license must be on board the vessel.
For program definitions, refer to 50 CFR 679.2, for permit and licensing requirements for scallop refer to 50 CFR 679.4(g), for permit and licensing requirements for groundfish and crab refer to 50 CFR 679.4(k), and for prohibitions refer to 50 CFR 679.7(i). Additional information on the LLP can be found on the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/license-limitation-program-alaska.
This collection contains the Application for the transfer of groundfish and crab LLP licenses, the ( printed page 44829) Application for the transfer of scallop LLP licenses, and the Transfer appeal. The applications for transfers are each filled by two respondents, the transferor and the transferee. The type of information collected includes information on the transferor, transferee, and the LLP license to be transferred, as well as information on the quota share to be transferred, the vessel currently named on the LLP license, the vessel to be named on the LLP license, and the ownership interest and transaction data. Information is collected as needed by the respondent and is used to determine whether a transfer is eligible and if endorsements meet regulatory requirements for licensing and permits. All of the forms can now be submitted electronically via email. There are no other changes to this collection.
Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-profit organizations.
Frequency: On occasion (as needed).
Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Act 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. and at 50 CFR parts 679 and 680.
This information collection request may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number 0648-0334.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.