In response to requests from charter halibut fishery stakeholders, this action implements the creation of an annual renewal requirement for Charter Halibut Permits. In 2010, NMFS implemented a Charter Halibut Limited Access Program that issued a limited number of Charter Halibut Permits to persons who operate in the guided sport (charter) halibut fishery in the waters of International Pacific Halibut Commission Regulatory Areas 2C and 3A. Permits were issued to individuals and to non-individual entities (e.g., partnerships or corporations). Twenty-six percent (253) of the total permits were non-transferable, and are intended to be retired upon the death of the individual permit holder, or, in the case of business entities, if the ownership structure dissolves or changes in a manner where the regulations call for the permit to be retired. The annual renewal of Charter Halibut Permits is intended to facilitate retirement of non-transferable permits, to improve enforcement of permit ownership caps and the use of valid permits, and to gather information on changes in permit ownership and participation among permit holders.