[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 43 (Friday, March 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11555-11556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5223]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 022900B]


Southwest Region Logbook Family of Forms; Proposed Information 
Collection; Request for Comments

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 2, 2000.

[[Page 11556]]


ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
5027, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20230 (or via the 
Internet at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Mr. Alvin Katekaru, Pacific Islands Area Office, 
Southwest Region, NMFS, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd., Honolulu HI 96814-4700; 
telephone 808-973-2935 ext. 207.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Federal reporting requirements are established for four fisheries 
(pelagics, crustaceans, bottomfish, and precious corals) in the western 
Pacific region managed under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act. This information collection covers the information 
that must be provided to NMFS to meet these reporting requirements, 
which include fishing logbooks, notifications of intended vessel 
departure and return times and other actions, experimental fishing 
permit reports, and transshipment and sales reports. These reports are 
necessary to provide information to evaluate the effects of fishing on 
the stocks and to assess the need for changes in management to ensure 
that overfishing will be prevented and the optimum yield from the 
fisheries will be obtained.

II. Method of Collection

    Typically, the holder of a permit for the fisheries is provided 
with a copy of any logbook or other reporting forms and with 
instructions for making any required reports. In many cases, logbooks 
are collected from permit holders at the docks when the vessel returns 
from a trip. Other reports are collected by phone or are received 
through regular mail. The option of electronic reporting is provided in 
the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Crustaceans Fishery and the potential 
for electronic reporting is being investigated for other fisheries.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0648-0214.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 174.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 5 minutes for notifications; 5 minutes 
for sales reports, pre-offloading reports, and in-season catch reports 
in the crustacean fishery; 3 minutes per page for logbook entries in 
the crustacean fishery; 5 minutes per day for logbook entries in the 
precious coral and western Pacific pelagic fisheries; 5 minutes for 
protected species interaction reports in the western Pacific bottomfish 
fishery; 15 minutes for sales reports in the precious coral fishery; 1 
hour for observer placement information in the longline fishery for 
western Pacific pelagics; 1 hour for requests for exemptions to area 
closures in the western Pacific pelagic fishery; 4 hours for claims for 
lost fishing time due to sick observers on longline vessels in the 
western Pacific pelagic fishery; and 4 hours for experimental fishing 
reports.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,130.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5,000.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: February 25, 2000.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-5223 Filed 3-2-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F