[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 155 (Friday, August 10, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 42203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-20116]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 080701C]


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of 
Intent and Capacity to Harvest and Process Fish and Shellfish 
(Northwest Region)

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

ACTION:  Notice.

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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, Pub. L. 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506 
(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before October 9, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Madeleine Clayton, 
Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
6086, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20230 (or via 
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 William L. Robinson, NMFS, 7600 Sand Point Way 
NE, Seattle, WA 98115 (phone 206-526-6140).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Telephone interviews have been used by NMFS to determine the 
amounts and species of fish that would not be used by domestic 
processors and could be made available to foreign and joint venture 
operations. Pacific whiting, the species most recently utilized by to 
foreign and joint venture operations, became fully utilized by domestic 
processors in 1991. However, minor opportunities for joint venture 
processing of shortbelly rockfish and jack mackerel continued to exist. 
In December 2000, the West Coast groundfish resource was declared to be 
fully utilized by domestic fisheries. The supporting groundfish 
regulations at 50 CFR 660.303 (a) were revised to reflect this change.
    Telephone interviews continue to be necessary to determine the 
intent and capacity of the various sectors of the domestic fleet to 
harvest and process Pacific whiting. Each year the Pacific whiting 
optimum yield is divided between the treaty Indian tribes on the coast 
of Washington State and the three sectors of the non-tribal commercial 
fisheries (motherships, catcher/processors, and shore-base processor). 
If it is determined that a sector will be unable to use all of their 
allocation before the end of the fishing year, NMFS may reapportion 
whiting to the other sectors to ensure full utilization of the 
resource. Therefore, information collected from the groundfish industry 
in telephone interviews continues to be valuable and important in 
groundfish management.

II. Method of Collection

    Telephone interview.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0648-0243.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations (owners 
or operators of vessels that catch or process fish in ocean waters 0-
200 nautical miles offshore Washington, Oregon, and California).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 60.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

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: August 3, 2001.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-20116 Filed 8-9-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S