[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 12, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11809-11810]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5901]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 030603F]


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Highly 
Migratory Species Dealer Reporting Family of Forms

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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 12, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 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 and instructions should 
be directed to Dianne Stephan, Highly Migratory Species Division, 
Northeast Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1 
Blackburn Dr., Gloucester, MA 01930; phone (978) 281-9397.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Under the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), NOAA is responsible for 
management of the Nation's marine fisheries. In addition, NOAA must 
comply with the United States' obligations under the Atlantic Tunas 
Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.). NOAA Fisheries must collect 
domestic landings data for Atlantic highly migratory species via dealer 
reports in order to provide information vital for fishery management. 
In addition, the import, export, and re-export of bluefin tuna, bigeye 
tuna and swordfish must be monitored by the United States in order to 
comply with international obligations established through membership in 
the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
(ICCAT). ICCAT has implemented a trade monitoring program for bluefin 
tuna, bigeye tuna and swordfish to discourage illegal, unregulated and 
unreported fishing activities as well as further understanding of 
catches and international trade for these species.
    This collection will serve as an umbrella, or family of forms, for 
Atlantic highly migratory species dealer reporting requirements. Four 
activities will occur as a result of this action: (1) new reporting 
requirements will be implemented;
    (2) previously approved information collections will be modified 
and transferred into this collection; (3) previously-approved 
collections will be renewed; and (4) reporting requirements will be 
transferred to this collection without modification.
    New reporting requirements will be implemented in order to execute 
recent binding recommendations of ICCAT. Newly required bigeye tuna 
statistical documents and re-export certificates and document 
validation upon export will be added to this collection, along with 
swordfish and bluefin tuna re-export certificates, which must be 
validated prior to export.
    The swordfish import certificate of eligibility will be transferred 
from collection approval 0648-0363 and expanded into a swordfish 
statistical document required for import and export of this species; 
the document must be validated prior to export. The swordfish import 
biweekly reporting form will be moved from collection approval 0648-
0013 and modified to address bigeye tuna and swordfish imports, 
exports, and re-exports.
    The required use of bluefin tuna statistical documents in the 
international trade of bluefin tuna will be renewed by this action, 
along with validation of these forms prior to export (0648-0040).
    Finally, the HMS domestic biweekly landings report and associated 
negative reporting used by the southeast region of NOAA Fisheries will 
be incorporated from collection approval 0648-0013, and the bluefin 
tuna tagging, daily landing and biweekly reports will be incorporated 
from collection approval 0648-0239, both without modification.

II. Method of Collection

    Dealer reporting for domestic purchase and international trade of 
certain Atlantic and Pacific highly migratory species is covered by 
this collection. Specifically, this collection addresses dealer 
reporting for import, export and re-export of Atlantic and Pacific 
swordfish, bigeye, and bluefin tuna; and domestic purchase of Atlantic 
tunas, Atlantic swordfish, and Atlantic sharks.
    Under this collection, dealers who import, export, or re-export 
bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna or swordfish must report all transactions to 
NOAA on biweekly reporting forms which may be mailed or faxed. Species-
specific statistical documents for export must be completed and 
transferred with the shipment, with copies mailed or faxed to NOAA. 
Original statistical documents for imports terminated in the U.S. must 
be mailed to NOAA Fisheries. When bluefin tuna, bigeye tuna, or 
swordfish are re-exported, a re-export certificate must be completed 
and transferred with the shipment with copies provided to NOAA 
Fisheries. Shipments for export and/or re-export must be validated 
through certification by a government

[[Page 11810]]

official or government-approved validating institution or alternatively 
fish carcasses may be tagged by the dealer prior to export.
    For domestically-landed Atlantic bluefin tuna, dealers must tag 
each individual carcass with a tail tag and fax a landing card within 
24 hours after landing to NOAA Fisheries. Biweekly reports recording 
fish size and tag number must be submitted by fax or mail. Dealers 
along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts must also submit biweekly reports 
recording domestically-landed bigeye tuna, albacore tuna, yellowfin 
tuna, skipjack tuna, swordfish, and sharks caught from the Atlantic 
Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0648-0040.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,110.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 5 minutes each for statistical 
documents and re-export certificates; 1 minute for tagging; 2 hours for 
certification; 17 minutes for bigeye tuna/swordfish trade biweekly 
report; 15 minutes for Southeast Region HMS dealer report; 3 minutes 
for Southeast Region HMS dealer negative reporting; 8 minutes for 
Pacific bluefin tuna biweekly dealer report; 15 minutes for Atlantic 
BFT biweekly dealer report; 2 minutes for landing cards.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 44,324.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $20,262.

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: March 5, 2003.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-5901 Filed 3-11-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S