[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 93 (Thursday, May 13, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26545-26546]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-10898]



[[Page 26545]]

=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[I.D. 051004A]


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce has submitted to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for 
collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Northeast Region Permit Family of Forms.
    Form Number(s): None.
    OMB Approval Number: 0648-0202.
    Type of Request: Regular submission.
    Burden Hours: 27,097.
    Number of Respondents: 42,334.
    Average Hours Per Response: An initial vessel permit application 
requires an estimated 45 minutes to complete, while preprinted vessel 
permit renewal forms require an estimated 30 minutes per response. 
Initial dealer permit applications take an estimated 15 minutes to 
complete, while preprinted dealer permit renewal forms require an 
estimated 5 minutes to complete. The initial and renewal vessel 
operator permit applications are estimated to take an average of 1 hour 
to complete due to the color photograph submission requirement. Limited 
access vessel upgrade or replacement applications take approximately 3 
hours to complete. Applications for retention of limited access permit 
history require an estimated 30 minutes. Limited access NE 
multispecies, combination, occasional scallop, red crab, and monkfish 
vessels must notify NOAA Fisheries via the call-in system of the start 
date and end date for each fishing trip. The estimated time per 
response is 2 minutes. It is estimated to take NE multispecies and 
monkfish vessels approximately 3 minutes to declare of blocks of time 
out of the gillnet fishery. The burden of vessel monitoring for full-
time and part-time limited access scallop vessels or authorized NE 
multispecies, combination, and occasional scallop vessels is estimated 
to be 1 hour for installation of a VMS unit, 5 minutes for verification 
of installation of the VMS unit, and 30 seconds per poll for automated 
polling of vessel position. Vessels required to have a fully functional 
VMS unit at all times may request to turn off the VMS (power-down 
exemption) at approximately 30 minutes per request. Responses to 
requests to carry an observer are estimated to require 2 minutes per 
request.
    Limited access vessels fishing under DAS requirements that have 
assisted in USCG search and rescue operations or assisted in towing a 
disabled vessel may apply for Good Samaritan DAS credits at a burden of 
30 minutes per application.
    Owners or operators of vessels seeking an LOA to participate in any 
of the exemption programs must request an LOA from the RA. The 
estimated time required to request an LOA is 5 minutes. Vessels fishing 
in the NAFO Regulatory Area that wish to be exempt from NE multispecies 
regulations while transiting the EEZ with NE multispecies on board, or 
landing NE multispecies in U.S. ports, must request an LOA (5 minutes) 
in addition to possessing a valid High Seas Fishing Compliance permit 
under 50 CFR part 300. An LOA (5 minutes) is also required for 
permitted vessels intending to transfer selected species from one 
vessel to another, as follows: Loligo and butterfish moratorium permit, 
or Illex moratorium permit, and vessels issued a mackerel or squid/
butterfish incidental catch permit that intend to transfer Loligo, 
Illex, or butterfish; vessels issued a NE multispecies or scallop 
permit that intend to transfer species other than regulated species; 
and NE multispecies vessels intending to transfer up to 500 lb (227 kg) 
of combined small-mesh NE multispecies per trip for use as bait.
    Owners of charter/party vessels intending to fish in the Nantucket 
Lightship Closure Area must request an LOA from the Regional 
Administrator, with an estimated time of 5 minutes per request. Vessels 
fishing under Charter/Party regulations in GOM closed areas must obtain 
a Charter/Party Exemption Certificate for GOM Closed Areas, at an 
estimated 2 minutes per request.
    Limited access sea scallop vessels wishing to participate in either 
the state waters DAS exemption program or the state waters gear 
exemption program must notify the RA by VMS or call-in notification. 
Participants in the sea scallop state waters exemption programs using 
VMS notification must notify the RA prior to the first trip in the 
exemption program and prior to the first planned trip in the EEZ, at an 
estimated 2 minutes per response. Participants in these exemption 
programs using the call-in system must notify the RA at least 7 days 
prior to fishing under the exemption, at an estimated 2 minutes per 
call. If participants using the call-in system wish to withdraw from 
either state waters exemption program prior to the end of the 7-day 
designated exemption period requirement, they must also call the RA to 
notify of early withdrawal, at an estimated 2 minutes per call.
    Surf clam and ocean quahog vessel owners or operators are required 
to call the NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) nearest to 
the point of offloading prior to the departure of the vessel from the 
dock. It requires approximately 2 minutes for a vessel owner or 
operator to notify OLE of the vessel's departure from the dock to fish 
for surf clams or ocean quahogs in the EEZ.
    In the American lobster fishery, the estimated time to designate 
lobster management areas and order trap tags is 5 minutes; a request 
for additional tags is estimated to take 2 minutes; and a notification 
of lost tags is estimated to take 3 minutes. Approximately 2,700 
vessels will designate lobster management areas on the annual permit 
renewal application and order trap tags. Approximately 1,350 vessels 
will not order their total allowable trap allotment initially, and, 
therefore, will submit a request for additional trap tags (their 
remaining balance) later in the permit year; approximately 2,700 
vessels will report lost tags and request replacement tags. 
Approximately 69 vessels will choose to participate in the lobster Area 
5 waiver program and will therefore, select, cancel, and re-designate 
this permit category. The initial lobster Area 5 waiver program 
designations are estimated to take 15 minutes, requests for the 
cancellation and selection of an alternative permit category are 
estimated at 15 minutes, and the return of the suspended lobster trap 
permit is estimated at 2 minutes.
    In the NE multispecies fishery, a request for change in permit 
category designation requires approximately 2 minutes, and a request 
for transit to another port by a vessel required to remain in the GOM 
cod trip limit takes 2 minutes.
    In the gillnet fisheries for NE multispecies and monkfish, the 
burden estimate for calling out of the fishery is 3 minutes. Gillnet 
category designation, including initial requests for gillnet tags, 
requires approximately 10 minutes. Requests for additional tags require 
an estimated 2 minutes. Notification of lost tags and requests for 
replacement tag numbers also require an estimated 2 minutes. It will 
take approximately 1 minute to attach each gillnet tag.
    Requests for state quota transfers in the bluefish and summer 
flounder fisheries are estimated to require 1 hour.
    Needs and Uses: Participants in the marine fishing industry, 
including vessel owners, vessel operators, and fish dealers, who wish 
to participate in regulated Northeast Regional fisheries

[[Page 26546]]

must apply for, and obtain, permits. Persons obtaining permits may also 
be subject to notification, tagging, and other requirements. This 
request affects collections associated with the Atlantic Herring, 
Atlantic Mackerel, Atlantic Sea Scallop, Black Sea Bass, Bluefish, 
Illex Squid, Loligo Squid, Butterfish, Monkfish, Northeast (NE) 
Multispecies, Ocean Quahog, Scup, Spiny Dogfish, Summer Flounder, Surf 
Clam, Tilefish, Deep-sea Red Crab, NE Skates, and American Lobster 
Fishery Management Plans.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations; State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Frequency: On occasion. Monthly.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
[email protected]).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, FAX number 202-395-7285, or [email protected].

    Dated: May 7, 2004.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 04-10898 Filed 5-12-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-S