[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 4 (Friday, January 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 912-913]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-8324]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northeast 
Multispecies Days-At-Sea Leasing Program

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.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before March 7, 2006.

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

[[Page 913]]

copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Moira C. Kelly, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1 
Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930 (or [email protected].)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    A proposed emergency rule for the NE Multispecies Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) was published in the Federal Register on April 
24, 2003 (68 FR 20096). The emergency rule was used to continue 
management measures specified in the Settlement Agreement Among Certain 
Parties (Settlement Agreement), which were implemented as ordered by 
the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Court) in a 
Remedial Order issued on May 23, 2002 (Order). The emergency rule 
included several management measures designed to reduce overfishing on 
species managed under the NE Multispecies FMP, including a Days-At-Sea 
(DAS) Leasing Program, and was published in order to continue the 
measures until the implementation of Amendment 13.
    The final rule for Amendment 13 to the NE Multispecies FMP was 
published in the Federal Register on April 27, 2004 (69 FR 22906). 
Amendment 13 was developed by the New England Fishery Management 
Council (Council) primarily to end overfishing on all groundfish stocks 
and to rebuild all groundfish stocks that are overfished. Amendment 13 
included substantial reductions in the amount of effort available to 
target groundfish stocks. Therefore, Amendment 13 resulted in 
considerable reductions in the number of DAS for NE multispecies 
vessels.
    The reduction in the DAS allocated to NE multispecies permit 
holders limited the ability of some vessels to participate in the 
fishery, resulting in a loss of revenue and/or the ability to operate 
at a profit. In order to mitigate some of the adverse economic impacts 
of the effort reductions, the DAS Leasing Program was established by 
the Council, among other provisions, in Amendment 13. The DAS Leasing 
Program enables vessels to increase their revenue by either leasing 
additional DAS from another vessel or using them to increase their 
participation in the fishery, or by leasing their allocated DAS that 
they may not use to another vessel.

II. Method of Collection

    Applications will be submitted by mail.

III. Data

    OMB Number: 0648-0475.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,400.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 233.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $1,176.

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: December 30, 2005.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
 [FR Doc. E5-8324 Filed 1-5-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P