[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9387-9388]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4522]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Observer 
Programs' Information That Can Be Gathered Only Through Questions

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

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 May 4, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 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 Joe Terry, (858) 546-7197, ([email protected]) or 
Samantha Brooke, (301) 713-2367, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) deploys fishery observers on 
United States commercial fishing vessels and to fish processing plants 
in order to collect biological and economic data. NMFS has at least one 
observer program in each of its six Regions. These observer programs 
provide the only reliable or most effective method for obtaining 
information that is critical for the conservation and management of 
living marine resources. Observer programs primarily obtain information 
through direct observations by employees or agents of NMFS; and such 
observations are not subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). 
However, observer programs also collect the following information that 
requires clearance under the PRA: (1) Standardized questions of fishing 
vessel captains/crew or fish processing plant managers/staff, which 
include gear and

[[Page 9388]]

performance questions, safety questions, and trip costs, crew size and 
other economic questions; (2) questions asked by observer program 
staff/contractors to plan observer deployments; (3) forms that are 
completed by observers and that fishing vessel captains are asked to 
review and sign; (4) questionnaires to evaluate observer performance; 
and (5) a form to certify that a fisherman is the permit holder when 
requesting observer data from the observer on the vessel. NMFS has 
received PRA clearances for the second and fourth types of collections 
for some observer programs (OMB Control Numbers 0648-0423 and 0648-0202 
for deployment questions and 0648-0550 and 0648-0536 for observer 
evaluations); those burden hours are now included in this national, 
comprehensive PRA submission.
    The information collected will be used to: (1) Monitor catch and 
bycatch in federally-managed commercial fisheries; (2) understand the 
population status and trends of fish stocks and protected species, as 
well as the interactions between them; (3) determine the quantity and 
distribution of net benefits derived from living marine resources; (4) 
predict the biological, ecological, and economic impacts of existing 
management action and proposed management options; and (5) ensure that 
the observer programs can safely and efficiently collect the 
information required for the previous four uses. In particular, these 
biological and economic data collection programs contribute to legally 
mandated analyses required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the Endangered Species Act 
(ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 
Executive Order 12866 (EO 12866), as well as a variety of state 
statutes. The confidentiality of the data will be protected as required 
by law.

II. Method of Collection

    The surveys conducted by NMFS observers while they are deployed to 
a vessel to observe a particular fishing trip will be asked in-person 
to the captain, crew and/or owner (if onboard the vessel) during the 
course of the observed trip. Economic information not available during 
the trip may be requested via a mail follow-up survey. The questions 
asked by the observer program staff or contractor to plan observer 
deployments are typically asked via telephone or mailed survey. The 
feedback questionnaires to evaluate observer performance will be mailed 
to the vessel owners or captains.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,900.
    Estimated Time per Response: 51 minutes. Information will be 
collected for observed fishing trips and deployments to fish processing 
plants; therefore, there will be multiple responses for some 
respondents.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 12,800.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $1,500.

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 26, 2009.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-4522 Filed 3-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P