[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 223 (Friday, November 19, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70899-70900]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29184]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit 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: Southwest Region Vessel Monitoring System and Pre-Trip 
Reporting Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0498.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (renewal of an existing 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 5.
    Average Hours per Response: Vessel monitoring system (VMS) 
installation, 4 hours; VMS annual maintenance, 2 hours; pre-trip 
notification, 5 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 17.
    Needs and Uses: This submission is for renewal of an existing 
information collection. Owners of vessels that fish out of West Coast 
ports for highly migratory species (HMS) such as tuna, billfish, and 
sharks are required to submit information in regards to their planned 
fishing activities. The information will enable the various local, 
national, and regional entities to effectively manage and enforce 
fisheries targeting transboundary HMS stocks as part of the Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP) for U.S. West Coast Fisheries for HMS (developed 
under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act). This information collection addresses vessel 
monitoring systems (VMS) requirements and observer pre-trip 
notifications. The information is pertinent for the basic monitoring of 
the fishery and to obtain information needed by, among other agencies, 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the United States (U.S.) 
Coast Guard, the Pacific Fishery Management

[[Page 70900]]

Council, and the Interamerican Tropical Tuna Commission to monitor the 
activities of the participating vessels and the performance of the 
fisheries. Knowing near real-time VMS position information for U.S. 
West Coast-based HMS fishing vessels enables effective monitoring of 
vessel activity for enforcement and assessment purposes. VMS units also 
provide confirmation of reported vessel fishing activity locations and 
can help in validation of logbook records accuracy. The requirements 
also generate information for evaluating the magnitude and distribution 
of impacts from any changes in regulations that might occur in the 
future. Observer pre-trip notifications allow for the timely placement 
of at-sea observers onboard vessels at the discretion of the NMFS to 
collect information on, among other things, bycatch and protected 
species interactions.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Annually and on occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    OMB Desk Officer: [email protected].
    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 6616, 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 [email protected].

    Dated: November 15, 2010.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-29184 Filed 11-18-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P