[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76950-76951]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31068]


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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: South Pacific Tuna Act.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0218.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a currently 
approved collection).
    Number of Respondents: 42.
    Average Hours per Response: Expressions of interest, 2 hours for 
initial and 15 minutes for renewal; license applications and catch 
reports, 1 hour each; vessel registration, 45 minutes; unloading 
logsheets, 30 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 389.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for review of an extension of a 
currently approved collection. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) collects vessel license, vessel registration, 
catch, and unloading information from operators of United States (U.S.) 
purse seine vessels fishing within a large region of the central and 
western Pacific Ocean governed by the Treaty on Fisheries between the 
Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the 
United States of America. The collection of information is required to 
meet U.S. obligations under the Treaty.
    The Treaty authorizes U.S. tuna vessels to fish within fishing 
zones of a large region of the Pacific Ocean. The South Pacific Tuna 
Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 973-973r) and U.S. implementing regulations (50 
CFR part 300, subpart D) authorize the collection of information from 
participants in the Treaty fishery. Vessel operators who wish to 
participate in the Treaty Fishery may submit expressions of interest in 
order to determine eligibility for the fishery, and must submit annual 
vessel license and registration (including registration of vessel 
monitoring system (VMS) units) applications and periodic written 
reports of catch and unloading of fish from licensed vessels. They are 
also required to ensure the continued operation of VMS units on board 
licensed vessels, which is expected to require periodic maintenance of 
the units. The license and registration application information is used 
to determine the operational capability and financial responsibility of 
vessel operators. Information obtained from vessel catch and unloading 
reports is used to assess fishing effort and fishery resources in the 
region and to track the

[[Page 76951]]

amount of fish caught within each Pacific island state's exclusive 
economic zone for fair disbursement of Treaty monies. The maintenance 
of VMS units is needed to ensure the continuous operation of the units, 
used as an enforcement tool.
    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: December 6, 2010.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-31068 Filed 12-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P