[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 47 (Friday, March 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14348-14349]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-5698]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Marine 
Recreational Information Program

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 8, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 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(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Rob Andrews, (301) 482-1805 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for revision of a current information collection.
    Marine recreational anglers are surveyed to collect catch and 
effort data, fish biology data, and angler socioeconomic 
characteristics. These data are required to carry out provisions of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.), as amended, regarding conservation and management of 
fishery resources.
    Marine recreational fishing catch and effort data are collected 
through a combination of mail surveys, telephone surveys and on-site 
intercept surveys with recreational anglers. Amendments to the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) require 
the development of an improved data collection program for recreational 
fisheries. To meet these requirements, NOAA Fisheries has designed and 
tested new approaches for sampling and surveying recreational anglers. 
Revision: A mail survey that samples from a residential address frame 
will be implemented to collect data on the number of marine 
recreational anglers and the number of recreational fishing trips. This 
survey will replace the Coastal Household Telephone Survey, which has 
traditionally been used to collect recreational fishing effort data. In 
addition, the sampling and estimation procedures for the access-point 
angler intercept survey have been revised to ensure better coverage and 
representation of recreational fishing activity.
    This revision also eliminates several data collections that were 
implemented to test revised sampling procedures. The following data 
collections will be eliminated: Longitudinal Sampling for Coastal 
Household Telephone Survey, a Directory Frame Telephone Survey of 
Licensed Marine Recreational Anglers, the Angler Diary Recruitment 
Screening Questionnaire, and Biological Data Collection.

II. Method of Collection

    Information will be collected through mail surveys and on-site 
intercept interviews.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0052.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 611,282.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes for mail surveys of 
anglers, and 5 minutes for intercepted anglers.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 66,239 (12,745 new).
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

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

[[Page 14349]]

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: March 5, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-5698 Filed 3-8-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P