[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 162 (Tuesday, August 21, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50470-50471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20445]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Atlantic Highly 
Migratory Species Recreational Landings Reports

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 October 22, 
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 and instructions should 
be directed to Katie Davis, (727) 824-5399 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension of a currently approved 
information collection.
    Recreational catch reporting provides important data used to 
monitor catches of Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) and 
supplements other existing data collection programs. Data collected 
through this program are used for both domestic and international 
fisheries management and stock assessment purposes.
    Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) catch reporting provides real-time 
catch information used to monitor the

[[Page 50471]]

recreational BFT fishery. Under the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 
1975 (ATCA, 16 U.S.C. 971), the United States is required to adopt 
regulations, as necessary and appropriate, to implement recommendations 
of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas 
(ICCAT), including recommendations on a specified BFT quota. BFT catch 
reporting helps the U.S. monitor this quota monitoring and supports 
scientific research consistent with ATCA and the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). Recreational anglers are required to report 
specific information regarding their catch after they land a BFT.
    Atlantic billfish and swordfish are managed internationally by 
ICCAT and nationally under ATCA and the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This 
collection provides information needed to monitor the recreational 
catch of Atlantic blue and white marlin, which is applied to the 
recreational limit established by ICCAT, and the recreational catch of 
North Atlantic swordfish, which is applied to the U.S. quota 
established by ICCAT. This collection also provides information on 
recreational landings of West Atlantic sailfish which is unavailable 
from other established monitoring programs. Collection of sailfish 
catch information is authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Act for 
purposes of stock management.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents reporting BFT landings in states (and the United States 
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) other than Maryland and North Carolina 
may use either an internet Web site or an interactive voice response 
(IVR) telephone system. Respondents reporting Atlantic marlin, West 
Atlantic sailfish, or North Atlantic swordfish in states (and the 
United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) other than Maryland or 
North Carolina may use either an internet Web site or a toll-free 
telephone number to report landings information. In Maryland and North 
Carolina, a paper reporting system is used for all of the 
aforementioned species. Under state law, respondents in Maryland and 
North Carolina must submit a landing card at a state-operated reporting 
station. States that participate in a landing card program must submit 
weekly reports and one annual report to NOAA to summarize landings and 
results to date.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0328.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations; 
individuals or households; and State, Local, or Tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 11,500.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes for an initial call-in or 
internet report; 5 minutes for a confirmation call; 10 minutes for a 
landing card; 1 hour for a weekly state report; and 4 hours for an 
annual state report.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,440.
    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 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: August 15, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-20445 Filed 8-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P