[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 25, 2014)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35957-35958]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14916]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

15 CFR Part 902

50 CFR Part 300

[Docket No. 140131091-4091-01]
RIN 0648-BD95


Identification and Certification of Nations; Notification of 
Effective Date of Information Collection Requirements

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Final rule; notification of effective date.

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SUMMARY: This rule provides notice of the effective date of the 
collection-of-information requirements first published in the Federal 
Register on January 12, 2011. The collection-of-information 
requirements pertained to documentation for imports of fishery products 
from nations that are negatively certified for illegal fishing or 
bycatch of protected resources. The Shark Conservation Act, established 
additional criteria for certifying nations, and the import 
documentation requirements were subsequently revised by a final rule 
published on January 16, 2013. The Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) approved the revised collection-of-information requirements upon 
publication of that final rule.

DATES: The amendments to 15 CFR 902.1 in this final rule are effective 
June 25, 2014. The revised information collection requirements 
contained in 50 CFR 300.206(b)(2), 300.207, and 300.208 were approved 
by OMB on January 16, 2013 (78 FR 3345, 3346), and are effective June 
25, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura Cimo, Trade and Marine 
Stewardship Division, Office of International Affairs, NMFS, at (301) 
427-8350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Under the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act 
(Moratorium Protection Act), as amended by the Magnuson-Stevens 
Reauthorization Act (Pub. L. 109-479) and the Shark Conservation Act 
(Pub. L. 111-348), the Secretary of Commerce is authorized to identify 
nations whose vessels are engaged in, or have been engaged in: Illegal, 
unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; fishing activities that have 
bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMR); and fishing for 
sharks on the high seas without adopting a regulatory program for the 
conservation of sharks comparable to that of the United States. Nations 
identified for IUU fishing, PLMR bycatch, or unsustainable shark 
fishing that do not take corrective action and do not subsequently 
receive a positive certification from the Secretary of Commerce may be 
subject to measures imposed by the Secretary of the Treasury under the 
High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act (16 U.S.C. 1826a). Such 
measures include the denial of port privileges for fishing vessels of 
those nations, and, as directed by the President, may include a 
prohibition on the importation into the United States of certain fish 
and fish products caught by the vessels engaged in the relevant 
activity for which the nations were identified, or other measures.
    NMFS published a final rule to specify the procedures for 
identification and certification of nations under the Highs Seas 
Driftnet Moratorium Protection Act on January 12, 2011 (76 FR 2011). 
That final rule contained collection-of-information requirements 
specified in Sec. Sec.  300.205(b)(2), 300.206(c), and 300.207(c). 
These regulations required documentation of admissibility for fishery 
products exported to the United States from nations that were not 
positively certified subsequent to identification by the United States 
for having vessels engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) 
fishing and/or bycatch of protected living marine resources. These 
collection-of-information requirements were not made effective in that 
final rule, pending approval of these requirements by OMB.
    In a subsequent rulemaking, published on January 16, 2013 (78 FR 
3338), Sec.  300.205 was redesignated as Sec.  300.206; Sec.  300.206 
was redesignated as Sec.  300.207, Sec.  300.207 was redesignated as 
Sec.  300.208 and Sec.  300.209 was added. The redesignated sections 
contained the original documentation requirements for exports of 
fishery products to the United States and the new section contained 
documentation requirements for exports of fishery products to the 
United States from nations that were not positively certified 
subsequent to identification by the United States for having vessels 
engaged in fishing for sharks on the high seas in a manner not 
comparable in effectiveness to the regulatory program of the United 
States. These revised collection-of-information requirements contained 
in Sec. Sec.  300.206(b)(2),

[[Page 35958]]

300.207(c), 300.208(c), and 300.209(c) were approved by OMB on January 
16, 2013 (78 FR 3345, 3346).
    This final rule notifies the public that the collection-of-
information requirements contained in Sec. Sec.  300.206, 300.207, 
300.208, and 300.209 have been approved by OMB and are effective. In 
addition, this final rule will update the table on NOAA information 
collections approved by OMB that appears under 15 CFR part 902.

Classification

    This final rule contains a collection-of-information requirement 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). The collection of this 
information has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget 
under OMB Control Number 0648-0651. The information collection consists 
of documentation requirements for exports of fishery products to the 
United States from nations that were not positively certified 
subsequent to identification by the United States under the procedures 
of the High Seas Driftnet Moratorium Protection Act (50 CFR part 300, 
subpart N).
    Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is 
required to respond to, and no person shall be subject to penalty for 
failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the 
requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the Assistant Administrator for 
Fisheries finds that there is good cause to waive prior notice and an 
opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and comment 
would be unnecessary. Notice and comment are unnecessary for this 
current action because an opportunity for public comment was previously 
provided during the rulemaking to establish the collection-of-
information requirement (78 FR 3338) and this current action makes only 
minor, non-substantive changes to the table on NOAA information 
collections approved by OMB that appears under 15 CFR part 902. No 
aspect of this required action is controversial. NMFS therefore 
determines that APA requirements for public notice and comment are 
unnecessary for this action and determines that this rule is not 
subject to the 30-day delay in effectiveness requirement at 5 U.S.C. 
553(d).

List of Subjects in 15 CFR Part 902

    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Dated: June 19, 2014.
Samuel D. Rauch III,
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.

    For reasons stated in the preamble, 15 CFR part 902 is amended as 
follows:

15 CFR Chapter IX

PART 902--NOAA INFORMATION COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE 
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT: OMB CONTROL NUMBERS

0
1. The authority citation for part 902 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  44 U.S.C. 350 et seq.

0
2. In Sec.  902.1, the table in paragraph (b) under 50 CFR is amended 
by adding new entries in numerical order for Sec. Sec.  300.206(b)(2), 
300.207(c), 300.208(c) and 300.209(c) to read as follows:


Sec.  902.1  OMB control numbers assigned pursuant to the Paperwork 
Reduction Act.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *

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                                                            Current OMB
                                                          control number
  CFR Part or section where the information collection     (all numbers
                 requirement is located                     begin with
                                                              0648-)
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                                * * * * *
50 CFR
 
                                * * * * *
300.206(b)(2)...........................................           -0651
300.207(c)..............................................           -0651
300.208(c)..............................................           -0651
300.209(c)..............................................           -0651
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[FR Doc. 2014-14916 Filed 6-24-14; 8:45 am]
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