[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 157 (Thursday, August 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47614-47615]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19222]


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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: Northeast Region Observer Providers.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0546.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 565.
    Average Hours per Response: Application for approval of observer 
service provider, 10 hours; applicant response to denial of application 
for approval of observer service provider, 10 hours; observer service 
provider request for observer training, 30 minutes; observer deployment 
report, 10 minutes; observer availability report, 10 minutes; safety 
refusal report, 30 minutes; submission of raw observer data, 5 minutes; 
observer debriefing, 2 hours; biological samples, 5 minutes; rebuttal 
of pending removal from list of approved observer service providers, 8 
hours; vessel request to observer service provider for procurement of a 
certified observer, 25 minutes; vessel request for waiver of observer 
coverage requirement, 5 minutes; observer contact list updates, 5 
minutes; observer availability updates, 1 minute; service provider 
material submissions, 30 minutes; service provider contracts, 30 
minutes.
    Burden Hours: 5,675.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently 
approved information collection.
    Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 
the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) has the responsibility for the 
conservation and management of marine fishery resources. Much of this 
responsibility has been delegated to the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS). Under this stewardship role, the Secretary was given certain 
regulatory authorities to ensure the most beneficial uses of these 
resources. One of the regulatory steps taken to carry out the 
conservation and management objectives is to collect data from users of 
the resource.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 648.11(g) require observer service providers 
to comply with specific requirements in order to operate as an approved 
provider in the Atlantic sea scallop (scallop) fishery. Observer 
service providers must comply with the following requirements: submit 
applications for approval as an observer service provider; formally 
request observer training by the Northeast Fisheries Observer Program 
(NEFOP); submit observer deployment reports and biological samples; 
give notification of whether a vessel must carry an observer within 24 
hours of the vessel owner's notification of a prospective trip; 
maintain an updated contact list of all observers that includes the 
observer identification number; observer's name mailing address, email 
address, phone numbers, homeports or fisheries/trip types assigned, and 
whether or not the observer is ``in service.'' The regulations also 
require observer service providers submit any outreach materials, such 
as informational pamphlets, payment notification, and descriptions of 
observer duties as well as all contracts between the service provider 
and entities requiring observer services for review to NMFS/NEFOP. 
Observer service providers also have the option to respond to 
application denials, and submit a rebuttal in response to a

[[Page 47615]]

pending removal from the list of approved observer providers. These 
requirements allow NMFS/NEFOP to effectively administer the scallop 
observer program.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Annually and on occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. 
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections 
currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or faxed to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: August 8, 2014.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-19222 Filed 8-13-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P