[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57506-57507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22755]


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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: Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Scientific Research Permits, 
Exempted Fishing Permits, Letters of Acknowledgment, Display Permits, 
and Shark Research Fishery Permits.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0471.
    Form Number(s): NA.
    Type of Request: Revision and extension of a current information 
collection.
    Number of Respondents: 57.
    Average Hours Per Response: Two hours for a scientific research 
plan; 40 minutes for an application for an EFP, Display Permit, SRP, 
LOA, or Shark Research Permit or for an annual report; 1 hour for an 
interim report; 15 minutes for an application for amendment; 5 minutes 
for notification of departure phone calls to NMFS Enforcement; 10 
minutes for calls to request an observer; and 2 minutes for ``no-
catch'' reports or tag applications.
    Burden Hours: 217.
    Needs and Uses: Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs), Scientific 
Research Permits (SRPs), Display Permits, Letters of Acknowledgment 
(LOAs), and Shark Research Fishery Permits are issued under the 
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Reauthorization Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) 
and/or the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA) (16 U.S.C. 971 et 
seq.). Issuance of these permits is necessary for the collection of 
Highly Migratory Species (HMS) for public display and scientific 
research that requires exemption from regulations that otherwise may 
prohibit such collection. Display Permits are issued for the collection 
of HMS for the purpose of public display, and a limited number of Shark 
Research Fishery Permits are issued for the collection of fishery-
dependent data for future stock assessments and cooperative research 
with commercial fishermen to meet the shark research objectives of the 
Agency.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 600.745 and 50 CFR 635.32 govern scientific 
research activity, exempted fishing, and exempted educational 
activities with respect to Atlantic HMS. Since the Magnuson-Stevens Act 
does not include scientific research within the definition of 
``fishing,'' scientific research is exempt from this statute. NMFS 
requests copies of scientific research plans for these activities and 
indicates concurrence by issuing a LOA to researchers to indicate that 
the proposed activity meets the definition of scientific research and 
is therefore exempt from regulation.
    Scientific research is not exempt from regulation under ATCA. NMFS 
issues SRPs for collection of species managed

[[Page 57507]]

under this statute (e.g., tunas, swordfish, billfish), which authorize 
researchers to collect HMS from bona fide research vessels (e.g., NMFS 
or university research vessel.) NMFS will issue an EFP when research/
collection involving such species occurs from commercial or 
recreational fishing platforms.
    To regulate these fishing activities, NMFS needs information to 
determine the justification for granting an EFP, LOA, SRP, Display or 
Shark Research Fishery Permit. Interim, annual and no-catch/fishing 
reports must also be submitted to the HMS Management Division within 
NMFS.
    Revision: Minor changes have been made to forms, including language 
encouraging electronic submission.
    Affected Public: Non-profit institutions; state, local, or tribal 
government; business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Annually and on occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.
    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 fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: September 19, 2014.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2014-22755 Filed 9-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3210-22-P