[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8287-8288]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-03151]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


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: Southeast Region Vessel and Gear Identification 
Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0358.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 7,825.
    Average Hours per Response: Vessel marking, 75 minutes; gear 
marking varies from 10 seconds for cultured live rocks, to 20 minutes 
for mackerel gillnet buoys.
    Burden Hours: 50,575.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for a regular submission (revision 
and extension of a currently approved information collection). With 
this request, OMB Control No. 0648-0359, Southeast Region Gear 
Identification Requirements is being merged into OMB Control No. 0648-
0358, Southeast Region Vessel Identification Requirements.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Region 
manages the U.S. fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the 
South Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico regions under various 
Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). The Regional Fishery Management 
Councils prepared the FMPs pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act. The regulations implementing the FMPs 
are located at 50 CFR part 622.
    The recordkeeping and reporting requirements at 50 CFR part 622 
form the basis for this collection of information. NMFS Southeast 
Region requires that all permitted fishing vessels must mark their 
vessel with the official identification number or some form of 
identification. A vessel's official number, under most regulations, is 
required to be displayed on the port and starboard sides of the 
deckhouse or hull, and weather deck. The official number and color code 
identifies each vessel and should be visible at distances from the sea 
and in the air. These markings provide law enforcement personnel with a 
means to monitor fishing, at-sea processing, and other related 
activities, to ascertain whether the vessel's observed activities are 
in accordance with those authorized for that vessel. The identifying 
number is used by NMFS, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and other 
marine agencies in issuing violations, prosecutions, and other 
enforcement actions. Vessels that qualify for particular fisheries are 
readily identified, gear violations are more readily prosecuted, and 
this allows for more cost-effective enforcement.
    Requirements, also at 50 CFR part 622, that fishing gear be marked, 
are also essential to facilitate enforcement. The ability to link 
fishing gear to the vessel owner is crucial to enforcement of 
regulations issued under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The 
marking of fishing gear is also valuable in actions concerning damage, 
loss, and civil proceedings. The requirements imposed in the Southeast 
Region are for coral aquacultured live rock; golden crab traps; 
mackerel gillnet floats; spiny lobster traps; black sea bass pots; and 
buoy gear.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

[[Page 8288]]

    Frequency: 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 fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: February 11, 2015.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-03151 Filed 2-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P