[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 63 (Friday, April 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18838-18839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-07367]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Greater 
Atlantic Region Permit Family of Forms

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 May 31, 2016.

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 Elizabeth Scheimer, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries 
Office, 55 Great Republic Dr., Gloucester, MA 01930, (978) 281-9236, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a current information collection. 
Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the 
Secretary of Commerce has the responsibility for the conservation and 
management of marine fishery resources. Much of this responsibility has 
been delegated to NOAA's 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 information from users of the 
resources.
    The Secretary has enacted rules to issue permits to individuals and 
organizations participating in federally controlled fisheries. Permits 
are necessary to: (1) Register fishermen, fishing vessels, fish dealers 
and processors; (2) list the characteristics of fishing vessels and/or 
dealer/processor operations; (3) exercise influence over compliance 
(e.g., withhold issuance pending collection of unpaid penalties); (4) 
maintain contact lists for the dissemination of important information 
to the industry; (5) register participants to be considered for limited 
entry; and (6) provide a universe for data collection samples. 
Identification of fishery participants, their gear types, vessels, and 
expected activity levels is an effective and necessary tool in the 
enforcement of fishery regulations.
    This collection also includes the requirement for participants in 
certain fisheries to use onboard vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and to 
notify NMFS before fishing trips for the purpose of observer placement. 
Other permitting in this collection includes the written request to 
participate in any of the various exemption programs offered in the 
Greater Atlantic region. Exemption programs may allow a vessel to fish 
in an area that is limited to vessels of a particular size, using a 
certain gear type, or fishing for a particular species. This collection 
also contains paperwork required for vessel owners to request gillnet 
and lobster trap tags through the Greater Atlantic region permit 
office.
    Lastly, vessel owners that own multiple vessels, but would like to 
request communication from NMFS be consolidated into one mailing (and 
not separate mailings for each vessel), may request the single letter 
vessel owner option to improve efficiency of their business practice.

II. Method of Collection

Vessel Permits

    All vessel permit applications, including permit applications and 
renewals for vessels, dealers, and vessel operators, as well as gillnet 
and lobster trap tag purchase, are submitted by signed paper form sent 
in the mail.

VMS Requirements

    Vessels with VMS requirements are required to declare their intent 
to fish (e.g., declare into the fishery) and submit daily catch reports 
using electronic VMS units on board the vessel. Other VMS actions may 
include trip start and end hails, pre-landing notifications, and days-
at-sea (DAS) adjustments. VMS power down exemption requests are 
submitted by signed paper form.

Observer Program Call-in Requirements

    Vessels issued certain permits such as Northeast multispecies, 
monkfish, scallop, and Atlantic herring permits are

[[Page 18839]]

required to give advance notification to the Northeast Fisheries 
Observer Program (NEFOP) before the start of a trip in order to receive 
a fisheries observer or a waiver. Vessels use an online pre-trip 
notification system, email, toll-free call-in number, or a local phone 
number to comply with this requirement.

Exempted Fisheries Programs

    Vessels that would like to request participation in one or more of 
the Greater Atlantic region fisheries exemption programs must either 
submit a request electronically using their VMS unit, by declaring into 
an exempted fishery prior to the start of a trip, or by mailing in a 
written request to participate in the program(s) of interest.

Vessel Owner Single Letter Option

    Vessel owners that own multiple vessels, but would like to receive 
only a single Greater Atlantic Fisheries Bulletin or small entity 
compliance guide instead of one for each vessel permit, must submit a 
written request to NMFS to participate in this program.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0202.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular (extension of a current information 
collection).
    Affected Public: Businesses and other for-profit organizations are 
primarily affected. Individuals or households, state, local or tribal 
governments, and the Federal Government are also affected.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 62,295.
    Estimated Time per Response:

Vessel Permits

    Vessel permit application: 45 minutes; vessel permit renewal forms: 
30 minutes; initial dealer permit applications: 15 minutes; dealer 
permit renewal forms: 5 minutes; initial and renewal vessel operator 
permit applications: 1 hour; obtaining and submitting a dealer or 
vessel owner email address: 5 minutes; limited access vessel 
replacement applications: 1.5 hours; and applications for retention of 
limited access permit history: 1.5 hours.

VMS Requirements

    Installing a VMS unit: 1 hour; confirming VMS connectivity: 5 
minutes; VMS certification form: 5 minutes; VMS installation for 
Canadian herring transport vessels: 1 hour and 20 minutes; email to 
declare their entrance and departure from U.S. waters: 15 minutes; 
automatic polling of vessel position using the VMS unit: 0 minutes; 
area and DAS declarations: 5 minutes; declaration of days-out of the 
gillnet fishery for monkfish and NE multispecies vessels: 5 minutes; 
Good Samaritan DAS credit request: 30 minutes; entangled whale DAS 
credit request: 30 minutes; DAS credit for a canceled trip due to 
unforeseen circumstances, but have not yet begun fishing: 5 minutes to 
request via the VMS unit and 10 minutes to request via the paper form; 
VMS catch reports: 5 minutes; VMS power down exemption: 30 minutes.

Observer Program Call-in Requirements

    Requests for observer coverage are estimated to require either 2 or 
10 minutes per request, depending on the program for which observers 
are requested.

Exempted Fisheries Programs

    Letter of Authorization (LOA) to participate in any of the 
exemption programs: 5 minutes; Charter/Party Exemption Certificate for 
GOM Closed Areas: 5 minutes; limited access sea scallop vessels state 
waters DAS exemption program or state waters gear exemption program: 2 
minutes; withdraw from either state waters exemption program prior to 
the end of the 7-day designated exemption period requirement: 2 
minutes; request for change in permit category designation: 5 minutes; 
request for transit to another port by a vessel required to remain 
within the GOM cod trip limit: 2 minutes; gillnet category designation, 
including initial requests for gillnet tags: 10 minutes; requests for 
additional tags: 2 minutes; notification of lost tags and requests for 
replacement tag numbers: 2 minutes; attachment of gillnet tags: 1 
minute; initial lobster area designations: 5 minutes; requests for 
additional tags: 2 minutes; and notification of lost tags: 3 minutes; 
requests for state quota transfers in the bluefish, summer flounder and 
scup fisheries: 1 hour; GOM cod trip limit exemption: 5 minutes; vessel 
owner single letter option: 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 22,071.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $2,633,647 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

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: March 29, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-07367 Filed 3-31-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P