[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 194 (Thursday, October 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69514-69515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24207]


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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: Electronic Monitoring Systems for Atlantic Highly Migratory 
Species (HMS) Fisheries.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0372.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 194.
    Average Hours per Response: Four hours for initial VMS 
installation; 5 minutes per VMS initial activation checklist; 2 minutes 
per VMS hail-out/hail-in declaration; 6 hours for electronic monitoring 
installation; 5 minutes for VMS pelagic longline bluefin tuna catch 
reporting; 15 minutes for VMS purse seine bluefin tuna catch records; 1 
minute for dockside review of bluefin tuna catch records previously

[[Page 69515]]

submitted via VMS; 2 hours for electronic monitoring data retrieval.

    Burden Hours: 6,420.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for revision and extension of a 
currently approved information collection.
    VMS and electronic monitoring systems collect important information 
on fishing effort, catch, and the geographic location of fishing effort 
and catch for certain sectors of the Atlantic HMS fleet. Data collected 
through these programs are used in both domestic and international 
fisheries management, including for law enforcement, stock assessments, 
and quota management purposes. Atlantic HMS vessels required to use VMS 
are pelagic longline, purse seine, bottom longline (directed shark 
permit holders in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia), and 
gillnet (directed shark permit holders consistent with the requirements 
of the Atlantic large whale take reduction plan requirements at 50 CFR 
229.39.(h)) vessels. In addition to VMS, pelagic longline vessels are 
also required to have electronic monitoring systems to monitor catch 
and account for bluefin tuna harvest and discards. Revision: NMFS will 
now pay EM electronic data retrieval and review costs.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Law 
Enforcement (OLE) monitors fleet adherence to gear- and time-area 
restrictions with VMS position location data. Gear restricted areas and 
time-area closures are important tools for Atlantic HMS management that 
have been implemented to reduce bycatch of juvenile swordfish, sea 
turtles, and bluefin tuna, among other species. Electronic monitoring 
data from the pelagic longline fleet includes bluefin tuna discard and 
harvest information. These data are used by NMFS to accurately monitor 
bluefin tuna catch by the pelagic longline fleet, to ensure compliance 
with Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) limits and requirements, and to 
ensure that the Longline category bluefin tuna quota is not over-
harvested. VMS reporting of bluefin tuna catch is used to monitor the 
status of IBQ allocations in real-time. Atlantic HMS fisheries are 
managed under the dual authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and the Atlantic Tunas 
Conservation Act (ATCA). Under the MSA, management measures must be 
consistent with ten National Standards, and fisheries must be managed 
to maintain optimum yield, rebuild overfished fisheries, and prevent 
overfishing. Under ATCA, the Secretary of Commerce shall promulgate 
regulations, as necessary and appropriate, to implement measures 
adopted by the International Commission for the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

    Affected Public: Business and other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Daily 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 fax to (202) 395-5806.

    Dated: October 3, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-24207 Filed 10-5-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P