[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 115 (Friday, June 16, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27695-27696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-12460]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Atlantic Highly 
Migratory Species Vessel Logbooks and Cost-Earnings Data Reports

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 comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

[[Page 27696]]


DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before August 15, 2017.

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 Cliff Hutt, (301) 427-8503, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for revision and extension of a current information 
collection. Under the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for management of the nation's 
marine fisheries. In addition, NMFS must comply with the Atlantic Tunas 
Convention Act of 1975 (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.), under which the agency 
implements recommendations by the International Commission for the 
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), as necessary and appropriate.
    This information collection is being revised to include modified 
trip summary and cost-earnings logbook forms for the Atlantic Tunas 
General Category, Swordfish General Commercial, and Atlantic Highly 
Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat fisheries. Reporting burden 
associated with logbooks for the Atlantic Tunas General Category and 
HMS Charter/Headboat fisheries has been authorized under previous 
versions of this information collection, but the reporting burden 
associated with the Swordfish General Commercial permit is new as it 
was implemented only in 2014, and the category has not previously been 
selected for logbook reporting.
    NMFS collects information via vessel logbooks to monitor the U.S. 
catch of Atlantic swordfish, sharks, billfish, and tunas in relation to 
the quotas, thereby ensuring that the United States complies with its 
domestic and international obligations. The HMS logbook program, OMB 
Control No. 0648-0371, was specifically designed to collect the vessel 
level information needed for the management of Atlantic HMS, and 
includes set forms, trip forms, negative reports, and cost-earning 
requirements for both commercial and recreational vessels. The 
information supplied through the HMS logbook program provides the catch 
and effort data on a per-set or per-trip level of resolution for both 
directed and incidental species. In addition to HMS fisheries, the HMS 
logbook program is also used to report catches of dolphin and wahoo by 
commercial and charter/headboat fisheries by vessels that do not 
possess other federal permits. Additionally, the HMS logbook collects 
data on incidental species, including sea turtles, which is necessary 
to evaluate the fisheries in terms of bycatch and encounters with 
protected species. While most HMS fishermen use the HMS logbook 
program, HMS can also be reported as part of several other logbook 
collections including the Northeast Region Fishing Vessel Trip Reports 
(0648-0212) and Southeast Region Coastal Logbook (0648-0016).
    These data are necessary to assess the status of HMS, dolphin, and 
wahoo in each fishery. International stock assessments for tunas, 
swordfish, billfish, and some species of sharks are conducted through 
ICCAT's Standing Committee on Research and Statistics periodically and 
provide, in part, the basis for ICCAT management recommendations which 
become binding on member nations. Domestic stock assessments for most 
species of sharks and for dolphin and wahoo are used as the basis of 
managing these species.
    Supplementary information on fishing costs and earnings has been 
collected via the HMS logbook program. This economic information 
enables NMFS to assess the economic impacts of regulatory programs on 
small businesses and fishing communities, consistent with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Executive Order 12866, the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, and other domestic laws.

II. Method of Collection

    Paper logbooks are the primary mode of reporting, but electronic 
logbooks will be offered on a voluntary basis for the HMS logbook in 
the near future. Both online and paper reporting options will likely be 
offered for the Atlantic Tunas General Category, Atlantic HMS Charter/
Headboat, and Swordfish General Commercial logbooks.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0371.
    Form Number: NOAA Form 88-191.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (renewal of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit (vessel owners).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 9,215.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes for cost/earnings summaries 
attached to logbook reports, 30 minutes for annual expenditure forms, 
12 minutes for logbook catch trip and set reports, 2 minutes for 
negative logbook catch reports.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 37,440.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 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 including online or electronic reporting.
    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: June 12, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-12460 Filed 6-15-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P