[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 30, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41213-41214]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18372]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Southeast 
Region IFQ Programs

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 October 30, 
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 Adam Bailey, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 
33701, (727) 824-5303, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension and revision of a currently 
approved information collection under the Office of Management and 
Budget's (OMB) Control Number 0648-0551, Southeast Region IFQ 
(individual fishing quota) Programs. The NMFS Southeast Regional Office 
manages three commercial IFQ and individual transferable quota (ITQ) 
programs in the Southeast Region under the authority of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 
16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. The IFQ programs for red snapper, and grouper 
and tilefish occur in Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and the ITQ 
program for wreckfish occurs in Federal waters of the South Atlantic.
    This collection of information tracks the transfer and use of IFQ 
and ITQ shares, and IFQ allocation and landings necessary to operate, 
administer, and review management of the IFQ and ITQ programs. 
Regulations for the IFQ and ITQ programs are located at 50 CFR part 
622.
    The NMFS Southeast Regional Office also proposes to revise parts of 
the information collection approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0551 
to account for updates to burden time and cost estimates, as well as 
administrative updates to online and paper forms. NMFS intends the 
revisions would make instructions and data collection requirements 
clearer and easier to understand, resulting in more accurate and 
efficient information available for use by fishery managers.

II. Method of Collection

    Information for the Gulf red snapper, and grouper and tilefish IFQ 
programs is collected electronically via a web-based system, through 
satellite-linked vessel monitoring systems, through a 24-hour call 
line, and with paper form submission for landing corrections, closing 
an account, and account applications, as well as landing transactions 
under catastrophic circumstances.
    The share transfer process in the wreckfish ITQ program requires 
the signatures of witnesses on paper forms. The ITQ program remains 
paper based until the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council and 
NMFS consider whether to implement an electronic system.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0551.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension and revision of a 
currently approved information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,059.

[[Page 41214]]

    Estimated Time per Response: Share Transfer Receipt form, Cost 
Recovery Fee Submission form, 1 minute; Share Transfer form, IFQ Close 
Account form, Cost Recovery Fee Submission form, Landing Transaction 
Correction Request form, Landing Location Submission form, Transfer 
Allocation form, Cost Recovery Fee payment through pay.gov, 3 minutes; 
Notification of Landing form, 5 minutes; Landing Transaction Report 
form, 6 minutes; IFQ Online Account Application form, 15 minutes; 
Wreckfish Quota Share Transfer form, 18 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,322.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $150 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: August 25, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-18372 Filed 8-29-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P