[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 193 (Friday, October 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Page 46771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21579]



[[Page 46771]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Pacific Islands 
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 December 5, 
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 Walter Ikehara, (808) 725-5175, or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for a revision and extension of a currently 
approved information collection.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 665, Subpart F, require that a vessel must be 
registered to a valid federal fishing permit to fish with longline gear 
for Pacific pelagic management unit species (PMUS), land or transship 
longline caught PMUS, or receive longline caught PMUS from a longline 
vessel, within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of United States 
(U.S.) islands in the central and western Pacific, to fish with pelagic 
squid jig gear for PMUS within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 
United States (U.S.) islands in the central and western Pacific, or to 
fish with troll and handline gear for PMUS within the EEZ around each 
of the Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA), in areas not prohibited to 
fishing.
    Regulations at 50 CFR parts 665, Subparts D and E, require that the 
owner of a vessel used to fish for, land, or transship bottomfish 
management unit species (BMUS) using a large vessel (50 ft or longer) 
around Guam, fish commercially for BMUS in the EEZ around the Northern 
Mariana Islands, or use a vessel to fish for BMUS within the EEZ around 
each of the PRIA, in areas not prohibited to fishing, must register it 
to a valid federal fishing permit.
    Regulations at 50 CFR 665, Subparts B, C, D, and E, require that a 
vessel used to fish for precious corals within the EEZ of U.S. islands 
in the central and western Pacific, must be registered to a valid 
federal fishing permit for a specific precious coral permit area.
    The collection is revised by merging currently approved information 
collections OMB Control Numbers 0648-0584, Northern Mariana Islands 
Commercial Bottomfish Fishery Permit, 0648-0586, Pacific Islands 
Crustacean Permit, and 0648-0589, Pacific Islands Pelagic Squid Jig 
Fishing Permit, into OMB Control No. 0648-0490 Pacific Islands Region 
Permit Family of Forms. NMFS approved new two-tier processing fees for 
most permits, resulting in revised cost estimates.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents have a choice of either electronic or paper forms. 
Methods of submittal include email of electronic forms, or online 
applications when implemented, and mail and facsimile transmission of 
paper forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0490.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision of a currently 
approved collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations, 
individuals, or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 354.
    Estimated Time per Response: Hawaii longline limited entry permits: 
Renewal on paper application--30 minutes; renewal online--15 minutes; 
transfer--1 hour, closed area exemption and permit appeals--2 hours; 
American Samoa longline limited entry permits: Renewal and additional 
permit application--45 minutes, transfer--1 hour 15 minutes, permit 
appeals--2 hours; all other permits: Paper--30 minutes, online--15 
minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 169.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $14,000 in application 
processing fees and recordkeeping/mailing 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: October 3, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-21579 Filed 10-5-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P