[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 86 (Thursday, May 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 19530]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09372]


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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: West Coast Region Gear Identification Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0352.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 811.
    Average Hours Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 648.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently 
approved information collection.
    The success of fisheries management programs depends significantly 
on regulatory compliance. The requirements that fishing gear be marked 
are essential to facilitate enforcement. The ability to link fishing 
gear to the vessel owner or operator is crucial to enforcement of 
regulations issued under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act. The marking of fishing gear is also 
valuable in actions concerning damage, loss, and civil proceedings. The 
regulations specify that fishing gear must be marked with the vessel's 
official number, Federal permit or tag number, or some other specified 
form of identification. The regulations further specify how the gear is 
to be marked (e.g., location and color). Law enforcement personnel rely 
on gear marking information to assure compliance with fisheries 
management regulations. Gear that is not properly identified is 
confiscated. Gear violations are more readily prosecuted when the gear 
is marked, and this allows for more cost-effective enforcement. Gear 
marking helps ensure that a vessel harvests fish only from its own 
traps/pots/other gear are not illegally placed. Cooperating fishermen 
also use the gear marking numbers to report suspicious or non-compliant 
activities that they observe, and to report placement or occurrence of 
gear in unauthorized areas. The identifying number on fishing gear is 
used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the United States 
Coast Guard (USCG), and other marine agencies in issuing regulations, 
prosecutions, and other enforcement actions necessary to support 
sustainable fisheries behaviors as intended in regulations. Regulation-
compliant fishermen ultimately benefit from these requirements, as 
unauthorized and illegal fishing is deterred and more burdensome 
regulations are avoided.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Every five years.
    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: April 30, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-09372 Filed 5-2-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P