[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 86 (Thursday, May 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19547-19548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-09376]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

[[Page 19548]]

Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: West Coast Region Vessel Identification Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0355.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 1,203.
    Average Hours per Response: 15 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 180.
    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 vessel identification requirement is 
essential to facilitate enforcement. The ability to link fishing (or 
other activity) 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. A vessel's official 
number is required to be displayed on the port and starboard sides of 
the deckhouse or hull, and on a weather deck. It identifies each vessel 
and should be visible at distances at sea and in the air. Law 
enforcement personnel rely on vessel marking information to assure 
compliance with fisheries management regulations. Vessels that qualify 
for particular fisheries are also readily identified, and this allows 
for more cost-effective enforcement. Cooperating fishermen also use the 
vessel numbers to report suspicious or non-compliant activities that 
they observe in unauthorized areas. The identifying number on fishing 
vessels 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 organization.
    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. 2018-09376 Filed 5-2-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P