[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 8, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39075-39076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16955]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northeast 
Multispecies Amendment 16

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

[[Page 39076]]

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 9, 2018.

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 Liz Sullivan, (978) 282-8493 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension of a current information 
collection. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (MSA), the Secretary of Commerce has the responsibility 
for the conservation and management of marine fishery resources. We, 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National 
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the Regional Fishery Management 
Councils are delegated the majority of this responsibility. The New 
England Fishery Management Council (Council) develops management plans 
for fishery resources in New England.
    In 2010, we implemented a new suite of regulations for the 
Northeast (NE) multispecies fishery through Amendment 16 to the NE 
Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This action updated status 
determination criteria for all regulated NE multispecies or ocean pout 
stocks; adopted rebuilding programs for NE multispecies (groundfish) 
stocks newly classified as being overfished and subject to overfishing; 
revised management measures, including significant revisions to the 
sector management measures (established under Amendment 13) necessary 
to end overfishing, rebuild overfished regulated NE multispecies and 
ocean pout stocks, and mitigate the adverse economic impacts of 
increased effort controls. It also implemented new requirements under 
Amendment 16 for establishing acceptable biological catch (ABC), annual 
catch limits (ACLs), and accountability measures (AMs) for each stock 
managed under the FMP, pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act).
    Sectors are a management tool in the NE groundfish fishery. A 
sector consists of three or more limited access NE multispecies vessel 
permits, with distinct ownership, who voluntarily enter into a contract 
to manage their fishing operations and to share liability. A sector is 
granted an annual allocation of most stocks of fish managed by the NE 
Multispecies FMP. In return for increased operational flexibility, such 
as exemptions from certain effort controls and the ability to pool and 
trade quota, sectors have additional reporting and monitoring 
requirements. The sector reporting and monitoring requirements, as 
established by Amendment 16 and revised by subsequent framework 
adjustments to the NE Multispecies FMP, are contained within this 
information collection.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents must submit either paper forms via postal service, or 
electronic forms submitted via the internet or a vessels' vessel 
monitoring system (VMS).

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0605.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision and extension of a 
current information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,334.
    Estimated Time per Response: Sector operations plan and membership 
list updates, 176 hr/response; Monitoring service provider initial 
application, 10 hr/response; Monitoring service provider response to 
application disapproval, 10 hr/response; Data entry for sector discard 
monitoring system, 3 min/response; Sector weekly catch report, 4 hr/
response; Sector annual report, 12 hr/response; Notification of 
expulsion from a sector, 30 min/response; Request to transfer Annual 
Catch Entitlement (ACE), 5 min/response; Request to lease day-at-sea 
(DAS), 5 min/response; request to downgrade, 5 min/response; VMS 
certification form, 10 min/response; VMS confirmation call, 5 min/
response; VMS area and DAS declaration, 5 min/response; VMS trip-level 
catch report; VMS daily catch reports when fishing in multiple broad 
stock areas, 15 min/response; Daily VMS catch reports when fishing in 
the U.S./Canada Management Area and CA II SAPs, 15 min/response; Daily 
VMS catch reports when fishing in the CA I Hook Gear Haddock SAP, 15 
min/response; Daily VMS catch reports when fishing in the Regular B DAS 
Program, 15 min/response; Pre-trip hail report, 2 min/response; Trip-
end hail report, 15 min/response; Forward trip start/end hails to NMFS, 
2 min/response; ASM Pre-Trip Notification, 2 min/response; Vessel 
notification of selection for at-sea monitoring coverage, 5 min/
response; at-sea monitor deployment report, 10 min/response; at-sea 
monitoring service provider catch report to NMFS upon request, 5 min/
response; at-sea monitor report of harassment and other issues, 30 min/
response; at-sea monitoring service provider contract upon request, 30 
min/response; at-sea monitoring service provider information materials 
upon request, 30 min/response; OLE debriefing of at-sea monitors, 2 hr/
response; ASM Database and Data Entry Requirements, 3 min/response; 
Observer program pre-trip notification, 2 min/response; DAS Transfer 
Program, 5min/response; Expedited Submission of Proposed SAPs, 20 hr/
response; NAFO Reporting Requirements, 10 min/response.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 39,351.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $ 4,466,172 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 3, 2018.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-16955 Filed 8-7-18; 8:45 am]
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