[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 144 (Friday, July 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36083-36084]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15882]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Pacific Coast 
Groundfish Rationalization Sociocultural Study

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 September 24, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, Government 
Information Specialist, NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, 
NC 28801 (or via the internet at [email protected]). All Personally 
Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily 
submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit 
Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected 
information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Suzanne Russell, Human Dimensions Team, Northwest 
Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Blvd. East, Seattle, WA 98112, 
(206) 860-3274, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension of a currently approved 
information collection (revision). The revision consists of minor 
changes to the information collection tool.
    Historically, changes in fisheries management regulations result in

[[Page 36084]]

impacts to both individuals and fishing communities tied to fisheries. 
An understanding of social impacts, achieved through the collection of 
data from individuals whom fish and live in fishing communities is a 
requirement under several federal laws. The National Environmental 
Protection Act (NEPA) and the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation Act 
(as amended 2007) describe such requirements. The collection of this 
data not only informs legal requirements for existing management 
actions, but also provides information for future and ongoing 
management actions requiring equivalent information.
    Literature indicates fisheries' rationalization programs have an 
impact on those individuals participating in the affected fishery. The 
Pacific Fisheries Management Council implemented a rationalization 
program for the Pacific Coast Groundfish limited entry trawl fishery in 
January 2011. This research aims to continue to study the individuals 
in the affected fishery over the long term. Data collection will 
transition to a five-year cycle, beginning in FY 2020. Prior data 
collection related to program design elements. A baseline data 
collection occurred in 2010, followed by a second post-implementation 
collection in 2012, and a post quota-share trading collection in 2015/
2016. The data collected has contributed to the five-year review of the 
program and highlighted several areas for continued research. Efforts 
have also identified the need for long-term data collection as species 
recover and external factors affect fishermen in this fishery as they 
continue to be faced with issues of underutilization, high costs of 
participation, and other challenges. This issue has been able to 
highlight several issues such as `graying of the fleet' in smaller 
communities, changing women's roles in commercial fishing, and 
fishermen's adaptations under the new regulations. Continued research 
will identify and clarify continued and long-term social impacts. These 
efforts are critical and are a puzzle piece, that combined with the 
ongoing mandatory Economic Data Collection (EDC) and biological data 
collection, provides the Pacific Fisheries Management Council extensive 
information on concerns and impacts to fishing communities.
    Information from future and past data collections provide a time 
series data set of sociocultural information, indicating changes in the 
fishing communities. Data can inform multiple regulatory efforts as 
needed. Future data collection efforts will inform the 10-year review 
of the program. Primarily, this data collection will meet legal 
requirements to study and understand fishing communities and the 
individuals whom live in those communities.
    This study is managed by the Human Dimensions Team, Ecosystem 
Science Program, Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries 
Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, WA.

II. Method of Collection

    In-person paper surveys and interviews are the primary data 
collection tools. Electronic surveys, verbal communications and 
collaborations with key informants, with the potential for small focus 
groups all supplement the primary tools for the greatest breadth of 
data collection possible.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0606.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Revision and extension of a currently approved 
collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 350.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 800.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: 0.

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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-15882 Filed 7-25-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P