[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53108-53109]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21622]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Pacific Coast 
Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program Permit and License Information 
Collection

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 3, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or at 
[email protected]). All comments received are part of the public 
record. Comments will generally be posted without change. 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 Jahnava Duryea, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
California Central Valley Office, 650 Capital Mall, Suite 5-100, 
Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 930-3725 or via email at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requests comments on 
the extension of a currently approved information collection for the 
West Coast Region's Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization 
Program.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq., provides that the Secretary of Commerce is 
responsible for the conservation and management of marine fisheries 
resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (3-200 miles) of the United 
States. NMFS West Coast Region manages the Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coasts of 
Washington, Oregon, and California under the Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
    In January 2011, NMFS implemented a trawl rationalization program, 
which is a catch share program, for the Pacific Coast Groundfish 
Limited Entry Trawl Fishery. The program was implemented through 
Amendments 20 and 21 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish FMP and the 
corresponding implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 660. Amendment 20 
established the trawl rationalization program that consists of an 
individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the shorebased trawl fleet 
(including whiting and nonwhiting sectors) and cooperative programs for 
the at-sea mothership and catcher/processor trawl fleets (whiting 
only). Amendment 21 set long-term allocations for the limited entry 
trawl sectors of certain groundfish species.
    Under the trawl rationalization program, new permits, accounts, 
endorsements and licenses were established. These consist of: Quota 
share (QS) permits/accounts, vessel accounts, first receiver site 
licenses, mothership endorsements on certain limited entry trawl 
permits, mothership catcher vessel endorsements on certain limited 
entry trawl permits, catcher/processor endorsements on certain limited 
entry trawl permits, a mothership cooperative permit, and a catcher/
processor cooperative permit. NMFS collects information from program 
participants required to: (1) Establish new permits, accounts, and 
licenses; (2) renew permits, accounts, and licenses; (3) allow trading 
of QS percentages and quota pounds (QP) in online QS and vessel 
accounts, and allow transfer of catch history assignments between 
limited entry trawl permits; (4) track compliance with program control 
limits; and (5) implement other features of the regulations pertaining 
to permits and licenses.
    As part of its fishery management responsibilities, NMFS requires 
this information to determine whether a respondent complies with 
regulations that pertain to the issuance, renewal,

[[Page 53109]]

and transfer and use of quota. Identification of the participants of 
the trawl rationalization program, their gear types, descriptions of 
their vessels, and activity levels are needed to control and determine 
the extent of fishing and to track inseason quota use. Collection of 
this information also allows NMFS to equitably manage annual shorebased 
trawl allocations for the fishery and enforce control limits such that 
no person may own or control, or have a controlling influence over, 
quota for any individual species that exceeds the Shorebased IFQ 
Program accumulation limits. NMFS requests comments on the extension of 
these permit information collections.

II. Method of Collection

    Information is collected by mail and electronically.
    The following information is collected by mail: QS permit 
application forms; late QS permit renewals; vessel account registration 
requests; late vessel account renewals; trawl identification of 
ownership interest forms for new applicants, mothership catcher vessel 
endorsed limited entry permit owners, and mothership permit owners; 
first receiver site license application forms; mothership permit 
renewal forms; mothership permit change of vessel registration, permit 
owner, or vessel owner application forms; mothership cooperative permit 
application forms; change of mothership catcher vessel endorsement and 
catch history assignment registration forms; mutual agreement exception 
forms; mothership withdrawal forms; catcher/processor cooperative 
permit application forms; material change forms; and QS abandonment 
requests.
    The following information is collected electronically: QS permit 
renewals; QS percent transfers; QP transfers from a QS account to a 
vessel account; vessel account renewals; QP transfers from a vessel 
account to another vessel account; and trawl identification of 
ownership interest forms for online QS and vessel account renewals.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0620.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; non-
profit institutions; State, local, or tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 410.
    Estimated Time per Response: QS permit/account application form--30 
minutes; QS permit/account online renewal--10 minutes; QS permit/
account late renewal form--15 minutes; QS transfer--10 minutes; QP 
transfer from QS account to vessel account--8 minutes; vessel account 
registration request--15 minutes; vessel account online renewal--10 
minutes; vessel account late renewal form--15 minutes; QP transfer from 
vessel account to another vessel account--8 minutes; trawl 
identification of ownership interest form for new entrants--45 minutes; 
trawl identification of ownership interest form for renewals--5 
minutes; first receiver site license application form for new 
entrants--210 minutes; first receiver site license application form for 
re-registering license holders--110 minutes; mothership permit renewal 
form--20 minutes; mothership permit change of vessel registration, 
permit owner, or vessel owner application form--45 minutes; mothership 
cooperative permit application form--240 minutes; change of mothership 
catcher vessel endorsement and catch history assignment registration 
form--45 minutes; mutual agreement exception--60 minutes; mothership 
withdrawal--120 minutes; catcher/processor cooperative permit 
application form--120 minutes; QS abandonment request--10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 640.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $12,475.

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. 2019-21622 Filed 10-3-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P