[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54123-54124]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22004]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Reporting 
Requirements for Sea Otter Interactions With the Pacific Sardine 
Fishery; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan

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 9, 
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 Joshua Lindsay, (562) 980-4034 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a regular submission, an extension of a currently approved 
collection.
    On May 30, 2007, NMFS published a final rule (72 FR 29891) 
implementing a requirement under the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP) to report any interactions that may occur 
between a CPS vessel and/or fishing gear and sea otters. In accordance 
with the regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA), 
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NFMS) initiated an ESA 
section 7 consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS) regarding the effects of implementing the final rule (72 FR 
29891), which codified Amendment 11 to the CPS FMP. USFWS determined 
that formal consultation was necessary on the possible effects to the 
threatened southern sea otter. USFWS completed a biological opinion 
(BO) for this action and although it was concluded that fishing 
activities were not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the 
southern sea otter, that there remained the potential to incidentally 
take southern sea otters. USFWS determined that certain measures should 
be put in place to ensure the continued protection of the species, 
including certain reporting requirements.
    Specifically, these reporting requirements are:
    1. If a southern sea otter is entangled in a net, regardless of 
whether the animal is injured or killed, such an occurrence must be 
reported within 24 hours to the Regional Administrator, NMFS West Coast 
Region.
    2. While fishing for CPS, vessel operators must record all 
observations of otter interactions (defined as otters within encircled 
nets or coming into contact with nets or vessels, including but not 
limited to entanglement) with their purse seine net(s) or vessel(s). 
With the exception of an entanglement, which will be initially reported 
as described in #1 above, all other observations must be reported 
within 20 days to the Regional Administrator.
    When contacting NMFS after an interaction, fishermen are required 
to provide information regarding the location, specifically latitude 
and longitude, of the interaction and a description of the interaction 
itself. Descriptive information of the interaction should include: 
Whether or not the otters were seen inside or outside the net; if 
inside the net, had the net been completely encircled; did contact 
occur with net or vessel; the number of otters present; duration of 
interaction; otter's behavior during interaction; and, measures taken 
to avoid interaction.

II. Method of Collection

    The information will be collected on forms submitted by mail, 
phone, facsimile or email.

[[Page 54124]]

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0566.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (Extension of a currently 
approved collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 2.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $10.00 in 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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-22004 Filed 10-8-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P