[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 218 (Tuesday, November 12, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61040-61041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24580]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; South Pacific 
Tuna Act

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 comment on proposed and/or continuing 
information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written or on-line comments must be 
submitted on or before January 13, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or via the 
internet 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 
should be directed to Rini Ghosh, (808) 725-5033 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) collects 
vessel license, vessel registration, catch, and unloading information 
from operators of U.S. purse seine vessels fishing under the provisions 
of the Treaty on Fisheries between the Governments of Certain Pacific 
Island States and the Government of the United States of America 
(Treaty). The Treaty provides access for U.S. purse seine vessels to 
fish in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Pacific Island Parties 
to the Treaty (PIPs). The PIPs include Australia, Cook Islands, 
Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, 
Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon 
Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. This collection of information is 
required to meet U.S. obligations under the Treaty.
    The South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 973-973r) and U.S. 
implementing regulations (50 CFR part 300, subpart D) authorize the 
collection of information from U.S. purse seine vessels fishing in the 
EEZs of PIPs under the Treaty. Vessel operators must submit annual 
vessel license and registration (including registration of vessel 
monitoring system (VMS) units) applications and periodic written 
reports of catch and unloading of fish from licensed vessels. They are 
also required to ensure the continued operation of VMS units on board 
licensed vessels, which is expected to require periodic maintenance of 
the units. The information collected is submitted to the Pacific 
Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) through the U.S.

[[Page 61041]]

government, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The 
license and registration application information is used by the FFA to 
determine the operational capability and financial responsibility of a 
vessel operator interested in fishing under the Treaty. Information 
obtained from vessel catch and unloading reports is used by the FFA to 
assess fishing effort and fishery resources in the region and to track 
the amount of fish caught within each PIP's EEZ. Maintenance of VMS 
units is needed to ensure the continuous operation of the VMS units, 
which, as part of the VMS administered by the FFA, are used as an 
enforcement tool. If the information is not collected, the U.S. 
government will not meet its obligations under the Treaty, and the lack 
of fishing information will result in poor management of the fishery 
resources.

II. Method of Collection

    All information are to be submitted in hard copy via mail or 
through electronic reporting.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0218.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission extension of a current 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 41.
    Estimated Time per Response: License application, 15 minutes; VMS 
registration application, 45 minutes; catch report, 1 hour; and 
unloading logsheet, 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 402.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $153,081 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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-24580 Filed 11-8-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P