[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8845-8846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03111]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; West Coast 
Region Groundfish Trawl Fishery Electronic Monitoring Program

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 April 20, 2020.

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 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. You may submit 
attachments to electronic comments in Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe 
PDF file formats.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection

[[Page 8846]]

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

    This is a revision and extension of a currently approved 
information collection.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) published a final rule 
on June 28, 2019 (84 FR 31146), to implement an electronic monitoring 
(EM) program for two sectors of the limited entry trawl fishery, 
consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (MSA) and the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). The action allows catcher vessels in the Pacific 
whiting fishery and fixed gear vessels in the shorebased Individual 
Fishing Quota (IFQ) fishery to use EM in place of observers to meet the 
requirements of the Trawl Rationalization Program for 100-percent at-
sea observer coverage. This action is necessary to increase operational 
flexibility and reduce monitoring costs for vessels in the trawl 
fishery by providing an alternative to observers.
    Under this collection, some catcher vessels will have the option to 
use EM in place of observers to reduce total fleet monitoring costs to 
levels sustainable for the fleet and agency and meet the requirements 
for 100-pecent observer coverage at-sea. In place of an observer 
documenting discards onboard, captains would report estimates of their 
own discards on a logbook and submit them to NMFS. NMFS would use the 
discards reported on the logbook to debit allocations in the Vessel 
Accounting System (VAS) and North Pacific Database Program (NorPac). 
They would also install and carry and EM system to capture fishing 
activities at-sea. Following the trip, an analyst would review the 
video and report estimates of discards of allocated species to NMFS to 
use to audit the validity of the logbook estimates. The EM data would 
also be used to monitor compliance with the requirements of the catch 
share program. In this way, logbooks and EM systems would be used in 
tandem in place of observers to meet the objectives of 100-percent at-
sea monitoring of the catch share program.
    Vessel operators would be required to submit a logbook reporting 
their discards of IFQ species. NMFS would use the logbook data to debit 
discards of IFQ species from IFQs and cooperative allocations, and use 
the EM data to audit the logbook data. EM data would also be used to 
monitor compliance with the requirements of the catch share program. 
Vessel operators would be required to submit a logbook reporting their 
discards of IFQ species.
    New requirements being added to this collection include:
    EM Service Providers will be required to submit catch reports and 
feedback reports, and store EM data and other records.
    Vessel Owners will be required to obtain services from an NMFS-
permitted EM service provider to analyze and store EM data, and report 
it to NMFS.

II. Method of Collection

    Information that would be required is specified in the regulations 
at 50 CFR 660.603(b)(1) and 660.604(b)(1) in the final rule 0648-BF52. 
Information is collected by mail, electronically, and by phone by the 
NMFS West Coast Region Fisheries Permit Office.
    The following information is collected by mail: EM service 
providers: EM service provider application and renewals; EM service 
plan and any subsequent changes to plan; submission of two EM units and 
standard operating procedures (SOPs), if requested by NMFS; EM service 
provider appeals; and EM data storage downloaded to hard drive and 
shipped (not required until 2021). Vessel owners: Initial application; 
final application (EM system certification, tentative fishing plan, 
vessel monitoring plan); changes to vessel monitoring plan; and EM 
system certification; Vessel operators: Federal discard logbook for 
each landing; and hard drive submission.
    The following information is collected electronically: EM service 
providers: EM provider reports of technical assistance requests, 
harassment and intimidation, and non-compliance; catch reports, 
feedback reports, and EM data storage uploaded to a secure website (not 
required until 2021); Vessel operators: One-time online EM training 
provided by NMFS; and federal discard logbook (if authorized in writing 
by NMFS).
    The following information may be collected by phone: EM service 
providers: follow-up debriefings with EM provider employees regarding 
technical assistance, harassment and intimidation, or non-compliance; 
and ongoing program and technical support.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0785.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular (revision and extension of a current 
approved collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 146 (5 EM service providers, 58 
vessel owners, 83 vessel operators).
    Estimated Time per Response: EM service providers: Application 
(application form, EM service plan, submission of EM units)--5 hours; 
application renewals (biennial)--1 hour; EM service provider appeal--4 
hours; EM service plan changes--2 hours; EM system certification--30 
minutes; reports (technical assistance--40 minutes, harassment and 
intimidation--1 hour, compliance reports--20 minutes, catch reports--15 
minutes, feedback to vessel--10 minutes, data storage--15 minutes); 
debrief of EM staff--2 hours 45 minutes. Vessel owners: Initial 
application--30 minutes; final application (updated application, EM 
system certification, tentative fishing plan, vessel monitoring plan)--
8 hours 40 minutes; changes to vessel monitoring plan--1 hour; annual 
EM authorization renewal--30 minutes. Vessel operators: One-time online 
EM training provided by NMFS 1 hour 30 minutes; federal discard logbook 
for each landing; hard drive submission--10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 7,727.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $1,721,073.

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,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-03111 Filed 2-14-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P