[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 10157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03456]



[[Page 10157]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35).
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: South Pacific Tuna Act.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0218.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Revision and Extension (of a currently approved 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 41.
    Average Hours per Response: License application, 1 hour; VMS 
registration application, 45 minutes; catch report, 1 hour; unloading 
logsheet, 30 minutes; expression of interested, 2 hours; and renewal, 
15 minutes.
    Burden Hours: 536.
    Needs and Uses: 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. This collection of information also includes purse seine 
net sharing reporting requirements and purse seine whale shark 
encirclement reporting requirements, pursuant to regulations 
implementing decision of the Commission for the Conservation and 
Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central 
Pacific Ocean (WCPFC).
    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. 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.
    Similarly, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention 
Implementation Act (WCPFCIA; 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) and U.S. 
implementing regulations (50 CFR part 300 subpart O) authorize the 
collection of information from U.S. vessels fishing for highly 
migratory species in the WCPFC's area of competence. The net sharing 
and whale shark encirclement reporting requirements under this 
collection of information is needed for fisheries management and 
enforcement purposes. If the information is not collected, the U.S. 
government will not meet its obligations as a member of the WCPFC, and 
the lack of fishing information will result in poor management of the 
fishery resources.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. 
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections 
currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-03456 Filed 2-20-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P