[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10422-10423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03625]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Southeast 
Region Individual Fishing Quota Programs

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 
(PRA) of 1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration all comments must be submitted by April 
24, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Ave., Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or via the 
internet at [email protected]). All comments received are part of the 
public record and will generally be posted on www.regulations.gov 
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 Adam Bailey, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th 
Ave. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, telephone: 727-824-5305, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for the revision of a current information 
collection under the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Control 
Number 0648-0551, Southeast Region Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 
Programs. The NMFS Southeast Regional Office manages three commercial 
IFQ and individual transferable quota (ITQ) programs in the Southeast 
Region under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. The 
IFQ programs for red snapper, and groupers and tilefishes occur in 
Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), and the ITQ program for 
wreckfish occurs in Federal waters of the South Atlantic.
    This collection of information tracks the transfer and use of IFQ 
and ITQ shares, and IFQ allocation and landings necessary to operate, 
administer, and review management of the IFQ and ITQ programs. 
Regulations for the IFQ and ITQ programs are located at 50 CFR part 
622.
    The NMFS Southeast Regional Office proposes to revise parts of the 
information collection approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0551. For 
the Gulf IFQ Programs, the revision would modify pages within the Catch 
Share Online System. The Transfer Shares page allows IFQ shareholders 
to transfer shares online to other IFQ shareholders. Similarly, the 
Transfer Allocation page allows IFQ shareholders to transfer allocation 
online to other IFQ shareholders. Beginning in early 2020, IFQ 
shareholders can use IFQ shares as collateral in the Federal Fisheries 
Finance Program to obtain a loan that can be used for fishing related 
expenses. However, to accommodate the finance program, the Transfer 
Shares and Transfer Allocation pages must be modified to allow IFQ 
shareholders to indicate if their shares are being held as part of a 
lien. The Landing Transaction page allows IFQ dealers to submit landing 
transactions online to record landings of IFQ species. NMFS would 
revise the Landing Transaction page to allow for better data collection 
and monitoring of landings in conjunction with the NMFS Southeast 
Fisheries Science Center.
    If implemented by NMFS, these revisions would not change the 
estimated time per response and the associated cost burden would remain 
at zero dollars. NMFS estimates that it would still require 
approximately 3 minutes to complete the Transfer Shares or Transfer 
Allocation pages per occurrence, and 6 minutes to complete the Landing 
Transaction page per occurrence.

II. Method of Collection

    Information for the Gulf red snapper, and grouper and tilefish IFQ 
programs is collected electronically via a web-based system, through 
satellite-linked vessel monitoring systems, through a 24-hour call 
line, and with paper form submission for landing corrections, closing 
an account, and account applications, as well as landing transactions 
under catastrophic circumstances. This revision would update a page in 
the web-based system.
    The share transfer process in the wreckfish ITQ program requires 
the signatures of witnesses on paper forms. The wreckfish ITQ program 
remains paper-based until the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 
and NMFS consider whether to implement an electronic system. NMFS is 
not proposing to change the wreckfish ITQ program or information 
collection.

[[Page 10423]]

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0551.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission--revision of a current 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations; 
Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,164.
    Estimated Time Per Response:
     Share Transfer Receipt form, Cost Recovery Fee Submission 
form, 1 minute;
     Share Transfer form, IFQ Close Account form, Cost Recovery 
Fee Submission form, Landing Transaction Correction Request form, 
Landing Location Submission form, Transfer Allocation form, Cost 
Recovery Fee payment through pay.gov, 3 minutes;
     Notification of Landing form, 5 minutes;
     Landing Transaction Report form, 6 minutes;
     IFQ Online Account Application form, 15 minutes;
     Wreckfish Quota Share Transfer form, 18 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,223.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $503 in recordkeeping and 
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,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-03625 Filed 2-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P