[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37876-37877]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13524]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; For-Hire Telephone Survey

AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before August 24, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0709 in the subject line of your 
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise 
sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to John Foster, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Science 
and Technology, 1315 East-West Hwy./FST1, Silver Spring, MD 21910, 
Phone: (301) 427-8130 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    The For-Hire Survey (FHS) is conducted for NMFS to estimate fishing 
effort on for-hire vessels (i.e., charter boats and head boats) in 
coastal states from Maine to Mississippi. These data are required to 
carry out provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), as amended, regarding 
conservation and management of fishery resources.
    The FHS collects fishing effort information from for-hire vessel 
representatives by telephone interview. For-hire vessels are randomly 
selected for the FHS from a comprehensive sample frame developed and 
maintained by NMFS. A sample of 10% of the vessels on the FHS frame are 
selected for reporting each week. Each interview collects information 
about the vessel, the number and type of trips the vessel made during 
the reporting week, the number of anglers on each trip, and other trip-
level information.
    For-hire fishing effort is estimated in numbers of angler-trips per 
sub-region, state, two-month wave, vessel type, and fishing area 
(inshore, nearshore, offshore). To get a total for-hire effort 
estimate, weekly FHS effort estimates are summed to produce wave 
estimates that are adjusted to account for frame coverage and reporting 
error. The FHS estimates are then combined with for-hire catch-rate 
estimates derived from complementary Marine Recreational Information 
Program (MRIP) surveys, to estimate total, state-level fishing catch. 
These estimates are used in the development, implementation, and 
monitoring of fishery management programs by the NMFS, regional fishery 
management councils, interstate marine fisheries commissions, and state 
fishery agencies.

II. Method of Collection

    Telephone interviews will be conducted using Computer Assisted 
Telephone Interviewing (CATI) methodology.

[[Page 37877]]

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0709.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 3\1/2\ minutes each for a telephone 
interview.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,283.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-13524 Filed 6-23-20; 8:45 am]
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