[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 231 (Tuesday, December 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77174-77175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-26491]


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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; Southeast Region Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Programs

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 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 by February 1, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0551 in the subject line of your 
comments. All comments received are part of the public record and will 
generally be posted on www.regulations.gov without change. 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 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

    The NMFS Southeast Regional Office manages three commercial 
individual fishing quota (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.
    The NMFS Southeast Regional Office proposes to extend and revise 
parts of the information collection currently approved under OMB 
Control Number 0648-0551. This collection of information tracks the 
transfer and use of IFQ and ITQ shares, and IFQ allocation and landings 
by commercial fishermen necessary for NMFS 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.
    For the Gulf IFQ programs, the revisions would collect additional 
business and demographic information on the IFQ Online Account 
Application, as well as add a requirement to input the vessel signature 
personal identification number (PIN) a second time on the Dealer 
Landing Transaction Report if a criterion is met. NMFS would make 
revisions to the IFQ Online Account Application to obtain ownership 
percentage data for any business that participates in the Gulf IFQ 
programs, as well as the type of business, and confirmation of whether 
the business is small or large, as defined by Small Business 
Administration standards. NMFS would revise the Dealer Landing 
Transaction Report to add a requirement for a shareholder to input the 
vessel signature PIN a second time if the landing transaction would 
result in a 10 percent overage of their catch allocation during that 
fishing year. NMFS proposes to add a feature to the Dealer Landing 
Transaction Report that would notify the shareholder that a 10 percent 
overage would occur and in which categories, and require the vessel 
signature PIN to accept the overage. Although the 10 percent overage is 
utilized infrequently, this would provide the shareholder the 
opportunity to transfer allocation and avoid using the 10 percent 
overage.
    The purpose of revising the IFQ Online Account Application is to 
better comply with National Standard 4 (NS4) of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Act, the

[[Page 77175]]

Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), and the Small Business 
Administration's regulations implementing the RFA, Executive Order 
12898, and the ``fairness and equitable distribution'' provisions of 
the Magnuson-Stevens Act, including NS4 and section 303(b)(6). The 
purpose of revising the Dealer Landing Transaction Report is to better 
inform participants in the Gulf IFQ programs and require an additional 
verification from them when the existing flexibility measure of a 10 
percent overage of their allocation would occur.
    If implemented by NMFS, these administrative revisions would 
slightly increase the estimated time per response to complete the IFQ 
Online Account Application. NMFS estimates the time per response would 
increase from 10 to 13 minutes. However, the estimated time per 
response for the Dealer Landing Transaction Report is not expected to 
change. The cost of both the IFQ Online Account Application and the 
Dealer Landing Transaction Report would remain the same. NMFS proposes 
no other revisions to the existing information collections for the IFQ 
and ITQ programs approved in OMB Control No. 0648-0551.

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. The proposed revision would not 
change the methods currently used to collect information.
    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.

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.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,064.
    Estimated Time per Response:

 Transfer Shares, 3 minutes
 Share Receipt, 2 minutes
 Account Update, 2 minutes
 Trip Ticket Update, 2 minutes
 Transfer Allocation, 3 minutes
 Landing Transaction Correction Request, 5 minutes
 Dealer Cost Recovery Fee Submission through pay.gov, 3 minutes
 Commercial Reef Fish Landing Location Request, 5 minutes
 Dealer Landing Transaction Report, 6 minutes (electronic form)
 Dealer Landing Transaction Report, 5 minutes (paper form used 
in catastrophic conditions only)
 IFQ Notification of Landing, 5 minutes
 Gulf Reef Fish Notification of Landing, 3 minutes
 IFQ Close Account, 3 minutes
 IFQ Online Account Application, 13 minutes
 Wreckfish Quota Share Transfer, 20 minutes

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,397.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $651 in recordkeeping and 
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory, required to obtain or retain 
benefits.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments 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. 2020-26491 Filed 11-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P