[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 524-525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29259]


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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; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Individual Bluefin Tuna 
Quota (IBQ) Tracking and Appeals

    The Department of Commerce will submit the following information 
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the 
Federal Register on August 31, 2020, during a 60-day comment period. 
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    Title: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Individual Bluefin 
Tuna Quota Tracking.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0677.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a currently 
approved information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 220.
    Average Hours per Response: 10 minutes for initial application for 
IBQ account; 15 minutes per IBQ allocation lease.
    Burden Hours: 54.
    Needs and Uses: Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery 
Management Plan (79 FR 71510, December 2, 2014) implemented individual 
bluefin tuna quota (IBQ) shares and allocations for vessels permitted 
in the Atlantic Tunas Longline category, and also implemented 
distribution of Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine category quota through the 
IBQ online system. IBQs are intended to fairly and effectively allocate 
limited quota for incidental capture of Atlantic bluefin tuna among 
vessels in the Longline category, while minimizing dead discards and 
discouraging interactions with bluefin tuna, and better utilizing the 
Purse Seine category quota. An online system developed by NMFS tracks 
allocations and allocation leases, and reconciles allocation with 
bluefin tuna catches for quota monitoring. This collection of 
information accounts for the reporting burden associated with 
allocation and lease tracking.
    First-time vessel permit holders in the affected categories must 
obtain and set up an IBQ account in the online ``Catch Shares Online 
System'' in order to be issued IBQ shares and resultant allocation, to 
lease IBQ, and to resolve quota debt. To use the electronic IBQ System, 
first-time participants will need to request an account and set their 
account up with background information. The information collected 
during account issuance and set-up will be used by NMFS to verify the 
identity of the individual/business and whether they qualify for IBQ 
allocation leasing.
    The lease monitoring information collected by the online system 
will be used by each permit holder to keep track of their individual 
IBQ allocation, and document allocation leases with other IBQ 
participants. NMFS will use these data to ensure proper accounting of 
allocations among participants, and

[[Page 525]]

to track use of quota allocations and reconcile allocation usage with 
bluefin tuna catch and landings.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations 
(vessel owners).
    Frequency: Infrequent. Initially application for an IBQ account is 
a one-time occurrence. Subsequent leases of IBQ allocation are only 
conducted on an as needed basis, and averages one lease a year.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Under the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), the 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for management 
of the Nation's marine fisheries. NMFS must also promulgate 
regulations, as necessary and appropriate, to carry out obligations the 
United States undertakes internationally regarding tuna management 
through the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA, 16 U.S.C. 971 et 
seq.).
    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 submitted within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently 
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search 
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB 
Control Number 0648-0677.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-29259 Filed 1-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P