[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 158 (Thursday, August 19, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46680-46681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17804]


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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; Recreational Angler Survey of Sea Turtle Interactions

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 October 18, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0774 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 Wendy Piniak, Biologist, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Office of Protected Resources, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, 
Maryland

[[Page 46681]]

20910; (301) 427-8401; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) proposes 
to revise and extend a currently approved information collection 
designed to assess the extent of hook and line interactions between 
recreational anglers on piers and other shore-based fishing locations 
and sea turtles. The collection comprises an Angler Intercept Survey, a 
Fishing Site Characterization Form, a Survey Cover Sheet, and a Sea 
Turtle Incidental Capture Form. The Angler Intercept Survey will be 
verbally administered on piers and shore-based fishing locations within 
NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region and Southeast Region, and will 
be administered to approximately 20,000 individual recreational 
fishermen. The respondents will be verbally asked a series of questions 
about their fishing practices and observations of sea turtles and the 
interviewer will record their answers. The survey will also assess the 
feasibility of an intercept survey for this purpose in terms of 
response rates and data collection. The Fishing Site Characterization 
Form will be completed by the survey administrator at each fishing 
location and collects information on the structure and operation of the 
pier or shore-based fishing location. The Site Characterization Sheet 
will be completed by the survey administrator during each survey period 
and collects information on the environmental conditions for that 
particular day, the number of anglers fishing, number of lines in the 
water, and the number of surveys completed. Sea Turtle Incidental 
Capture Form will be filled out by a Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage 
Network participant when a turtle is incidentally captured, regardless 
of if the capture occurs during a specific survey period, and collects 
information on the specific interaction with fishing gear. This 
information is necessary to compare to the angler survey data, to 
identify if certain factors or fishing practices influence the rate of 
interactions. In this extension, minor revisions will be made to the 
Sea Turtle Incidental Capture Form to eliminate duplication with other 
sea turtle stranding data collection efforts.

II. Method of Collection

    The survey will be implemented through verbal interviews.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0774.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a current information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 20,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes for the Fishing Site 
Characterization Form, 5 minutes for the Survey Cover Sheet, 10 minutes 
for the Angler Intercept Survey, 5 minutes for the Sea Turtle 
Incidental Capture Form.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,134 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $44,237.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

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 submitted 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 information collection request (ICR). Before 
including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, 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. 2021-17804 Filed 8-18-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P