[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 112 (Friday, June 10, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35506-35507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-12592]


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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; Northwest Region Federal Fisheries Permits

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 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 9, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0203 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 Matt Dunlap, Fishery Policy Analyst, NOAA Fisheries/West Coast 
Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Bldg. 1, Seattle, WA 98115, (206-316-
7944), and [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection. The Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801) provides that the 
Secretary of Commerce is responsible for the conservation and 
management of marine fisheries resources in Exclusive Economic Zone (3-
200 miles) of the United States (U.S.). NOAA Fisheries manages the 
Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 
off Washington, Oregon, and California under the Pacific Coast 
Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. The regulations implementing the 
Pacific Groundfish Fishery require that those vessels participating in 
the limited entry fishery be registered to a valid limited entry 
permit. Participation in the fishery and access to a limited entry 
permit has been restricted to control the overall harvest capacity.
    NOAA Fisheries seeks comment on the extension of permit information 
collections required for: (1) renewal and transfer of Pacific Coast 
Groundfish limited entry permits; (2) implementation of certain 
provisions of the sablefish permit stacking program as provided for at 
50 CFR 660.231 and 660.25; and (3) issuing and fulfilling the terms and 
conditions of certain exempted fishing permits (EFPs). The regulations 
implementing the limited entry program are found at 50 CFR part 660, 
subpart G.
    In addition, NOAA Fisheries requires an information collection to 
implement certain aspects of the sablefish permit stacking program, 
which prevents excessive fleet consolidation. As part of the annual 
renewal process, NOAA Fisheries requires a corporation or partnership 
that owns or holds (as vessel owner) a sablefish endorsed permit to 
provide a complete ownership interest form listing all individuals with 
ownership interest in the entity. Similarly, any sablefish endorsed 
permit transfer involving registration of a business entity requires an 
ownership interest form if either the permit owner or vessel owner is a 
corporation or partnership. This information is used to determine if 
individuals own or hold sablefish permits in excess of the limit of 
three permits. Also, for transfer requests made during the sablefish 
primary season (April 1st through October 31st), the permit owner is 
required to report the remaining tier pounds not yet harvested on the 
sablefish endorsed permit at the time of transfer.
    Applicants for an exempted fishing permit (EFP) must submit written 
information that allows NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery 
Management Council to evaluate the proposed exempted fishing project 
activities and weigh the benefits and costs of the proposed activities. 
The Council makes a recommendation on each EFP application and for 
successful applicants, NOAA Fisheries issues the EFPs that contains 
terms and conditions for the project including various reporting 
requirements. The information included in an application is specified 
at 50 CFR 600.745(b)(2) and the Council Operating Procedure #19. Permit 
holders are required to file preseason harvest plans, interim and/or 
final summary reports on the results of the project, and in some cases 
individual vessels and other permit holders are required to provide 
data reports (i.e., logbooks and/or catch reports). The results of EFPs 
are commonly used to explore ways to reduce effort on depressed stocks, 
encourage innovation and efficiency in the fishery, provide access to 
constrained stocks by directly measuring the bycatch associated with 
such strategies, and evaluate/revise current and proposed management 
measures.
    Letters of Authorization (LOAs) and Exempted Educational Activity 
Authorizations (EEAAs) were historically collected under OMB control 
number 0648-0309. LOAs and EEAAs were combined into this collection 
(0648-0203) in 2019.
    NMFS may grant exemptions from fishery regulations for educational 
or other activities (e.g., using non-regulation gear). An EEAA is a 
permit issued by the Regional Office to accredited educational 
institutions that authorize, for educational purposes, the target or 
incidental harvest of species managed under an FMP or fishery 
regulations that would otherwise be prohibited. EEAAs are generally of 
limited scope and duration, and authorize the take of the amount of 
fish necessary to demonstrate the lesson. Researchers are requested to 
submit reports of their scientific research activity after its 
completion.
    LOAs are required under Section 101(a)(5)(A) of the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 for the incidental take of marine mammals 
during fisheries surveys and related research activities conducted by 
the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), NMFS. Management of 
certain marine mammals falls under the jurisdiction of the NMFS under 
the MPA and Endangered Species Act (ESA) and mechanisms exist under 
both the ESA and MMPA to assess the effect of incidental takings and to 
authorize appropriate levels of take.

II. Method of Collection

    Renewal forms are mailed to all permit owners. They can complete 
their renewals online, submit by mail, or in person. Ownership interest 
forms and permit transfer forms are available from the region's website 
but must be submitted to NOAA Fisheries by mail or in person. 
Applications for an exempted

[[Page 35507]]

fishing permit must be submitted in a written format. The exempted 
fishing permit data reports may be submitted in person, faxed, 
submitted by telephone or emailed by the monitor, plant manager, vessel 
owner or operator to NOAA Fisheries or the states of Washington, 
Oregon, or California.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0203.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals, Non-profit institutions, State, 
local, or tribal government; business or other for-profit 
organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 539.
    Estimated Time per Response: Permit renewals: 20 minutes; Permit 
transfers: 30 minutes; Sablefish ownership interest form: 10 minutes; 
EFP Applications: 32 hours; EFP Trip Notifications: 2 minutes; EFP 
Harvest Plans: 16 hours; EFP Data Reports: 2 hours; EFP Summary 
Reports: interim report, 4 hours; final report, 20 hours; Letters of 
Authorization: 6 hours; Exempted Educational Activities Authorizations, 
6 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,011 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $56,468.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain Benefits.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801).

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit NOAA Fisheries to: (a) 
Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for 
the proper functions of the agency, 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. 2022-12592 Filed 6-9-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P