[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 137 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43008-43009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15346]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Atlantic Highly 
Migratory Species Recreational Landings and Bluefin Tuna Catch Reports

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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[[Page 43009]]

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 September 19, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0328 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 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Clifford Hutt, NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species 
Management Division, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910; 
(301) 427-8503; or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection. Under the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), NOAA's 
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for management 
of the nation's marine fisheries. Catch reporting from recreational and 
commercial handgear fisheries provides important data used to monitor 
catches of Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) and supplements 
other existing data collection programs. Data collected through this 
program are used for both domestic and international fisheries 
management and stock assessment purposes. NMFS would also like to 
expand the title of the collection to ``Atlantic Highly Migratory 
Species Recreational Landings and Bluefin Tuna Catch Reports'' from the 
current ``Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Recreational Landings 
Reports.''
    Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) catch reporting provides real-time 
catch information used to monitor the BFT fishery. Under the Atlantic 
Tunas Convention Act of 1975 (ATCA, 16 U.S.C. 971), the United States 
is required to adopt regulations, as necessary and appropriate, to 
implement binding recommendations of the International Commission for 
the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), including recommendations 
on a specified BFT quota. BFT catch reporting helps the U.S. monitor 
this quota and supports scientific research consistent with ATCA and 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-
Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). Recreational anglers and 
commercial handgear fishermen are required to report specific 
information regarding their catch of BFT.
    Atlantic billfish and swordfish are managed internationally by 
ICCAT and nationally under ATCA and the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This 
collection provides information needed to monitor the recreational 
catch of Atlantic blue and white marlin, which is applied to the 
recreational limit established by ICCAT, and the recreational catch of 
North Atlantic swordfish, which is applied to the U.S. quota 
established by ICCAT. This collection also provides information on 
recreational landings of West Atlantic sailfish, which is unavailable 
from other established monitoring programs. Collection of sailfish 
catch information is authorized under the Magnuson-Stevens Act for 
purposes of stock management.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents reporting BFT, Atlantic marlin, West Atlantic sailfish, 
or North Atlantic swordfish catch in states (and the United States 
Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) other than Maryland and North Carolina 
may use either an internet website, mobile smartphone app, or a toll-
free telephone number. In Maryland and North Carolina, a paper 
reporting system is used for all of the aforementioned species. Under 
state law, respondents in Maryland and North Carolina must submit a 
landing card at a state-operated reporting station. States that 
participate in a landing card program must submit weekly reports and 
one annual report to NMFS to summarize landings and results to date.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0328.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of an approved 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations; 
individuals or households; and State, Local, or Tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 14,193.
    Estimated Time per Response: 5 minutes for an initial call-in, 
internet, or smartphone app report; 5 minutes for a confirmation call; 
10 minutes for a landing card; 1 hour for a weekly state report; and 4 
hours for an annual state report.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,637.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and the Atlantic Tunas 
Convention Act of 1975 (16 U.S.C. 971 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 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 Information Collection Review (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. 2022-15346 Filed 7-18-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P