[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59402-59403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21312]


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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 Herring Amendment 5 Data Collection

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 November 29, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0674 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 Carrie Nordeen, Fishery Policy Analyst, 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930 or 978-281-9272 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension of a currently approved collection 
associated with the Atlantic herring fishery. National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS) Greater Atlantic Region manages these fisheries in the 
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Northeastern United States through 
the Atlantic Herring Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The New England 
Fishery Management Council prepared the FMP pursuant to the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). 
The regulations implementing the FMP are specified at 50 CFR part 648 
and the recordkeeping and reporting requirements at Sec.  648.11 form 
the basis for this collection of information.
    In 2014, NMFS implemented Amendment 5 to the Atlantic Herring FMP 
to improve the collection of real-time and accurate catch information 
for the Atlantic herring fishery; enhance the monitoring and sampling 
of catch at-sea; and address bycatch issues, in particular bycatch of 
river herrings and shads, through responsible management.
    In 2020, NMFS implemented the New England Industry Funded 
Monitoring (IFM) Omnibus Amendment to increase monitoring in certain 
FMPs, above levels required by the Standardized Bycatch Reporting 
Methodology (SBRM), to assess the amount and type of catch and to 
reduce variability around catch estimates. This amendment created a 
structure by which industry funding would be used in conjunction with 
available federal funding to pay for additional monitoring to meet FMP-
specific coverage targets and required IFM in the Atlantic herring 
fishery.
    We request the continued collection of the following information to 
improve monitoring and the collection of catch information in the 
Atlantic herring fishery:
     Observer notification requirement for permitted herring 
vessels to facilitate SBRM and IFM coverage;
     Requirement for vessel captains to submit a Released Catch 
Affidavit form documenting the discarding of unsampled catch;
     A requirement that Category A and B Atlantic herring 
permit holders pay for vessel at-sea monitoring costs, estimated to be 
up to $710 per sea day, on trips selected for IFM coverage (50% 
coverage target);
     The option for Category A and B Atlantic herring permit 
holders that fish with midwater trawl gear to obtain an IFM observer 
allowing the vessel to fish in groundfish closed areas and pay for the 
vessel's at-sea monitoring costs, estimated to be up to $818 per sea 
day; and
     Requirements for IFM monitor service providers to submit 
reports to NMFS on behalf of Category A or B Atlantic herring permitted 
vessels or for meeting service provider responsibilities for service 
provider approval and to facilitate accurate catch monitoring.

II. Method of Collection

    Atlantic herring vessels and their respective IFM service providers 
on their behalf submit information to NMFS via web portal, email, 
phone, fax, or mail. Instructions for vessels are located at https://www.fisheries.no.aa.gov/bulletin/notification-reporting-and-monitoring-requirements-atlantic-herring-fishery.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0674.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular (extension of existing information 
collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 622.
    Estimated Time per Response: For participants in the Atlantic 
herring fishery, 5 minutes for a pre-trip notification; 1 minute for a 
trip cancellation notification; 5 minutes for a call to request an IFM 
observer to access groundfish closed areas; 1 minute for a trip 
cancellation notification for groundfish closed areas; 5 minutes for 
the submission of a released catch affidavit; and 1 minute for the 
submission of species pounds to the observer.
    For IFM service providers, 10 minutes for submission of a monitor 
deployment report; 20 minutes for the submission of an ASM availability 
report; 30 minutes for the submission of a safety refusal; 5 minutes 
for the submission of raw monitor data; 2 hours for a monitor 
debriefing; 30 minutes for the submission of other reports; 1 hour for 
the submission of biological samples; 10 hours for the submission of a 
new service provider application; 10 hours for an applicant response to 
a service provider denial; 30 minutes to request monitor training; 8 
hours to rebut removal from the list of approved IFM service providers; 
10 minutes to process

[[Page 59403]]

request for an ASM; 5 minutes to notify unavailability of ASMs; 10 
minutes to process request for an IFM observer in groundfish closed 
area; 5 minutes to notify unavailability of IFM observers; 5 minutes 
for the submission of monitor contact list updates; 5 minutes for the 
submission of monitor availability updates; 30 minutes for submission 
of service provider materials; and 30 minutes for the submission of 
service provide contracts.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,848.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $791,210.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq, Section 303).

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. 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. 2022-21312 Filed 9-29-22; 8:45 am]
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