[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59403-59404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21314]


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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; Mandatory Shrimp Vessel and Gear Characterization Survey

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 0648-0542 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 Rebecca Smith, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Southeast 
Fisheries Science Center, Galveston Laboratory, 4700 Avenue U, Bldg. 
306, Galveston, TX 77551 (409) 766-3783, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection. The mandatory vessel and gear characterization survey is a 
census data collection effort of all shrimp vessel owners or operators 
who possess a valid Federal Gulf commercial shrimp fishing permit. NMFS 
began collecting these survey data in 2006 under OMB Control No. 0648-
0542 per the final rule implementing Amendment 13 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 
13) (71 FR 56039, September 26, 2006).
    NMFS is currently collecting census-level information on fishing 
vessel and gear characteristics in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) commercial 
shrimp fishery (Gulf shrimp fishery), which operates in the Gulf 
exclusive economic zone. NMFS uses this information to conduct analyses 
that improve fishery management decision-making and ensure that 
national goals, objectives, and requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), National Environmental Policy Act, Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, Endangered Species Act, and Executive Order 12866 are 
met; and quantify achievement of the performance measures in the NMFS' 
Operating Plans. This information is vital in assessing the economic, 
social, and environmental effects of fishery management decisions and 
regulations on individual shrimp fishing enterprises, fishing 
communities, and the Nation as a whole. Recordkeeping requirements for 
this information collection under the Magnuson-Stevens Act are codified 
at 50 CFR 622.51(a)(3).
    The mandatory vessel and gear characterization survey is a census 
data collection effort of all shrimp vessel owners or operators who 
possess a valid federal Gulf commercial shrimp fishing permit. NMFS 
began collecting these survey data in 2006 under OMB Control No. 0648-
0542 per the final rule implementing Amendment 13 to the Fishery 
Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico (Amendment 
13) (71 FR 56039, September 26, 2006).
    The vessel and gear survey annually updates existing data and 
continues data collection efforts for this significant fishery. NMFS 
currently collects other information from Gulf commercial shrimp 
vessels pertaining to their fishing activities, trip dates, landings, 
and other information through port agents, electronic logbooks, and 
mandatory dealer reports. Prior to this annual survey, little data 
related to vessel and gear characteristics at the individual vessel 
level have been collected through other means.
    Completion of the annual survey is required for fishermen to renew 
or transfer a Gulf commercial shrimp permit. NMFS' Southeast Fisheries 
Science Center (SEFSC) mails the annual survey to all Gulf shrimp 
permit holders beginning in March each year. Requiring completion of 
the survey shortly before permit renewal, with renewal contingent upon 
survey

[[Page 59404]]

completion,\1\ ensures that all permitted fishermen will be included in 
the census and each fisherman will only be surveyed once per annum.
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    \1\ The Gulf shrimp fishery requires a limited-access federal 
permit, and there is a moratorium on new federal Gulf shrimp permits 
until October 26, 2026. If a person buys or transfers a permit on 
January 1, 2022, before this person's permit can be renewed in 2022, 
they would have to complete a survey form.
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    The questions contained on the vessel and gear survey form are 
needed to collect data as required by regulations implementing 
Amendment 13. All but Question 1 on the form are focused on activity in 
the past year. Questions 1-4 ask for year of vessel purchase, by whom 
the vessel was operated in the past year, number of days at sea and 
trips taken in the past year and in what areas and fisheries the vessel 
was operated. Questions 5-11 pertain to the most frequent type of gear 
used. Questions 12-13 pertain to the most frequently used bycatch 
reduction devices (BRD). Questions 14-26 pertain to the most frequently 
used turtle exclusion devices (TED). Question 27 asks for a list of all 
electronic equipment used on the vessel.
    The primary purposes of collecting vessel and gear characterization 
data at the census level is to develop statistically valid sampling 
designs for the other aforementioned data collection programs. It is 
believed that the creation of stratified, random sampling designs for 
these data collection programs is necessary to ensure that the data, 
and the estimates of the fishery performance measures based on that 
data, are accurate (e.g., representative of the fishery's actual 
performance). The various vessel and gear characteristics serve as 
strata in these sampling designs.
    The information collected by the vessel and gear characterization 
survey is used by NMFS economists, social scientists, and biologists to 
help evaluate the performance of existing regulations (e.g., BRDs, 
TEDs, time or area closures, etc.), and the impacts that changes to 
those regulations may have on individual fishermen, the shrimp fishing 
industry as a whole, and fishing communities. In addition, the vessel 
and gear characterization data are further linked to various 
biological, social, and economic data collected by other means.
    It is anticipated that the information collected will be available 
to the public through technical memoranda and similar publications, or 
used to support publicly disseminated information, such as analyses 
contained within documents distributed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery 
Management Council (Council). Data may be reported according to the 
various types of nets, TEDs, BRDs or electronic equipment that is 
generally used, which will allow comparisons and evaluations of 
alternative vessel and gear configurations by analysts and vessel 
owners.

II. Method of Collection

    NMFS mails a paper copy of the forms to respondents and provides a 
pre-paid business reply envelope for permit applications to submit the 
form. Permit applicants must complete and mail the form back to NMFS 
before a permit expires and before NMFS will issue or transfer a 
permit.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0542.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently 
approved information collection).
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations, 
individuals and households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1349.
    Estimated Time per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 647.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0 in recordkeeping or 
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

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. 2022-21314 Filed 9-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P