[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 77 (Friday, April 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24596-24597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08442]


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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; Tilefish Individual Fishing Quota Program

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 June 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0590 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 Douglas Potts, (978) 281-9341 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for the extension of a currently approved 
information collection.
    National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Greater Atlantic Region 
manages the golden tilefish fishery of the Exclusive Economic Zone 
(EEZ) of the Northeastern United States, through the Tilefish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP). The Mid-Atlantic 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 subpart N.
    The recordkeeping and reporting requirements at Sec.  648.294 form 
the basis for this collection of information. NMFS requests information 
from tilefish individual fishing quota (IFQ) permit holders to process 
applications that ensure IFQ allocation holders are provided a 
statement of their annual catch quota, and for enforcement purposes, to 
ensure vessels are not exceeding an individual quota allocation. In 
conjunction with the application, NMFS also collects IFQ share 
accumulation information to ensure that IFQ allocation holders do not 
acquire an excessive share of the total limited access privileges, as 
required by section 303A(d)(5)(C) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
    NMFS requests transfer application information to process and track 
requests from allocation holders to transfer quota allocation 
(permanent and temporary) to another entity. NMFS also collects 
information for cost recovery purposes as required under the Magnuson-
Stevens Act. Cost recovery is used to collect fees to recover the costs 
directly related to management, data collection and analysis, and 
enforcement of IFQ programs. Lastly, NMFS collects landings information 
to ensure that the amounts of tilefish landed and ex-vessel prices are 
properly recorded for quota monitoring purposes and the calculation of 
IFQ fees. Having this information results in an increasingly more 
efficient and accurate database for management and monitoring of 
fisheries of the Northeastern U.S. EEZ.

II. Method of Collection

    The IFQ Allocation permit application, IFQ holder cap form, and the 
IFQ transfer form are all paper applications. These applications can 
also be completed in a fillable electronic format and submitted through 
email or printed and sent by mail. The IFQ cost recovery process is 
entirely online at www.pay.gov.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0590.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 12.
    Estimated Time per Response: IFQ Allocation Permit Application, 30 
minutes; IFQ Holder Cap Form, 5 minutes; IFQ Transfer Form, 5 minutes; 
IFQ Cost Recovery, 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 20.5 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $26.
    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

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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 Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-08442 Filed 4-20-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P