[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 181 (Wednesday, September 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64888-64889]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20377]


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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; Alaska Region Crab Permits

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 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 0648-0514 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 Gabrielle Aberle, 709 W 9th Street, Juneau, AK 9980, 907-586-7356, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Regional 
Office, is requesting extension of a currently approved information 
collection for the Crab Rationalization Program (CR Program).
    This information collection is necessary for NMFS to manage the CR 
Program. The CR Program was implemented on April 1, 2005 (70 FR 10174, 
March 2, 2005). The CR Program is a limited access privilege program 
that allocates the harvest of crab fisheries managed under the Fishery 
Management Plan for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands King and Tanner 
Crabs

[[Page 64889]]

(FMP) among harvesters, processors, and coastal communities. 
Regulations implementing the FMP and the CR Program are at 50 CFR part 
680. Information on the CR Program is posted on the NMFS Alaska Region 
website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-crab-rationalization-program.
    This information collection includes the forms used by participants 
in the CR Program to apply for or renew permits; transfer or lease 
individual fishing quota (IFQ), individual processor quota (IPQ), quota 
share (QS), or processor quota share (PQS); and apply for exemption 
from regional delivery requirements. This information collection also 
includes the following reports for which no collection forms are used:
     The North or South Region Delivery Exemption Report is 
submitted by IFQ holders who signed a preseason application. This 
report provides NMFS with the means to assess how the industry is 
exercising the exemption opportunity and whether implementing 
regulations are sufficient to meet the North Pacific Fishery Management 
Council's Statement of Intent for Amendment 41 to the FMP.
     The Community Impact Report or IPQ Holder Report is 
submitted by a community entity or IPQ holder, respectively, and 
provides documentation needed by NMFS to evaluate the efficacy of 
privately administered contracts.
     The CDQ Group Notification of Community Representative is 
submitted by the Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) 
groups representing Saint Paul and Saint George to designate to NMFS a 
single entity as the regional representative for these two communities.
     The Eligible Crab Community Organization (ECCO) Annual 
Report is submitted by the ECCO. It details the use of the crab QS and 
IFQ and is intended to ensure that the ECCO maintains the QS and IFQ to 
benefit residents of eligible communities.

II. Method of Collection

    The information is collected primarily by mail and fax. The 
following may be submitted online through eFISH on the NMFS Alaska 
Region website: The Application for Transfer (Lease) of Crab IPQ, the 
Application for Transfer (Lease) of Crab IFQ, the Application for 
Transfer of IFQ between Crab Harvesting Cooperatives, and renewals of 
registered crab receiver permits and Federal crab vessel permits. 
Applications are available as fillable pdfs on the NMFS Alaska Region 
website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/bering-sea-and-aleutian-islands-crab-rationalization-applications-and-reporting-forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0514.
    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; not-for-profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 496.
    Estimated Time per Response: Application for Annual Crab IFQ 
Permit: 2.5 hours; Application for Annual Crab IPQ Permit: 2 hours; 
Application for Annual Crab Harvesting Cooperative IFQ Permit: 23 
hours; Application for Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) Permit: 30 
minutes; Application for BSAI Crab Hired Master (skipper) Permit: 1 
hour; Application for Federal Crab Vessel Permit (FCVP): 20 minutes; 
Application for Transfer of Crab QS: 2 hours; Application for Transfer 
of Crab PQS: 2.5 hours; Application for Transfer (lease) of Crab IFQ: 
2.5 hours; Application for Transfer of IFQ between Crab Harvesting 
Cooperatives; 2 hours; Application for Transfer (Lease) of Crab IPQ: 
2.5 hours; Application for Converted CPO QS and CPO IFQ: 30 minutes; 
Application for CR Program Eligibility to Receive QS/PQS or IFQ/IPQ by 
Transfer: 2 hours; Application for Annual Exemption from Western 
Aleutian Islands Golden King Crab West Region Delivery Requirements: 2 
hours; Application for Exemption from CR Crab North or South Region 
Delivery Requirements: 20 hours; North or South Region Delivery 
Exemption Report: 20 hours; Voluntary Community Impact Report or IPQ 
Holder Report (N or S Response Report): 2 hours; CDQ Group Notification 
of Community Representative: 5 hours; Application to Become an ECCO: 
2.5 hours; Application for Transfer of Crab QS/IFQ to or from an ECCO: 
2 hours; ECCO Annual Report: 4 hours; BSAI Crab Rationalization Program 
QS Beneficiary Designation Form: 30 minutes; File an Appeal to NMFS 
Decisions: 4 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,597 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $11,430 in recordkeeping and 
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary; Required to Obtain or Retain 
Benefits; Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 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 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. 2023-20377 Filed 9-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P