[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68111-68112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21847]


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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 American Fisheries Act Reports

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 December 4, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0401 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, National Marine Fisheries Service, Juneau, AK. 
Telephone (907) 586-7356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), Alaska Region, 
requests extension of a currently approved information collection for 
American Fisheries Act reporting requirements.
    NMFS Alaska Region manages the groundfish fisheries of the Bering 
Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area in the Exclusive Economic Zone 
off Alaska. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
prepared the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea 
and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) under the authority of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq., and other applicable laws. Regulations implementing the 
FMP are at 50 CFR part 679.
    The Bering Sea pollock fishery is managed under the American 
Fisheries Act (AFA). The purpose of the AFA was to tighten U.S. 
ownership standards for U.S. fishing vessels under the Anti-reflagging 
Act and to provide the Bering Sea pollock fleet the opportunity to 
conduct its fishery in a more rational manner while protecting non-AFA 
participants in the other fisheries. The AFA established sector 
allocations in the Bering Sea pollock fishery, determined eligible 
vessels and processors, allowed the formation of cooperatives, set 
limits on the participation of AFA vessels in other fisheries, and 
imposed special catch weighing and monitoring requirements on AFA 
vessels.
    This information collection contains the annual and periodic 
reporting requirements for AFA cooperatives. These requirements include 
reports about on-going fishing operations of the cooperatives and 
reports focused on efforts to minimize salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea 
pollock fishery. These reporting requirements are at 50 CFR 679.21 and 
679.61.
    This information is used to manage the Bering Sea pollock fishery, 
to evaluate the salmon bycatch management measures, and to provide the 
public with information about how the program operates and information 
about bycatch reduction under this program. This information collection 
provides the Council and NMFS with information about the organization 
and fishing operations of the AFA cooperatives, allocations to the AFA 
cooperatives, and the effectiveness of the Chinook salmon and chum 
salmon bycatch management measures. This information is necessary to 
ensure long-term conservation and abundance of salmon and pollock, 
maintain a healthy marine ecosystem, and provide maximum benefit to 
fishermen and communities that depend on salmon and pollock.

[[Page 68112]]

II. Method of Collection

    There are no forms associated with this information collection. The 
information is usually submitted by mail or email, and in an oral 
presentation to the Council.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0401.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 11.
    Estimated Time per Response: AFA Cooperative Contract 8 hours; AFA 
Annual Cooperative Report 16 hours; Incentive Plan Agreement amendment 
50 hours; IPA Annual Report 80 hours; IPA administrative appeals 4 
hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 486 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Public: $605 in recordkeeping 
and reporting.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits; 
mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act; American Fisheries Act.

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. 2023-21847 Filed 10-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P