[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15850-15851]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04632]
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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; Pacific Islands Region Permit Family of Forms
The Department of Commerce will submit the following information
collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the
Federal Register on December 12th, 2023 during a 60-day comment period.
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
Agency: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Commerce.
Title: Pacific Islands Region Permit Family of Forms.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0490.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission [extension of a current
information collection].
Number of Respondents: 263.
Average Hours per Response: 0.5 hr.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 134.
Needs and Uses: This request is for an extension of a currently
approved information collection.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
established the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council),
to develop fishery ecosystem plans (FEP) for fisheries in the United
States (U.S.) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and high seas of the
Pacific Islands region. These plans, if approved by the Secretary of
Commerce, are implemented in Federal regulations by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) and enforced by NOAA's Office of Law
Enforcement (OLE) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), in cooperation with
state and territorial agencies. FEPs regulate fishing to prevent
overfishing and to ensure the long-term productivity and social and
economic benefit of the resources.
Regulations at 50 CFR 665, subpart F, require that a vessel used to
fish with longline gear for western Pacific pelagic management unit
species (PMUS), land or transship longline caught PMUS, or receive
longline caught PMUS from a longline vessel, within the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) or management subarea around U.S. islands in the
central and western Pacific must be registered to a valid Federal
fishing permit. The regulations also require that a vessel used to fish
with squid jig gear for pelagic squid species listed in the western
Pacific PMUS within the EEZ or management subareas around U.S. islands
in the central and western Pacific, or fish with troll and handline
gear for PMUS in allowed locations within the EEZ around each of the
Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA), must be registered to a valid
Federal fishing permit.
Regulations at 50 CFR parts 665, subparts D and E, require that the
owner of a vessel used to fish for, land, or transship bottomfish
management unit species (BMUS) using a large vessel (50 ft or longer)
in the Guam management subarea, fish commercially for BMUS in the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands management subarea, or
fish for BMUS in allowed locations within the EEZ around each of the
PRIA, must register it to a valid Federal fishing permit.
Regulations at 50 CFR parts 665, subparts B, C, D, and E, require
that the owner of a vessel used to fish for, land, or transship
crustacean management unit species (CMUS) in the EEZs or management
subareas around American Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands,
or in allowed locations within the EEZ around each of the PRIA, must
register it to a valid Federal fishing permit. The regulations also
require that a vessel used to fish for precious corals within the EEZ
or management subarea around U.S. islands in the central and western
Pacific must be registered to a valid Federal fishing permit for a
specific precious coral permit area.
This collection of information is needed for permit issuance, to
identify actual or potential participants in the fishery, determine
qualifications for permits, and to help measure the impacts of
management controls on the participants in the fishery. The permit
program is also an effective tool in the enforcement of fishery
regulations and facilitates communication between NMFS and fishermen.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations;
individuals or households; not-for-profit institutions; state, local,
or tribal government; Federal government.
Frequency: Annually, or as required.
[[Page 15851]]
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: 50 CFR 665.
This information collection request may be viewed at
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB
Control Number 0648-0490.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-04632 Filed 3-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P