[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