[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 58 (Monday, March 25, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20636-20638]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-06203]


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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; Large Pelagic Fishing Survey

    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 November 6, 2023 during a 60-day comment period. 
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.
    Title: Large Pelagic Fishing Survey.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0380.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 16,147.
    Average Hours per Response: 11 minutes for a telephone interview; 5 
minutes for a dockside interview; 1\1/2\ minutes to respond to a 
follow-up validation call for dockside interviews; 1 minute for a 
biological sampling of catch.

[[Page 20637]]

    Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,638.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently 
approved information collection. The National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) is responsible for monitoring and managing United States (U.S.) 
marine fisheries resources. Collection of information regarding fishing 
for large pelagic species (tunas, billfishes, swordfish, and sharks) is 
necessary to fulfill the following statutory requirements: Atlantic 
Tunas Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.), the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and 
to meet administrative requirements of the National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS) Marine Recreational Fishery Policy implemented to comply 
with Executive Order 12962 on Recreational Fisheries.
    The Atlantic Tunas Convention Act at 16 U.S.C. 971d(c)(3)(I) 
provides the Secretary of Commerce the authority to ``require any 
commercial or recreational fisherman to obtain a permit from the 
Secretary and report the quantity of catch of a regulated species''. 
Section 303(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act specifies data and analyses 
to be included in Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), as well as pertinent 
data, which shall be submitted to the Secretary of Commerce under the 
plan. Recommendation One of the NMFS Marine Recreational Fishery (MRF) 
Policy focuses on developing ``a comprehensive data acquisition and 
analysis system (participation, catch, effort and socio-economic data) 
on a regular, continuing basis'' in support of the Executive Order 
12962 requirement to assess the implementation and evaluate 
achievements of the ``Recreational Fishery Resources Conservation 
Plan.''
    Because highly migratory species are only sought on a relatively 
small proportion of the total marine recreational angler fishing trips 
made, the fishing effort directed at such species, and the resulting 
angler catches are generally not estimated very precisely or accurately 
by general (all species) recreational surveys. Therefore, the Large 
Pelagics Survey (LPS) was designed as a specialized survey that would 
focus specifically on the recreational fishery directed at large 
pelagic, also called highly migratory, species. This specialization has 
allowed higher levels of sampling needed to provide more precise and 
accurate estimates of pelagic fishing effort and catches of large 
pelagic species.
    The LPS consists of two complementary surveys: a directory frame 
telephone survey of tuna and/or HMS permit holders to obtain fishing 
effort information (Large Pelagic Telephone Survey or LPTS), and a 
dockside survey which collects catch information and also estimates the 
proportion of vessels fishing for large pelagics that are not on the 
telephone frame (Large Pelagic Intercept Survey or LPIS). Results from 
the two survey components are combined to estimate total landings of 
Highly Migratory Species. In addition, we are requesting approval to 
continue to implement the Large Pelagic Biological Survey (LPBS) to 
collect supplemental weight and length measurements of landed fish 
through independent dockside sampling, as well as LPIS Validation 
telephone calls to validate LPIS data. Implementation of certain 
components will depend on fiscal year funding and NMFS priorities.
    NMFS, regional fishery management councils, interstate marine 
fisheries commissions, and state fishery agencies use the data in 
developing, implementing and monitoring fishery management programs. 
This collection has been the key source of data used to monitor 
recreational quotas for the harvest of bluefin tuna in the Mid-Atlantic 
and southern New England regions. Catch distributions, harvested size 
distributions, and other indices obtained in this data collection have 
formed the basis of fishery management plans and used in stock 
assessments for Atlantic highly migratory species such as tunas, 
billfish, swordfish and sharks.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for 
monitoring and managing United States (U.S.) marine fisheries 
resources. Collection of information regarding fishing for large 
pelagic species (tunas, billfishes, swordfish, and sharks) is necessary 
to fulfill the following statutory requirements: Atlantic Tunas 
Convention Act (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.), the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and to meet 
administrative requirements of the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS) Marine Recreational Fishery Policy implemented to comply with 
Executive Order 12962 on Recreational Fisheries.
    The Atlantic Tunas Convention Act at 16 U.S.C. 971d(c)(3)(I) 
provides the Secretary of Commerce the authority to ``require any 
commercial or recreational fisherman to obtain a permit from the 
Secretary and report the quantity of catch of a regulated species''. 
Section 303(a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act specifies data and analyses 
to be included in Fishery Management Plans (FMPs), as well as pertinent 
data, which shall be submitted to the Secretary of Commerce under the 
plan. Recommendation One of the NMFS Marine Recreational Fishery (MRF) 
Policy focuses on developing ``a comprehensive data acquisition and 
analysis system (participation, catch, effort and socio-economic data) 
on a regular, continuing basis'' in support of the Executive Order 
12962 requirement to assess the implementation and evaluate 
achievements of the ``Recreational Fishery Resources Conservation 
Plan.''
    Because highly migratory species are only sought on a relatively 
small proportion of the total marine recreational angler fishing trips 
made, the fishing effort directed at such species, and the resulting 
angler catches are generally not estimated very precisely or accurately 
by general (all species) recreational surveys. Therefore, the Large 
Pelagics Survey (LPS) was designed as a specialized survey that would 
focus specifically on the recreational fishery directed at large 
pelagic, also called highly migratory, species. This specialization has 
allowed higher levels of sampling needed to provide more precise and 
accurate estimates of pelagic fishing effort and catches of large 
pelagic species.
    The LPS consists of two complementary surveys: a directory frame 
telephone survey of tuna and/or HMS permit holders to obtain fishing 
effort information (Large Pelagic Telephone Survey or LPTS), and a 
dockside survey which collects catch information and also estimates the 
proportion of vessels fishing for large pelagics that are not on the 
telephone frame (Large Pelagic Intercept Survey or LPIS). Results from 
the two survey components are combined to estimate total landings of 
Highly Migratory Species. In addition, we are requesting approval to 
continue to implement the Large Pelagic Biological Survey (LPBS) to 
collect supplemental weight and length measurements of landed fish 
through independent dockside sampling, as well as LPIS Validation 
telephone calls to validate LPIS data. Implementation of certain 
components will depend on fiscal year funding and NMFS priorities.
    NMFS, regional fishery management councils, interstate marine 
fisheries commissions, and state fishery agencies use the data in 
developing, implementing and monitoring fishery management programs. 
This collection has been the key source of data used to monitor 
recreational quotas for the harvest of bluefin tuna in the Mid-Atlantic 
and southern New England

[[Page 20638]]

regions. Catch distributions, harvested size distributions, and other 
indices obtained in this data collection have formed the basis of 
fishery management plans and used in stock assessments for Atlantic 
highly migratory species such as tunas, billfish, swordfish and sharks.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Frequency: Annually, weekly or on occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Atlantic Tunas Convention Act and the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
    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 0648-0380.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-06203 Filed 3-22-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P