[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 117 (Monday, June 17, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51310-51311]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13295]


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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: Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Amendment 14 Data 
Collection

AGENCY: National Oceanic and 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 August 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested person are invited to submit written comment to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0679 in the subject line of your 
comments. All comments received are part of the public record and will 
generally be posted on http://www.regulations.gov without change. 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 Maria Fenton, Fishery Policy Analyst, 55 Great Republic Drive, 
Gloucester, MA 01930, (978) 281-9196, or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a request for renewal of an approved information 
collection. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act, the Secretary of Commerce has the responsibility for 
the conservation and management of marine fishery resources. Much of 
this responsibility has been delegated to the NOAA's National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS). Under this stewardship role, the Secretary 
was given certain regulatory authorities to ensure the most beneficial 
uses of these resources. One of the regulatory steps taken to care out 
the conservation and management objectives is to collect information 
from users of the resources.
    This collection requires limited access mackerel and longfin squid/
butterfish moratorium permit holders to bring all catch aboard the 
vessel and make it available for sampling by an observer. If a catch is 
not made available to an observer before discard, that catch is defined 
as slippage, and the vessel operator must complete a ``Released Catch 
Affidavit'' form within 48 hours of the end of the fishing trip which 
details why catch was slipped, estimates the quantity and species 
composition of the slipped catch, and records the time and location of 
the slipped catch.

[[Page 51311]]

    This collection also requires any vessel with a limited access 
mackerel permit intending to land over 20,000 lb of mackerel to contact 
NMFS at least 48 hours in advance of a fishing trip to request an 
observer. Vessels currently contact NMFS via phone, and selection 
notices or waivers are issued by NMFS via VMS. If service providers are 
unable to provide coverage, an owner, operator, or vessel manager may 
request a waiver by calling the Northeast Fisheries Observer Program. 
Additionally, if a fishing trip is cancelled, vessels must notify NMFS 
of the cancelled trip to prevent observers from being deployed to a 
cancelled trip.

II. Method of Collection

    Information is submitted on paper and electronically.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0679.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
individual or households, state, local, or tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,035.
    Estimated Time per Response: Pre-trip notification to observer 
program, 5 minutes; Trip Cancellation notification to observer program, 
1 minute; Released Catch Affidavit, 5 minutes; and Vessel Permit Swap 
Form, 5 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 765.85.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $4,358.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Agency to: (a) 
Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is necessary for 
the proper functions of the Agency, 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 information collection request. 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. 2024-13295 Filed 6-14-24; 8:45 am]
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