[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68865-68866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-19308]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 Highly Migratory Species 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 March 14, 2024, during a 60-day comment period. 
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
    Title: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Permit Family of Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0327.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission. Request for revision and 
extension of a current information collection.
    Number of Respondents: 33,050.
    Average Hours per Response: Application for Renewal of Atlantic HMS 
Permit, 10 minutes; Initial Application for an Atlantic HMS Permit, 35 
minutes; one-time application for the IMO/LR number, 30 minutes.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 8,325.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for the revision and extension of a 
current information collection, which includes both vessel and dealer 
permits.
    Under the provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation 
and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), NMFS 
is responsible for management of the Nation's marine fisheries. In 
addition, NMFS must comply with the United States' obligations under 
the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 (ATCA; 16 U.S.C. 971 et 
seq.).] Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) fisheries are managed 
under the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan (FMP) and its 
amendments pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Act and consistent

[[Page 68866]]

with ATCA. HMS implementing regulations are at 50 CFR part 635. NMFS 
issues permits to fishing vessels and dealers in order to collect 
information necessary to comply with domestic and international 
obligations, secure compliance with regulations, and disseminate 
necessary information. Regulations at Sec.  635.4 require that vessels 
participating in commercial and recreational fisheries for Atlantic HMS 
and dealers purchasing Atlantic HMS from a vessel obtain a Federal 
permit issued by NMFS.
    This action addresses the renewal of permit applications currently 
approved under PRA 0648-0327. Vessel permits include Atlantic Tunas 
(except HMS limited access permits, including longline permits, and the 
HMS Caribbean Smallboat Permit, which are approved under PRA 0648-
0205), HMS Charter/Headboat, HMS Angling, and Swordfish General 
Commercial permits. This action also includes the one-time requirement 
for commercial vessels greater than 20 meters in length to obtain an 
International Maritime Organization/Lloyd's Registry (IMO/LR) number.
    This action is also being revised to include a new requirement for 
all HMS vessel permit applications to be submitted online starting in 
2025, and the one-time requirement for all permit applicants to set up 
an account on the HMS permits website. The latter was implemented to 
make the program compatible with current federal data security 
requirements, and will make it easier for permit holders with multiple 
vessel permits to manage their permits by linking them all within a 
single account. Finally, the action is revised to remove the ability to 
submit an application for an Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine category 
permit, as the Atlantic Tunas Purse Seine category was discontinued as 
part of Amendment 13 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management 
Plan after years of inactivity in the bluefin tuna fishery. More 
information on that action can be found in the Amendment 13 final rule 
(87 FR 59966, October 3, 2022).
    The burden estimates in this renewal are also being updated to 
reflect increases in the total number of permits issued each year, and 
a $1 increase in the price of HMS vessel permits to $27 per permit, due 
to increased costs associated with maintaining and executing the 
program.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Frequency: Annually for HMS permits; Once for a vessel IMO/LR 
number.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and the Atlantic Tunas 
Convention Act of 1975 (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.).
    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 0648-0327.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-19308 Filed 8-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P