[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 114 (Monday, June 16, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Page 25246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-11066]


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

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; Scientific Research, Exempted Fishing, and Exempted 
Educational Activity Submissions

    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 January 8, 2025, 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: Scientific Research, Exempted Fishing, and Exempted 
Educational Activity Submissions.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0309.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission [extension of a current 
information collection].
    Number of Respondents: 246.
    Average Hours per Response: Scientific research plans, 13 hours; 
scientific research reports, 6 hours; exempted fishing permit requests, 
10 hours; exempted fishing permit reports, 4.5 hours; exempted 
educational requests, 5 hours; exempted educational reports, 2.5 hours.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,164.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a current 
information collection.
    Under section 318 (d) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and 
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) [16 U.S.C. 1801 
et seq.], as amended by the Sustainable Fisheries Act [Pub. L. 104-
297], the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) is required to promulgate 
regulations that create an expedited, uniform, and regionally-based 
process to promote issuance, where practicable, of experimental fishing 
permits. Regulations under 50 CFR 648.12 and 50 CFR 600.745 establish 
processes for scientific research plans as well as exempted fishing and 
exempted educational activities that are exempted from applicable 
fishing regulations. Fishery regulations do not generally affect 
scientific research activities conducted by a scientific research 
vessel. Persons planning to conduct such research are encouraged to 
submit a scientific research plan to ensure that the activities are 
considered research and not fishing. The researchers are requested to 
submit reports of their scientific research activity after its 
completion. Eligible researchers on board federally permitted fishing 
vessels that plan to temporarily possess fish in a manner not compliant 
with applicable fishing regulations for the purpose of collecting 
scientific data on catch may submit a request for a temporary 
possession letter of authorization. The researchers are requested to 
submit reports of their scientific research activity after its 
completion. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) may also grant 
exemptions from fishery regulations for educational or other activities 
(e.g., using non-regulation gear). The applications for these 
exemptions must be submitted, as well as reports on activities.
    Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit organizations and 
not-for-profit institutions such as educational and research 
institutions.
    Frequency: As needed.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory and Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: 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 0648-0309.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2025-11066 Filed 6-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P