[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 70 (Monday, April 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 19640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08352]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request
The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Title: West Coast Region, Gear Identification Requirements.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0352.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved
information collection).
Number of Respondents: 685.
Average Hours per Response: 15 minutes.
Burden Hours: 574.
Needs and Uses: This request is for extension of a currently
approved information collection.
The success of fisheries management programs depends significantly
on regulatory compliance. The requirements that fishing gear be marked
are essential to facilitate enforcement. The ability to link fishing
gear to the vessel owner or operator is crucial to enforcement of
regulations issued under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act. The marking of fishing gear is also
valuable in actions concerning damage, loss, and civil proceedings. The
regulations specify that fishing gear must be marked with the vessel's
official number, Federal permit or tag number, or some other specified
form of identification. The regulations further specify how the gear is
to be marked (e.g., location and color). Law enforcement personnel rely
on gear marking information to assure compliance with fisheries
management regulations. Gear that is not properly identified is
confiscated. Gear violations are more readily prosecuted when the gear
is marked, and this allows for more cost-effective enforcement. Gear
marking helps ensure that a vessel harvests fish only from its own
traps/pots/other gear are not illegally placed. Cooperating fishermen
also use the gear marking numbers to report suspicious or non-compliant
activities that they observe, and to report placement or occurrence of
gear in unauthorized areas. The identifying number on fishing gear is
used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the United States
Coast Guard (USCG), and other marine agencies in issuing regulations,
prosecutions, and other enforcement actions necessary to support
sustainable fisheries behaviors as intended in regulations. Regulation-
compliant fishermen ultimately benefit from these requirements, as
unauthorized and illegal fishing is deterred and more burdensome
regulations are avoided.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
Frequency: Every five years.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice
to [email protected] or fax to (202) 395-5806.
Dated: April 7, 2015.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-08352 Filed 4-10-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P