[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 194 (Thursday, October 6, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69514-69515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-24207]
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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: Electronic Monitoring Systems for Atlantic Highly Migratory
Species (HMS) Fisheries.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0372.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular (revision and extension of a currently
approved information collection).
Number of Respondents: 194.
Average Hours per Response: Four hours for initial VMS
installation; 5 minutes per VMS initial activation checklist; 2 minutes
per VMS hail-out/hail-in declaration; 6 hours for electronic monitoring
installation; 5 minutes for VMS pelagic longline bluefin tuna catch
reporting; 15 minutes for VMS purse seine bluefin tuna catch records; 1
minute for dockside review of bluefin tuna catch records previously
[[Page 69515]]
submitted via VMS; 2 hours for electronic monitoring data retrieval.
Burden Hours: 6,420.
Needs and Uses: This request is for revision and extension of a
currently approved information collection.
VMS and electronic monitoring systems collect important information
on fishing effort, catch, and the geographic location of fishing effort
and catch for certain sectors of the Atlantic HMS fleet. Data collected
through these programs are used in both domestic and international
fisheries management, including for law enforcement, stock assessments,
and quota management purposes. Atlantic HMS vessels required to use VMS
are pelagic longline, purse seine, bottom longline (directed shark
permit holders in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia), and
gillnet (directed shark permit holders consistent with the requirements
of the Atlantic large whale take reduction plan requirements at 50 CFR
229.39.(h)) vessels. In addition to VMS, pelagic longline vessels are
also required to have electronic monitoring systems to monitor catch
and account for bluefin tuna harvest and discards. Revision: NMFS will
now pay EM electronic data retrieval and review costs.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Law
Enforcement (OLE) monitors fleet adherence to gear- and time-area
restrictions with VMS position location data. Gear restricted areas and
time-area closures are important tools for Atlantic HMS management that
have been implemented to reduce bycatch of juvenile swordfish, sea
turtles, and bluefin tuna, among other species. Electronic monitoring
data from the pelagic longline fleet includes bluefin tuna discard and
harvest information. These data are used by NMFS to accurately monitor
bluefin tuna catch by the pelagic longline fleet, to ensure compliance
with Individual Bluefin Quota (IBQ) limits and requirements, and to
ensure that the Longline category bluefin tuna quota is not over-
harvested. VMS reporting of bluefin tuna catch is used to monitor the
status of IBQ allocations in real-time. Atlantic HMS fisheries are
managed under the dual authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and the Atlantic Tunas
Conservation Act (ATCA). Under the MSA, management measures must be
consistent with ten National Standards, and fisheries must be managed
to maintain optimum yield, rebuild overfished fisheries, and prevent
overfishing. Under ATCA, the Secretary of Commerce shall promulgate
regulations, as necessary and appropriate, to implement measures
adopted by the International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
Affected Public: Business and other for-profit organizations.
Frequency: Daily and on occasion.
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: October 3, 2016.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2016-24207 Filed 10-5-16; 8:45 am]
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