[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 35 (Friday, February 21, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 10157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03456]
[[Page 10157]]
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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: South Pacific Tuna Act.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0218.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Revision and Extension (of a currently approved
information collection).
Number of Respondents: 41.
Average Hours per Response: License application, 1 hour; VMS
registration application, 45 minutes; catch report, 1 hour; unloading
logsheet, 30 minutes; expression of interested, 2 hours; and renewal,
15 minutes.
Burden Hours: 536.
Needs and Uses: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) collects vessel license, vessel registration, catch, and
unloading information from operators of U.S. purse seine vessels
fishing under the provisions of the Treaty on Fisheries between the
Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the
United States of America (Treaty). The Treaty provides access for U.S.
purse seine vessels to fish in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of
Pacific Island Parties to the Treaty (PIPs). The PIPs include
Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,
Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New
Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. This
collection of information is required to meet U.S. obligations under
the Treaty. This collection of information also includes purse seine
net sharing reporting requirements and purse seine whale shark
encirclement reporting requirements, pursuant to regulations
implementing decision of the Commission for the Conservation and
Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central
Pacific Ocean (WCPFC).
The South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 973-973r) and U.S.
implementing regulations (50 CFR part 300, subpart D) authorize the
collection of information from U.S. purse seine vessels fishing in the
EEZs of PIPs under the Treaty. Vessel operators must submit annual
vessel license and registration (including registration of vessel
monitoring system (VMS) units) applications and periodic written
reports of catch and unloading of fish from licensed vessels. They are
also required to ensure the continued operation of VMS units on board
licensed vessels, which is expected to require periodic maintenance of
the units. The information collected is submitted to the Pacific
Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) through the U.S. government,
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The license and
registration application information is used by the FFA to determine
the operational capability and financial responsibility of a vessel
operator interested in fishing under the Treaty. Information obtained
from vessel catch and unloading reports is used by the FFA to assess
fishing effort and fishery resources in the region and to track the
amount of fish caught within each PIP's EEZ. Maintenance of VMS units
is needed to ensure the continuous operation of the VMS units, which,
as part of the VMS administered by the FFA, are used as an enforcement
tool. If the information is not collected, the U.S. government will not
meet its obligations under the Treaty, and the lack of fishing
information will result in poor management of the fishery resources.
Similarly, the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention
Implementation Act (WCPFCIA; 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) and U.S.
implementing regulations (50 CFR part 300 subpart O) authorize the
collection of information from U.S. vessels fishing for highly
migratory species in the WCPFC's area of competence. The net sharing
and whale shark encirclement reporting requirements under this
collection of information is needed for fisheries management and
enforcement purposes. If the information is not collected, the U.S.
government will not meet its obligations as a member of the WCPFC, and
the lack of fishing information will result in poor management of the
fishery resources.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
Frequency: 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.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-03456 Filed 2-20-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P