Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northeast Multispecies Days-at-Sea Leasing Program, 26512-26513 [2012-10722]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26512-26513]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10722]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northeast 
Multispecies Days-at-Sea Leasing Program

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 3, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at JJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Anna Macan, (978) 281-9165, or Anna.Macan@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension of this information collection.
    National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Region manages 
the Northeast Multispecies fishery of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 
of the Northeastern United States through the Northeast Multispecies 
Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The New England Fishery Management 
Council prepared the FMP pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA). The regulations implementing the 
FMP are specified at 50 CFR part 648 Subpart F. The NE multispecies 
Days-at-Sea (DAS) leasing requirements at Sec.  648.82(k) form the 
basis for this collection of information.
    The NE Multispecies DAS leasing program was implemented in 2004 as 
a result of Amendment 13 (69 FR 22906) which substantially reduced the 
number of DAS available for the NE multispecies vessels. To mitigate 
some of the adverse impact associated with the reduction in DAS, the NE 
Multispecies Leasing Program was developed to enable vessels to 
increase their revenue by either leasing additional DAS from another 
vessel to increase their participation in the fishery, or by leasing 
their unused allocated DAS to another vessel.
    NMFS requests DAS leasing application information in order to 
process and track requests from allocation holders to transfer DAS to 
another vessel. This information, upon receipt, results in an 
increasingly more efficient and accurate database for management and 
monitoring of fisheries of the Northeastern U.S. EEZ. The DAS leasing 
downgrade information is collected to allow vessel owners that are 
eligible to lease Northeast multispecies DAS a one-time downgrade in 
their baseline specifications to their current vessel specifications. 
This one-time downgrade provides greater flexibility for vessel owners 
to lease their DAS.

II. Method of Collection

    Applicants can submit a DAS leasing request either through mail or 
electronically. Fillable applications may be completed online, but must 
be printed and signed to complete and the originals must be mailed. 
Applicants may choose to submit a lease electronically by logging into 
their personal fish-on-line accounts at https://www.nero.noaa.gov/NMFSlogin/login/login and clicking on the Days At Sea Leasing section.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0475.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 505.
    Estimated Time Per Response: DAS Leasing Application, 5 minutes; 
Request to Downgrade, 1 hour.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 88.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $495.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be

[[Page 26513]]

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of 
information on respondents, including through the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: April 30, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-10722 Filed 5-3-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P