Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; West Coast Region Groundfish Trawl Fishery Monitoring and Catch Accounting Program, 52040-52041 [2017-24382]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 216 (Thursday, November 9, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52040-52041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24382]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; West Coast 
Region Groundfish Trawl Fishery Monitoring and Catch Accounting 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 January 8, 2018.

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 pracomments@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to the West Coast Regional Office--7600 Sand Point Way NE., 
Seattle, WA 98115, Keeley Kent, telephone number ((206) 526-4655), or 
keeley.kent@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    In January 2011, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
implemented a trawl rationalization program, a catch share program, for 
the Pacific coast groundfish fishery's trawl fleet. The program was 
developed through Amendment 20 to the Groundfish Fishery Management 
Plan (FMP), under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and consists 
of an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the shorebased trawl 
fleet (including whiting and non-whiting fisheries); and cooperative 
(coop) programs for the at-sea mothership (MS) and catcher/processor 
(C/P) trawl fleets (whiting only). Fixed allocations to the limited 
entry trawl fleet were developed

[[Page 52041]]

through a parallel process with Amendment 21 to the FMP. The 
regulations implementing the program were effective January 1, 2011; 
all of the necessary tracking systems to make the program operational 
became active on January 11, 2011, the date fishing began under the new 
program. Since that time, the Council and NMFS have been addressing 
implementation issues as they arise. To achieve individual 
accountability for catch and bycatch and track total catch, the 
shorebased IFQ Program is subject to 100 percent monitoring both at-sea 
and dockside. In addition to 100 percent monitoring at-sea, motherships 
and catcher/processors are subject to flow scale requirements that 
include daily testing, reporting, and an annual inspection.

II. Method of Collection

    This collection utilizes both electronic and paper forms, depending 
on the specific item. Methods of submittal include email of electronic 
forms, and mail and facsimile transmission of paper forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0619.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular (extension of a current information 
collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 155.
    Estimated Time per Response: 10 hours for a Provider permit, 2 
hours for an annual renewal, 4 hours each for appeals and catch 
monitoring plans; 1 hour each for a catch monitor qualification 
inseason testing of shorebased scales; 2 hours for an inspection; 10 
minutes each for first receiver reports and electronic fish tickets ; 1 
minute for Pacific whiting disposition recordkeeping; 30 minutes for 
daily at-sea scale testing reports, 10 minutes for daily at-sea scale 
catch and cumulative weight reports, 1 minute each for at-sea scale 
audit trail, at-sea scale calibration log, and at-sea scale fault log, 
and 0 minutes for at-sea scale video monitoring.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,826.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $14,628 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

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 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: November 6, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-24382 Filed 11-8-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P