Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Electronic Monitoring Systems for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS), 53105-53106 [2019-21620]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 193 / Friday, October 4, 2019 / Notices the NMFS Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead. This document serves to notify the public of the availability and opportunity to comment on the HGMP. DATES: Comments must be received at the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on November 4, 2019. Comments received after this date may not be considered. ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Division, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Portland, OR 97232. Comments may be submitted by email. The mailbox address for providing email comments is: Hatcheries.Public.Comment@noaa.gov. Include in the subject line of the email comment the following identifier: Comments on Elochoman/Beaver Creek Hatchery program. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Archibald at (503) 230–5425 or by email at james.archibald@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES Background Section 9 of the ESA and Federal regulations prohibit the ‘‘taking’’ of a species listed as endangered or threatened. The term ‘‘take’’ is defined under the ESA to mean harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct. NMFS may make exceptions to the take prohibitions in section 9 of the ESA for hatchery programs that are approved by NMFS under Limit 5 of section 4(d) of the ESA (50 CFR 223.203(b)). The operator, WDFW, submitted an HGMP to NMFS pursuant to NMFS’ 4(d) Rule for salmon and steelhead for the Elochoman Type-N coho salmon hatchery program in the Columbia River Estuary. NMFS has evaluated the operations of this proposed coho salmon program for its effects on ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River, as part of its 2017 Mitchell Act Jkt 250001 Dated: September 30, 2019. Angela Somma, Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. BILLING CODE 3510–22–P • Lower Columbia River Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha): threatened, naturally and artificially propagated; • Lower Columbia River Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch): threatened, naturally and artificially propagated; • Lower Columbia River Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss): threatened, naturally and artificially propagated; • Lower Columbia River Chum (Oncorhynchus keta): endangered, naturally and artificially propagated. 16:49 Oct 03, 2019 Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531–1543; 16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq. [FR Doc. 2019–21589 Filed 10–3–19; 8:45 am] ESA-Listed Species Covered in This Notice VerDate Sep<11>2014 Biological Opinion, and found that the operations of the program would not jeopardize listed species or adversely modify their designated critical habitat. Approving the HGMP under Limit 5 of the 4(d) rule would limit application of take prohibitions for ESA-listed salmon and steelhead associated with the operation of the program. Prior to HGMP approval and the drafting of a decision memo, NOAA Fisheries is seeking public review and comment on the HGMP. The program is intended to contribute to the survival and recovery of Lower Columbia River coho salmon in the Columbia River Estuary, and enhance fishing opportunity for tribal, commercial, and recreational fisheries. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Electronic Monitoring Systems for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: 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 December 3, 2019. SUMMARY: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or at PRAcomments@doc.gov). All comments received are part of the public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 53105 publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Ian Miller, phone 301–427– 8503, or email ian.miller@noaa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and other 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 systems 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 interactions. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Law Enforcement 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 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. Additionally, electronic monitoring is used to verify disposition of retained shortfin mako sharks, consistent with binding international agreements. VMS reporting of bluefin tuna catch is used to monitor 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 E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM 04OCN1 53106 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 193 / Friday, October 4, 2019 / Notices 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). II. Method of Collection First-time VMS respondents must install a VMS unit and submit an activation checklist to NMFS via mail. Hail-out, hail-in, hourly position reports, and bluefin tuna catch reports must be submitted to NMFS electronically via the VMS communication system. First-time electronic monitoring respondents must have an electronic monitoring system installed by a NMFS contractor. Electronic monitoring data must be submitted after each pelagic longline trip via mail. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES III. Data OMB Control Number: 0648–0372. Form Number(s): None. Type of Review: Regular submission. Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. Estimated Number of Respondents: 311. Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours for initial VMS installation; 5 minutes per VMS initial activation checklist; 2 minutes per hail-out/hail-in declaration; 6 hours for initial electronic monitoring installation; 5 minutes for pelagic longline bluefin tuna catch records; 15 minutes for purse seine bluefin tuna catch records; 1 minute for dockside review of bluefin tuna catch records; 2 hours for electronic monitoring data retrieval. Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,420. Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $422,329. 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 VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:49 Oct 03, 2019 Jkt 250001 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. Sheleen Dumas, Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department. [FR Doc. 2019–21620 Filed 10–3–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510–22–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska American Fisheries Act (AFA) Permits National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: 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 December 3, 2019. SUMMARY: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or at PRAcomments@doc.gov). All comments received are part of the public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Gabrielle Aberle, National Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. Telephone (907) 586–7228. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 I. Abstract This request is for extension of a current information collection. The American Fisheries Act (AFA) was signed into law in October 1998. The purpose of the AFA was to tighten U.S. ownership standards that had been exploited under the Anti-reflagging Act, and to provide the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock fleet the opportunity to conduct their fishery in a more rational manner while protecting non-AFA participants in the other fisheries. The AFA established sector allocations in the BSAI pollock fishery, determined eligible vessels and processors, allowed the formation of cooperatives, set limits on the participation of AFA vessels in other fisheries, and imposed special catch weighing and monitoring requirements on AFA vessels. Any vessel used to engage in directed fishing for a non-western Alaska community development quota (nonCDQ) allocation of pollock in the Bering Sea and any shoreside processor, stationary floating processor, or mothership that receives pollock harvested in a non-CDQ directed pollock fishery in the Bering Sea must have a valid AFA permit on board the vessel or at the facility location at all times while non-CDQ pollock is being harvested or processed. Permanent AFA permits (AFA catcher vessel, AFA catcher/processor, AFA mothership, and AFA inshore processor) for the BSAI pollock fishery had a one-time application deadline of December 1, 2000, and were issued with an indefinite expiration date. Therefore, except for participants that require annual or replacement permits, all AFA entities required to have a permit are already permitted. This information collection contains the following AFA permitting and reporting requirements: • The AFA Permit: Rebuilt, Replacement, or Removed Vessel Application is submitted by an owner of an AFA vessel to notify NMFS the vessel has been rebuilt; to request an AFA permit for a replacement catcher vessel, catcher/processor, or mothership; or to request removal of an AFA catcher vessel that is a member of an inshore cooperative and assign its catch history to another vessel or vessels in the same cooperative. • The Application for AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit is submitted annually by each AFA inshore catcher vessel cooperative to obtain an AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit and identify the vessels and processors that will be E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM 04OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53105-53106]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-21620]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Electronic 
Monitoring Systems for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS)

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

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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 December 3, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, 
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or at 
[email protected]). All comments received are part of the public 
record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All 
Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) 
voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Ian Miller, phone 301-427-8503, or email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and other 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 systems 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 interactions.
    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Law 
Enforcement 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 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. Additionally, electronic monitoring is used to verify 
disposition of retained shortfin mako sharks, consistent with binding 
international agreements. VMS reporting of bluefin tuna catch is used 
to monitor 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

[[Page 53106]]

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).

II. Method of Collection

    First-time VMS respondents must install a VMS unit and submit an 
activation checklist to NMFS via mail. Hail-out, hail-in, hourly 
position reports, and bluefin tuna catch reports must be submitted to 
NMFS electronically via the VMS communication system. First-time 
electronic monitoring respondents must have an electronic monitoring 
system installed by a NMFS contractor. Electronic monitoring data must 
be submitted after each pelagic longline trip via mail.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0372.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 311.
    Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours for initial VMS installation; 
5 minutes per VMS initial activation checklist; 2 minutes per hail-out/
hail-in declaration; 6 hours for initial electronic monitoring 
installation; 5 minutes for pelagic longline bluefin tuna catch 
records; 15 minutes for purse seine bluefin tuna catch records; 1 
minute for dockside review of bluefin tuna catch records; 2 hours for 
electronic monitoring data retrieval.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,420.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $422,329.

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.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, 
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2019-21620 Filed 10-3-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.