Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region Gear Identification Requirements
| Citation | 85 FR 14186 |
| Record Number | 2020-04931 |
| Published date | 11 March 2020 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 48 (Wednesday, March 11, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 48 (Wednesday, March 11, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14186-14187]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-04931]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; NOAA Fisheries
Greater Atlantic Region Gear Identification Requirements
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. This action proposes to extend the
information collection for the Greater Atlantic Gear Identification.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before May 11, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer,
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or via the
internet 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 Laura Hansen, Fishery Management Specialist, NMFS,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930; 978-281-9225, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This is a request for renewal of a current information collection.
This notice is for the extension of Paperwork Reduction Act
requirements regarding Greater Atlantic Region fishing gear marking
requirements. Regulations at 50 CFR 648.84(a),(b), and (d),
648.123(b)(3), 648.144(b)(1), 648.264(a)(5), and 697.21(a) and (b)
require that Federal permit holders using certain types of fishing gear
mark the gear with specified information for the purposes of vessel and
gear identification (e.g., hull identification number, Federal fishing
permit number, etc.). The regulations also specify how the gear is to
be marked for the purposes of visibility (e.g., buoys, radar
reflectors, etc.).
The success of fisheries management programs depends on regulatory
compliance. The ability to link fishing gear to the vessel owner or
operator is crucial to the enforcement of regulations under the
authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act. The ability to identify gear allows state and federal enforcement
personnel to identify permit holders that are using unapproved gear
configuration, using the gear during a time restriction, or using gear
in a restricted area. In the Greater Atlantic Region, gear marking is
required of permit holders in the Northeast multispecies longline and
gillnet fisheries, American lobster trap fishery, scup trap/pot
fishery, the deep-sea red crab fishery, the tilefish longline fishery,
and the black sea bass trap/pot fishery.
The marking of gear is also a valuable tool in ascertaining
ownership of lost or damaged gear, as well as gear involved in civil
proceedings. Gear can be lost or damaged as the result of interactions
[[Page 14187]]
between mobile and fixed gears. Gear identification is an important
tool in identifying the parties involved in these conflicts. Proper
marking also makes gear more visible to other vessels in the water to
aid in navigation and increase safety at sea.
The quantity of gear in this collection is distinguished by the
number of attached end lines associated with each string of hooks,
pots, or traps. As such, a single Federal permit holder may be
responsible for marking several strings of a given gear type, or may
use multiple different gear types that require marking.
II. Method of Collection
No information is submitted to NMFS as a result of this collection.
The vessel's hull identification number or other means of
identification specified in the regulations must be affixed to the buoy
or other part of the gear as specified in the regulations.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0351.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current
information collection).
Affected Public: Individuals and households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 4,789.
Estimated Time per Response: 1 minute per string of gear.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 16,886.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $47,890.
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,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-04931 Filed 3-10-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
