[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 147 (Monday, August 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38393-38394]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-18376]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


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: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Observer Programs' 
Information That Can Be Gathered Only Through Questions.
    OMB Control Number: None.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission.
    Number of Respondents: 4,323.
    Average Hours per Response: One hour and 20 minutes, including pre-
deployment information, information gathered directly from captain/crew 
during trips, reimbursement requests and observer evaluations.
    Burden Hours: 17,455.
    Needs and Uses: NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 
deploys fishery observers on United States commercial fishing vessels 
and to fish processing plants in order to collect biological and 
economic data. NMFS has at least one observer program in each of its 
six Regions. These observer programs provide the only reliable or most 
effective method for obtaining information that is critical for the 
conservation and management of living marine resources. Observer 
programs primarily obtain information through direct observations by 
employees or agents of NMFS or through non-standardized oral 
communication in connection with such direct observations; and such 
collections are not generally subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act 
(PRA). However, observer programs also collect the following 
information that requires clearance under the PRA: (1) Standardized 
questions of fishing vessel captains/crew or fish processing plant 
managers/staff, which include gear and performance questions, safety 
questions, and trip costs, crew size and other economic questions; (2) 
questions asked by observer program staff/contractors to plan observer 
deployments; (3) forms that are completed by observers and that fishing 
vessel captains are asked to review and sign; (4) questionnaires to 
evaluate observer performance; (5) information used to ensure that the 
data for a specific trip are not provided to an individual (e.g., 
fisherman) who does not have authority to obtain that data under the 
confidentiality requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (MSA) and/or the Marine Mammal 
Protection Act (MMPA); and (6) information on reimbursement forms. NMFS 
has received PRA clearances for the second and fourth types of 
collections for some observer programs (OMB Control Numbers 0648-0423 
and 0648-0202 for deployment questions, and 0648-0550 and 0648-0536 for 
observer evaluations); those burden hours are now included in this 
national, comprehensive PRA submission.
    The information collected will be used to: (1) Monitor catch and 
bycatch; (2) understand the population status and trends of fish stocks 
and protected

[[Page 38394]]

species, as well as the interactions between them; (3) determine the 
quantity and distribution of net benefits derived from living marine 
resources; (4) predict the biological, ecological, and economic impacts 
of existing management action and proposed management options; and (5) 
ensure that the observer programs can safely and efficiently collect 
the information required for the previous four uses.
    In particular, these biological and economic data collection 
programs contribute to analyses required under the MSA, the Endangered 
Species Act (ESA), the MMPA, the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), Executive Order 12866 (EO 
12866), as well as a variety of state statutes. The confidentiality of 
the data will be protected as required by law.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: On occasion.
    Respondent's Obligation: Some mandatory (e.g., vessel safety 
checks), most voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: David Rostker, (202) 395-3897.
    Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained 
by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance 
Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 14th and 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dabe92a3b4bfb19abeb5b9f4bdb5ac"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e98da190878c82a98d868ac78e869f">[email protected]</span></a>).
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice 
to David Rostker, OMB Desk Officer, FAX number (202) 395-7285, or 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#98dcf9eef1fcc7caf7ebecf3fdead8f7f5fab6fdf7e8b6fff7ee"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c88ca9bea1ac979aa7bbbca3adba88a7a5aae6ada7b8e6afa7be">[email protected]</span></a>.

    Dated: July 28, 2009.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-18376 Filed 7-31-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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