[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 180 (Tuesday, September 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64413-64414]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20278]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program: Permits and Reports

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

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before November 20, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f9b7b6b8b8d7a9abb8b997969898d79e968f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b2fcfdf3f39ce2e0f3f2dcddd3d39cd5ddc4">[email protected]</span></a>. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0545 in the subject line of your 
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise 
sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Gabrielle Aberle, National Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, 
Juneau, AK, 99802-1668. Telephone 907-586-7356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Regional 
Office, is requesting extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    This information collection contains requirements for the Central 
Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program (Rockfish Program) and is necessary for 
NMFS to administer and monitor compliance with the management 
provisions of the Rockfish Program. This information collection is 
required in Rockfish Program regulations at 50 CFR part 679.
    The Rockfish Program is a limited access privilege program 
developed to enhance resource conservation and improve economic 
efficiency in the Central Gulf of Alaska rockfish fisheries. The 
rockfish fisheries are conducted in Federal waters near Kodiak, Alaska, 
by trawl vessels and longline vessels. The Rockfish Program assigns 
quota share (QS) to License Limitation Program (LLP) licenses for 
rockfish primary and secondary species based on legal landings 
associated with that LLP.
    Each year, an LLP license holder assigns the LLP license with 
rockfish QS to a rockfish cooperative. Each rockfish cooperative 
receives an annual cooperative fishing quota (CQ), which is an amount 
of primary and secondary rockfish species the cooperative is able to 
harvest in that fishing year.
    This collection contains the information collection requirements 
submitted by the rockfish cooperatives for an annual rockfish CQ 
permit, inter-cooperative quota transfers, and vessel check-in/check-
out and termination of fishing reports.
    The Application for Rockfish Cooperative Fishing Quota is submitted 
annually by a rockfish cooperative to receive the cooperative's annual 
CQ

[[Page 64414]]

permit. The application collects rockfish cooperative identification 
information, LLP holder and ownership documentation for the members of 
the cooperative applying for QS, identification information for vessels 
of the cooperative members, shoreside processor associate 
identification information, certifications of the cooperative 
representative and processor associate(s) and required attachments.
    The Application for Inter-Cooperative Transfer of CQ is used by a 
rockfish cooperative to transfer CQ to another rockfish cooperative. 
The information collected includes information on the QS to be 
transferred. This information is used by NMFS to monitor transfers to 
ensure they do not exceed ownership or use caps for the fishery.
    The Rockfish Program vessel check-in report must be submitted 
before a vessel authorized to fish under the cooperative's permit 
starts fishing for the cooperative, and a check-out report when a 
vessel stops fishing for the cooperative during the fishing season. The 
check-in and check-out reports are necessary so that NMFS's catch 
accounting system can identify catch by a vessel that should accrue to 
a rockfish cooperative quota allocation from catch that occurs in 
other, non-Rockfish Program fisheries.
    A rockfish cooperative may choose to terminate its CQ permit 
through a termination of fishing report submitted to NMFS. This 
notifies NMFS that all vessels fishing for the cooperative have 
completed fishing in the Rockfish Program for the year.

II. Method of Collection

    The information is collected by mail, fax, delivery, and 
electronically through eFISH on the NMFS Alaska Region website at 
https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0545.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 7.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Application for Rockfish Cooperative 
Fishing Quota: 2 hours; Application for Inter-Cooperative Transfer of 
Rockfish Cooperative Quota: 10 minutes; Rockfish Program Vessel Check-
In/Check-Out and Termination of Fishing Report: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 35 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $35 in recordkeeping and 
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits; 
Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023-20278 Filed 9-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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