86118 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 12, 2023 / Notices 

from commercial or recreational fishing 

platforms. 

To regulate these fishing activities, 

NMFS needs information to determine 

the justification for granting an EFP, 

LOA, SRP, display, or shark research 

fishery permit. The application 

requirements are detailed at 50 CFR 

600.745(b)(2). Interim, annual, and nocatch/fishing reports must also be 

submitted to the HMS Management 

Division within NMFS (excluding 

LOAs). The authority for NMFS 

requiring this information is found at 50 

CFR 635.32. 

NMFS has updated the burden 

estimates based on participation in the 

HMS Management Division’s exempted 

fishing program from 2021 through 2023 

and the Shark Research Fishery from 

2021 through 2023. 

II. Method of Collection 

Respondents can submit the required 

information via email via electronic 

forms (PDF or spreadsheet). NMFS is 

currently developing an online 

electronic reporting portal for the 

submission of required EFP reports, 

which will be available in 2024. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0471. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a currently approved 

collection). 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

58. 

Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours 

for a scientific research plan; 40 minutes 

for an application for an EFP, display 

permit, SRP, LOA, or shark research 

fishery permit; 1 hour for an interim 

report; 40 minutes for an annual fishing 

report; 15 minutes for an application for 

an amendment; 5 minutes for 

notification of departure phone calls to 

NMFS Enforcement; 10 minutes for calls 

to request and observer; and 2 minutes 

for ‘‘no-catch’’ reports. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 224. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: None. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary 

for applications and Mandatory for 

reporting and notifications. 

Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and the 

Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975. 

(16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.) 

IV. Request for Comments 

We are soliciting public comments to 

permit the Department/NMFS to: (a) 

Evaluate whether the proposed 

information collection is necessary for 

the proper functions of the Department/ 

NMFS, 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. 2023–27248 Filed 12–11–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

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; Pacific Islands Region Permit 

Family of Forms 

AGENCY: National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of information collection, 

request for comment. 

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 February 12, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are 

invited to submit written comments to 

Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, 

at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please 

reference OMB Control Number 0648– 

0490 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 Walter 

Ikehara, Fishery Information Specialist, 

National Marine Fisheries Service, 

Pacific Islands Region, 1845 Wasp 

Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, HI 96818, 

(808) 725–5175, walter.ikehara@

noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

This request is for an extension of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management Act 

established the Western Pacific Fishery 

Management Council (Council), to 

develop fishery ecosystem plans (FEP) 

for fisheries in the United States (U.S.) 

exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and high 

seas of the Pacific Islands region. These 

plans, if approved by the Secretary of 

Commerce, are implemented in Federal 

regulations by the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) 

National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS) and enforced by NOAA’s Office 

of Law Enforcement (OLE) and the U.S. 

Coast Guard (USCG), in cooperation 

with state and territorial agencies. FEPs 

regulate fishing to prevent overfishing 

and to ensure the long-term productivity 

and social and economic benefit of the 

resources. 

Regulations at 50 CFR 665, Subpart F, 

require that a vessel used to fish with 

longline gear for western Pacific pelagic 

management unit species (PMUS), land 

or transship longline caught PMUS, or 

receive longline caught PMUS from a 

longline vessel, within the Exclusive 

Economic Zone (EEZ) or management 

subarea around U.S. islands in the 

central and western Pacific must be 

registered to a valid Federal fishing 

permit. The regulations also require that 

a vessel used to fish with squid jig gear 

for pelagic squid species listed in the 

western Pacific PMUS within the EEZ or 

management subareas around U.S. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 12, 2023 / Notices 86119 

islands in the central and western 

Pacific, or fish with troll and handline 

gear for PMUS in allowed locations 

within the EEZ around each of the 

Pacific Remote Island Areas (PRIA), 

must be registered to a valid Federal 

fishing permit. 

Regulations at 50 CFR parts 665, 

Subparts D and E, require that the 

owner of a vessel used to fish for, land, 

or transship bottomfish management 

unit species (BMUS) using a large vessel 

(50 ft or longer) in the Guam 

management subarea, fish commercially 

for BMUS in the Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana Islands management 

subarea, or fish for BMUS in allowed 

locations within the EEZ around each of 

the PRIA, must register it to a valid 

Federal fishing permit. 

Regulations at 50 CFR parts 665, 

Subparts B, C, D, and E, require that the 

owner of a vessel used to fish for, land, 

or transship crustacean management 

unit species (CMUS) in the EEZs or 

management subareas around American 

Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, Northern 

Mariana Islands, or in allowed locations 

within the EEZ around each of the 

PRIA, must register it to a valid Federal 

fishing permit. The regulations also 

require that a vessel used to fish for 

precious corals within the EEZ or 

management subarea around U.S. 

islands in the central and western 

Pacific must be registered to a valid 

Federal fishing permit for a specific 

precious coral permit area. 

This collection of information is 

needed for permit issuance, to identify 

actual or potential participants in the 

fishery, determine qualifications for 

permits, and to help measure the 

impacts of management controls on the 

participants in the fishery. The permit 

program is also an effective tool in the 

enforcement of fishery regulations and 

facilitates communication between 

NMFS and fishermen. 

II. Method of Collection 

Respondents may submit applications 

and required documents via secure 

email, or via online application systems 

where implemented. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0490. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a current information 

collection). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations; individuals or 

households; not-for-profit institutions; 

state, local, or tribal government; 

Federal government. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

276. 

Estimated Time per Response: Hawaii 

longline limited entry permit: renew via 

secure email—30 min; renew online— 

15 min; transfer—1 hr; apply for closed 

area exemption or permit appeal—2 hr. 

American Samoa longline limited entry 

permit: renew or apply for additional 

permit via secure email—45 min; 

transfer—1 hour 15 min; permit 

appeal—2 hr. All other permits: apply 

via secure email—30 min; apply 

online—15 min. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 131.5. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $12,650. 

Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory. 

Legal Authority: 50 CFR 665. 

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. 2023–27245 Filed 12–11–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

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; For-Hire Telephone Survey 

The Department of Commerce will 

submit the following information 

collection request to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review and clearance in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, on or after the date of publication 

of this notice. We invite 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. Public 

comments were previously requested 

via the Federal Register on 09/05/2023 

during a 60-day comment period. This 

notice allows for an additional 30 days 

for public comments. 

Agency: National Oceanic & 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

Title: For-Hire Telephone Survey. 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0709. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Request: Regular submission 

(extension of a current information 

collection). 

Number of Respondents: 21,930. 

Average Hours per Response: 3 

minutes, 30 seconds. 

Total Annual Burden Hours: 1,279. 

Needs and Uses: This request is for 

extension of a currently approved 

information collection. The For-Hire 

Survey (FHS) is conducted for NMFS to 

estimate fishing effort on for-hire vessels 

(i.e., charter boats and head boats) in 

coastal states from Maine to Mississippi. 

These data are required to carry out 

provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), as 

amended, regarding conservation and 

management of fishery resources. 

The FHS collects fishing effort 

information from for-hire vessel 

representatives by telephone interview. 

For-hire vessels are randomly selected 

for the FHS from a comprehensive 

sample frame developed and 

maintained by NMFS. A sample of 10% 

of the vessels on the FHS frame are 

selected for reporting each week. Each 

interview collects information about the 

vessel, the number and type of trips the 

vessel made during the reporting week, 

the number of anglers on each trip, and 

other trip-level information. 


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