Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 21 / Wednesday, January 31, 2024 / Notices 6097 

regulatory steps taken to carry out the 

conservation and management 

objectives is to collect data from users 

of the resource. Regulations at 50 CFR 

648.11(g) require observer service 

providers to comply with specific 

requirements in order to operate as an 

approved provider in the Atlantic sea 

scallop (scallop) fishery. Observer 

service providers must comply with the 

following requirements: submit 

applications for approval as an observer 

service provider; formally request 

observer training by the Northeast 

Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP); 

submit observer deployment reports and 

biological samples; give notification of 

whether a vessel must carry an observer 

within 24 hours of the vessel owner’s 

notification of a prospective trip; 

maintain an updated contact list of all 

observers that includes the observer 

identification number; observer’s name 

mailing address, email address, phone 

numbers, homeports or fisheries/trip 

types assigned, and whether or not the 

observer is ‘‘in service.’’ The regulations 

also require observer service providers 

submit any outreach materials, such as 

informational pamphlets, payment 

notification, and descriptions of 

observer duties as well as all contracts 

between the service provider and 

entities requiring observer services for 

review to NMFS/NEFOP. Observer 

service providers also have the option to 

respond to application denials, and 

submit a rebuttal in response to a 

pending removal from the list of 

approved observer providers. 

Regulations at § 648.11(k)(2) require 

that limited access, limited access 

general category individual fishing 

quota, and Northern Gulf of Maine 

scallop vessels notify NMFS prior to the 

beginning of a scallop trip to facilitate 

the deployment of at-sea observers. 

Previously, vessels either called or 

email to notify NMFS of an upcoming 

scallop trip. NMFS will be adding a new 

method for notification called the PreTrip Notification System (PTNS). The 

integration of the scallop notification 

requirement into the PTNS helps 

standardize observer operations 

between fisheries and modernize 

reporting systems. The PTNS is a 

mobile-friendly website that is more 

sophisticated and flexible than the aging 

interactive voice response technology. 

The change to the PTNS does not affect 

determination of scallop coverage rates 

or the compensation analysis. There are 

no changes to the requirements vessels 

must abide by if selected to carry an 

observer, such as equal 

accommodations, a harassment-free 

environment, and other safety 

requirements. This change is not 

expected to impact the burden response 

time, but NOAA will continue to 

monitor use of this new tool, and will 

update the collection if it results in any 

burden changes at our next renewal. 

These requirements allow NMFS/ 

NEFOP to effectively administer the 

scallop observer program. 

II. Method of Collection 

The approved observer service 

providers submit information to NMFS/ 

NEFOP via email, fax, or postal service. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0546. 

Form Number: None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension and revision of a currently 

approved information collection). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organization. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

622. 

Estimated Time per Response: 

Application for approval of observer 

service provider, 10 hours; applicant 

response to denial of application for 

approval of observer service provider, 

10 hours; observer service provider 

request for observer training, 30 

minutes; observer deployment report, 10 

minutes; observer availability report, 10 

minutes; safety refusal report, 30 

minutes; submission of raw observer 

data, 5 minutes; observer debriefing, 2 

hours; biological samples, 5 minutes; 

rebuttal of pending removal from list of 

approved observer service providers, 8 

hours; vessel request to observer service 

provider for procurement of a certified 

observer, 25 minutes; vessel request for 

waiver of observer coverage 

requirement, 10 minutes; observer 

contact list updates, 5 minutes; observer 

availability updates, 1 minute; service 

provider material submissions, 30 

minutes; service provider contracts, 30 

minutes. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 6,320. 

Estimated Total Annual Cost to 

Public: $60,545. 

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. 2024–01925 Filed 1–30–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

[RTID 0648–XD688] 

Caribbean Fishery Management 

Council; Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of public virtual meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council’s (Council) 

District Advisory Panels (DAPs) will 

hold a public virtual joint meeting to 

discuss the items contained in the 

tentative agenda included in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

DATES: The DAPs public virtual joint 

meeting will be held on February 21, 

2024, from 10a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The 

meeting will be at Atlantic standard 

time (AST). 

ADDRESSES: You may join the DAPs 

public virtual joint meeting (via Zoom) 

from a computer, tablet or smartphone 

by entering the following addresses: 

Join Zoom Meeting: DAPs https://

us02web.zoom.us/j/88004907357?

pwd=ZnRPL0g4ekMzWHRJUzA1K1Fo

RnVOdz09 

Meeting ID: 880 0490 7357 

Passcode: 849982 

One tap mobile: 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
6098 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 21 / Wednesday, January 31, 2024 / Notices 

+17879451488,,88004907357#,

,,,*849982# Puerto Rico 

+17879667727,,88004907357#,,

,,*849982# Puerto Rico 

Dial by your location: 

• +1 787 945 1488 Puerto Rico 

• +1 787 966 7727 Puerto Rico 

• +1 939 945 0244 Puerto Rico 

• +1 669 444 9171 US 

Meeting ID: 880 0490 7357 

Passcode: 849982 

Find your local number: https://

us02web.zoom.us/u/kbtRmz6s7w 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Miguel Rolo ́n, Executive Director, 

Caribbean Fishery Management Council, 

270 Mun ̃ oz Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, 

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00918–1903; 

telephone: (787) 398–3717. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The items 

included in the tentative agenda are: 

February 21, 2024 

10 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

—Environmental Equal Justice—Heather 

Blough, NOAA Fisheries, SERO 

1:30 p.m.–3 p.m. 

—NOAA Fisheries Permits Process 

Presentation—Jessica Stephen, NOAA 

Fisheries, SERO 

3 p.m.–3:30 p.m. 

—Other Business 

Other than the starting date and time 

the order of business may be adjusted as 

necessary to accommodate the 

completion of agenda items, at the 

discretion of the Chair. 

The meeting will begin on February 

21, 2024 at 10 a.m. AST, and will end 

on February 21, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. AST. 

Special Accommodations 

For any additional information on this 

public hybrid meeting, you may contact 

Diana Martino, Caribbean Fishery 

Management Council, 270 Mun ̃ oz 

Rivera Avenue, Suite 401, San Juan, 

Puerto Rico, 00918–1903, telephone: 

(787) 226–8849. 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. 

Dated: January 26, 2024. 

Rey Israel Marquez, 

Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2024–01916 Filed 1–30–24; 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; An Observer Program for At 

Sea Processing Vessels in the Pacific 

Coast Groundfish Fishery 

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 April 1, 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– 

0500 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 Matt 

Dunlap, Fishery Policy Analyst, West 

Coast Regional Office, 7600 Sand Point 

Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, (206) 526– 

6119, or matthew.dunlap@noaa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

In 2011, the National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS) mandated observer 

requirements for the West Coast 

groundfish trawl catch shares program. 

For all fishery sectors, observers must be 

obtained through third-party observer 

provider companies operating under 

permits issued by NMFS. The 

regulations at §§ 660.140 (h), 660.150 (j), 

and 660.160 (g), specify observer 

coverage requirements for trawl vessels 

and define the responsibilities for 

observer providers, including reporting 

requirements. Regulations at § 660.140 

(i) specify requirements for catch 

monitor coverage for first receivers. Data 

collected by observers are used by 

NMFS to estimate total landed catch 

and discards, monitor the attainment of 

annual groundfish allocations, estimate 

catch rates of prohibited species, and as 

a component in stock assessments. 

These data are necessary to comply with 

the Magnuson-Stevens Act requirements 

to prevent overfishing. In addition, 

observer data is used to assess fishing 

related mortality of protected and 

endangered species. 

II. Method of Collection 

This collection utilizes both 

electronic and paper forms, depending 

on the specific item. Methods of 

submittal include email of electronic 

forms, and mail and facsimile 

transmission of paper forms. 

Additionally, this collection utilizes 

interviews for some information 

collection and phone calls for 

transmission of other information. 

III. Data 

OMB Control Number: 0648–0500. 

Form Number(s): None. 

Type of Review: Regular submission 

(extension of a current information 

collection). 

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

268 (5 providers (supplying a total of 75 

observers or catch monitors) and 263 

fishing vessels). 

Estimated Time per Response: For 

providers: 15 minutes for observer 

training/briefing/debriefing registration, 

notification of observer physical 

examination, observer status reports, 

other reports on observer harassment, 

safety concerns, or performance 

problems, catch monitor status reports, 

and other catch monitor reports on 

harassment, prohibited actions, illness 

or injury, or performance problems; 5 

minutes for observer safety checklist 

submission to NMFS, observer provider 

contracts, observer information 

materials, catch monitor provider 

contracts, and catch monitor 

informational materials; 10 minutes for 

certificate of insurance; 7 minutes for 

catch monitor training/briefing 

registration, notification of catch 

monitor physical examination, and 

catch monitor debriefing registration. 

For vessels: 10 minutes for fishing 

departure reports and cease-fishing 

reports. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 525 (305 for providers and 220 

for fishing vessels. 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1