[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 197 (Thursday, October 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 82227-82228]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23437]


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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; Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan Data Collection

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 December 9, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c987868888e7999b8889a7a6a8a8e7aea6bf"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7a34353b3b542a283b3a14151b1b541d150c">[email protected]</span></a>. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0491 in the subject line of your 
comments. All comments received are part of the public record and will 
generally be posted on https://www.regulations.gov without change. 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 Colette Tweeddale, Fishery Management Specialist, Greater Atlantic 
Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Dr., Gloucester, MA 01930, 
(978)-281-9335, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e88b87848d9c9c8dc69c9f8d8d8c8c89848da886878989c68f879e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="96f5f9faf3e2e2f3b8e2e1f3f3f2f2f7faf3d6f8f9f7f7b8f1f9e0">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a request for a renewal of an approved information 
collection.
    Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 
the Secretary of Commerce has the responsibility for the conservation 
and management of marine fishery resources. Much of this responsibility 
has been delegated to NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 
NMFS manages the Atlantic sea scallop (scallop) fishery through a set 
of regulations that limit catch of scallops and fishing vessel 
activity. In addition, regulations limit catch of certain other species 
of fish in order to minimize bycatch and bycatch mortality (bycatch is 
the catch and discard of species that are not targeted in the scallop 
fishery). Finally, the regulations control vessel permitting and the 
exchange of effort and quota allocations between vessels. In order to 
effectively manage these resources, track fishing effort and catch, and 
to allow vessel owners to exchange fishing trips and quota, NMFS must 
collect information through the reporting requirements included in this 
renewal. This renewal contains the following information collections: 
Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) requirements; Access area trip exchange 
application procedures; Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) transfers; Cost 
recovery; and IFQ sector program.

Access Area Trip Exchange Application

    The one-for-one access area trip exchange program provides 
flexibility to scallop vessels about where they may fish. Participants 
need to send an access area trip exchange application to NMFS with the 
following information: Vessel name and permit number, owner name and 
signature, specification of the areas involved in the exchange. Both 
vessels involved in the exchange are required to submit forms for cross 
verification. This measure provides flexibility to vessels regarding 
which areas to fish, thereby reducing the possibility of revenue loss 
to those vessels that are unable to access some distant areas due to 
vessel capacity constraints.

IFQ Transfers

    IFQ permit holders can temporarily and/or permanently transfer 
individual fishing quota from one IFQ vessel to another. Quota 
transfers are requested through the submission of transfer 
applications. Required information includes vessel information, quota 
transfer information, and authorizing signatures from both parties. The 
IFQ transfer program is entirely optional, and provides greater 
flexibility for IFQ permit holders by enabling them to increase their 
vessel's IFQ or for individuals to lease or sell IFQ if they choose not 
to fish the allocation.

Cost Recovery

    Section 304(d)(2) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) requires an IFQ 
cost recovery plan to recover management and enforcement costs for IFQ 
fisheries. The FMP includes an IFQ cost recovery program, whereby NMFS 
will collect up to 3% of ex-vessel value of landed product to cover 
actual costs directly related to enforcement and management of the IFQ 
program. IFQ permit holders are required to submit a cost recovery 
payment annually via a pre-existing Federal payment system called 
www.pay.gov, which is also currently used by the Alaska Region and the 
Southeast Region. Information submitted via the internet would require 
the user to establish an online account, including personal and 
financial information. This requirement is necessary in order to comply 
with the provisions of the MSA and to collect payments from individuals 
that have been granted an allocation to a public resource.

IFQ Sector Program

    The FMP contains provisions that authorize allocation of a portion 
of the overall IFQ fishery total allowable catch (TAC) to a self-
selected group of IFQ permit holders (sector), provided the sector 
provides adequate information describing the formation of the sector 
and its intended plan of operations. Individuals or other entities 
(corporations, cooperatives, etc.) proposing a sector are required to 
submit a Sector Allocation Proposal and

[[Page 82228]]

Operations Plan. Any person may submit a Sector Allocation Proposal for 
a group of limited access general category scallop vessels to the 
Council, at least 1 year in advance of the start of a sector, and 
request that the Sector be implemented through a framework procedure 
specified at Sec.  648.55. A group that wants to form a Sector and 
receive an allocation is required to submit a legally binding 
Operations Plan to the Council and the Regional Administrator. The 
operations plan must be agreed upon and signed by all members of the 
sector and, if approved, would constitute a contract. This information 
is necessary to describe the proposed sector and the proposed rules 
under which the sector would operate. This information is used to 
determine whether this sector would maintain consistency with the goals 
and objectives of the FMP.

II. Method of Collection

    Participants will submit paper applications by mail, facsimile, or 
email.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0491.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission [extension of a current 
information collection].
    Affected Public: Businesses and other for-profit organizations are 
primarily affected.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 647.
    Estimated Time per Response: Cost recovery, 2 hours; Sector 
proposals, 150 hours; Sector operations plans, 100 hours; IFQ transfer 
application 35 hours; Access area trip exchange, 45 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 980.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $23,932.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
    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 information collection request. 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,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-23437 Filed 10-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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