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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 94713-94714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27911]

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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 Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Individual Bluefin 
Tuna Quota Tracking and Appeals

    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 July 16, 2024, during a 60-day comment period. This 
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
    Title: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Individual Bluefin Tuna 
Quota Tracking and Appeals.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0677.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular submission (request for extension of a 
current information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 240.
    Average Hours per Response: 12 minutes for initial application for 
IBQ account, 15 minutes per IBQ allocation lease, and 15 minutes per 
IBQ Cost Recovery.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 96.
    Needs and Uses: This request is for renewal and extension of a 
currently approved information collection. Under the provisions of the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is 
responsible for management of the Nation's marine fisheries. NMFS must 
also promulgate regulations, as necessary and appropriate, to carry out

[[Page 94714]]

obligations the United States undertakes internationally regarding tuna 
management through the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA, 16 U.S.C. 
971 et seq.).
    Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan 
(79 FR 71510, December 2, 2014) implemented individual bluefin tuna 
quota (IBQ) shares and allocations for vessels permitted in the 
Atlantic Tunas Longline category through the IBQ online system. IBQs 
are intended to fairly and effectively allocate limited quota for 
incidental capture of Atlantic bluefin tuna among vessels in the 
Longline category, while minimizing dead discards and discouraging 
interactions with bluefin tuna. An online system developed by NMFS 
tracks allocations and allocation leases, and reconciles allocation 
with bluefin tuna catches for quota monitoring. This collection of 
information accounts for the reporting burden associated with 
allocation and lease tracking. Amendment 13 to the 2006 Consolidated 
HMS FMP (87 FR 59966) reaffirmed the need for IBQs and, among other 
things, made adjustments to the vessel allocation process, and 
established procedures for cost recovery if deemed necessary.
    First-time vessel permit holders in the affected categories must 
obtain and set up an IBQ account in the online ``IBQ Catch Shares 
Program'' in order to be issued IBQ shares and resultant allocation, to 
lease IBQ, and to resolve quota debt. To use the electronic IBQ System, 
first-time participants will need to request an account and set their 
account up with background information. The information collected 
during account issuance and set-up will be used by NMFS to verify the 
identity of the individual/business and whether they qualify for IBQ 
allocation leasing.
    The lease monitoring information collected by the online system 
will be used by each permit holder to keep track of their individual 
IBQ allocation, and document allocation leases with other IBQ 
participants. NMFS will use these data to ensure proper accounting of 
allocations among participants, and to track use of quota allocations 
and reconcile allocation usage with bluefin tuna catch and landings.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: Once for IBQ account set up; annually, or as needed, for 
IBQ lease applications; and annually for IBQ cost recovery.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    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.).
    This information collection request may be viewed at 
www.reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view the Department of 
Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.
    Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information 
collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of 
this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. 
Find this particular information collection by selecting ``Currently 
under 30-day Review--Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search 
function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB 
Control Number 0648-0677.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-27911 Filed 11-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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