[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 8, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7138-7139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-02602]


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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; Collection of High Resolution Spatial and Temporal Fishery To 
Support Scientific Research

    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 October 29, 2021 during a 60-day comment period. 
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.
    Title: Collection of High Resolution Spatial and Temporal Fishery 
Dependent Data to Support Scientific Research.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-XXXX.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular Submission (new information collection).
    Number of Respondents: 39.
    Average Hours per Response: 30 minutes to complete registration, 
and 35 minutes per day for vessels collecting trip level data.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 908.
    Needs and Uses: Commercial fishers from the Northeast and Mid-
Atlantic will collaborate with NOAA Fisheries, Northeast Fisheries 
Science Center (NEFSC) Cooperative Research Branch to voluntarily 
collect detailed fishery dependent data during commercial fishing 
trips. Collection of information regarding fishing for commercial

[[Page 7139]]

fisheries is necessary to fulfill the following statutory requirements: 
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 
1801 et seq.).
    Fishers will use the Fisheries Logbook Data Reporting Software 
(FLDRS) to collect high resolution information on fishing effort and 
catch. The goal is to enable fishers to collect more accurate and 
precise data on where and how many fish are caught, and how much effort 
was expended. This high resolution data will lead to improved accuracy 
of commercial fisheries data and better understanding of fishery 
dynamics. The FLDRS software was designed to record data at the haul 
(effort) level, similar to the level of data collected by the Northeast 
Fisheries Observer Program (NEFOP) but can be used to collect sub trip 
level data and is approved for federal eVTR. FLDRS can be integrated 
with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), 
depth sounders and temperature/depth sensors. The FLDRS software can 
use the VMS to transmit a trip data file to NEFSC email account where 
it is ultimately uploaded to NEFSC database. Alternatively, the vessel 
operator can choose to manually upload trip files using the web-based 
application Vessel Electronic Reporting Web Portal (VERS).
    Temperature and Depth (TD) data will be collected opportunistically 
and dependent on fisher interest. TD probes will be used to monitor the 
duration of time gear is fished in addition to collecting temperature 
and depth data. The high resolution catch data in conjunction with 
temperature depth data can be used to validate oceanographic and 
habitat models to produce oceanographic and species density forecasts 
for fishers. These species specific density forecast can be used as a 
tool while fishing to maximize efficiency and avoid limited stocks.
    By collecting these data, we are improving the data available to 
support improved understanding of population, ecosystem, and fishery 
dynamics in the northeast region. These improved understandings help 
the Northeast Fisheries Science Center inform management so they can 
meet the standards laid out in the Magnuson Stevens Act. Without 
working with the fishing industry to collect these data we are severely 
restricting our access to the best available data to support needed 
research that informs management decisions.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Frequency: As needed.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson Stevens Act.
    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 the title of the collection.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2022-02602 Filed 2-7-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P