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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 234 (Thursday, December 5, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 96642-96643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-28460]

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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; Aleutian Islands Pollock Fishery Requirements

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 February 3, 2025.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0513 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 Gabrielle Aberle, National Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Box 21668, 
Juneau, AK 99802-1668, (323) 372-0062, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a request for renewal of an approved information 
collection. The National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional 
Office (NMFS AKR), is the sponsor of this information collection, which 
contains the requirements for the annual participant letter for the 
Aleutian Islands pollock fishery.
    NMFS AKR manages the groundfish fisheries in the exclusive economic 
zone of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area under the 
Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands Management Area (FMP). The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) authorizes the 
North Pacific Fishery Management Council to prepare and amend fishery 
management plans for any fishery in waters under its jurisdiction.
    Amendment 82 to the FMP established a framework for the management 
of the Aleutian Islands subarea (AI) directed pollock fishery. 
Amendment 82 implemented a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-199, sec. 803) that requires the AI directed 
pollock fishery be allocated to The Aleut Corporation for the purpose 
of economic development in Adak, Alaska. The Aleut Corporation is 
identified in Public Law 108-199 as a business incorporated pursuant to 
the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). The 
Aleut Corporation's AI pollock fishery is set up so that harvesting 
pollock in the AI directed pollock fishery and processing pollock taken 
in the AI directed pollock fishery are authorized only for those 
harvesters and processors that are selected by The Aleut Corporation 
and approved by the NMFS Regional Administrator.
    The purpose of this collection is for NMFS to obtain the list of 
vessels and processors selected by The Aleut Corporation to harvest and 
process its annual AI pollock allocation. NMFS uses this information to 
manage the AI pollock fishery. Without this information, NMFS would not 
know the participants selected by The Aleut Corporation and could not 
determine

[[Page 96643]]

harvest rates, which may result in allocations being exceeded.
    The Aleut Corporation is required by Federal regulations at 50 CFR 
679.4(m)(2) to provide its selected harvesters and processors to NMFS 
for approval. The Aleut Corporation must submit its selections to NMFS 
each year at least 14 days before harvesting pollock or processing 
pollock in the AI directed pollock fishery. The information submitted 
by The Aleut Corporation consists of the names of the harvesting 
vessels and processors it has selected, the Federal fisheries permit 
numbers or Federal processor permit numbers of these participants, and 
the fishing year for which approval is requested. No information is 
submitted in years that the Aleut Corporation will not be harvesting or 
processing pollock in the AI directed fishery.
    On approval, NMFS sends The Aleut Corporation a letter that 
includes a list of the approved participants. A copy of this letter 
must be retained on board each participating vessel and on site each 
shoreside processor at all times.
    More information on the AI pollock fishery is provided on the NMFS 
Alaska Region website at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/sustainable-fisheries/aleutian-islands-pollock-fishery-alaska.

II. Method of Collection

    The participant letter may be submitted to NMFS by mail, delivery, 
email, or fax.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0513.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
    Estimated Time per Response: Annual Aleutian Islands Fishery 
Participant Letter, 16 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 16 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5 in recordkeeping and 
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
    Legal Authority: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004; 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. 2024-28460 Filed 12-4-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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