[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 88 (Friday, May 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27110-27111]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09830]


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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; Specified Fishing Agreements for U.S. Territorial Catch, 
Effort, and Allocation Limits

    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 January 20th, 2022 during a 60-day comment period. 
This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
    Agency: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
    Title: Specified Fishing Agreements for U.S. Territorial Catch, 
Effort, and Allocation Limits.
    OMB Control Number: 0648-0689.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Request: Regular (extension of a current collection of 
information).
    Number of Respondents: 3.
    Average Hours per Response: 30 hours per agreement; 15 hours per 
appeal.
    Total Annual Burden Hours: 90.
    Needs and Uses: The Fishery Ecosystem Plan for Pacific Pelagic 
Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region (FEP) and regulations at 50 CFR 
665.819 allow the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) 
to recommend and NMFS to implement catch or fishing effort limits for 
pelagic fisheries in the Territory of American Samoa, the Territory of 
Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) 
(hereinafter, ``territory'' or ``territories''). The regulations 
further allow NMFS to authorize the government of each territory to 
allocate a portion of its catch or fishing effort limit to U.S. fishing 
vessels through specified fishing agreements between the vessels and 
the respective territories. Payments made by the vessels under these 
agreements support fisheries development in the territories.
    Specified fishing agreements include the identity of fishing 
vessels subject to the agreement, the amount (weight) of fish or 
fishing effort to which the agreement applies, and any amount paid 
under the agreement. Additionally, an authorized official of the U.S. 
territory and each vessel owner or their designated representative must 
sign the agreements. There is no specified form for an agreement.
    NMFS uses the information in the agreements to determine vessel 
eligibility, and ensure the amount of fish or fishing effort allocated 
under the agreement is consistent with the FEP, the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, other applicable laws, and the 
conservation needs of the fish stock.
    The request also includes a change to the collection's title for 
improved clarity, from ``Amendment 7 to the Fishery Ecosystem Plan for 
Pelagic Fisheries of the Western Pacific Region--U.S. Territorial Catch 
and Fishing Effort Limits'' to ``Specified Fishing Agreements for U.S. 
Territorial Catch, Effort, and Allocation Limits.''
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations; State or Territorial governments.
    Frequency: Annual.

[[Page 27111]]

    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 50 CFR 665.819).
    This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. 
Follow the instructions to view 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 0648-0689.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2022-09830 Filed 5-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P