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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 28, 2020 / Notices
and related permits is necessary for the
collection of Atlantic Highly Migratory
Species (HMS) for public display and
scientific research that requires
exemption from regulations (e.g.,
seasons, prohibited species, authorized
gear, minimum sizes) that otherwise
may prohibit such collection. Display
permits are issued for the collection of
HMS for the purpose of public display,
and a limited number of shark research
fishery permits are issued for the
collection of fishery-dependent data for
future stock assessments and
cooperative research with commercial
fishermen to meet the shark research
objectives of the Agency.
Regulations at 50 CFR 600.745 and 50
CFR 635.32 govern scientific research
activity, exempted fishing, and
exempted educational activities with
respect to Atlantic HMS. Since the
Magnuson-Stevens Act does not include
scientific research within the definition
of ‘‘fishing,’’ scientific research is
exempt from this statute, and NMFS
does not issue EFPs for bona fide
research activities (e.g., research
conducted from a research vessel and
not a commercial or recreational fishing
vessel) involving species that are only
regulated under the Magnuson-Stevens
Act (e.g., most species of sharks) and not
under ATCA. NMFS requests copies of
scientific research plans for these
activities and indicates concurrence by
issuing a LOA to researchers to indicate
that the proposed activity meets the
definition of scientific research and is
therefore exempt from regulation.
Scientific research is not exempt from
regulation under ATCA. NMFS issues
SRPs for collection of species managed
under this statute (i.e., tunas, swordfish,
billfish, and some shark species), which
authorize researchers to collect Atlantic
HMS from bona fide research vessels
(e.g., NMFS or university research
vessel). NMFS will issue an EFP when
research/collection involving such
species occurs from commercial or
recreational fishing platforms.
To regulate these fishing activities,
NMFS needs information to determine
the justification for granting an EFP,
LOA, SRP, display, or shark research
fishery permit. The application
requirements are detailed at 50 CFR
600.745(b)(2). Interim, annual, and nocatch/fishing reports must also be
submitted to the Atlantic HMS
Management Division within NMFS.
The authority for NMFS requiring this
information is found at 50 CFR 635.32.
NMFS has updated the burden
estimates based on participation in the
Atlantic HMS Management Division’s
exempted fishing program from 2018 to

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2019 and the Shark Research Fishery
from 2018 to 2019.
II. Method of Collection
Respondents can submit the required
information via email via electronic
forms.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0471.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(extension of a currently approved
collection.)
Estimated Number of Respondents:
48.
Estimated Time per Response: 2 hours
for a scientific research plan; 40 minutes
for an application for an EFP, display
permit, SRP, LOA, or shark research
fishery permit; 1 hour for an interim
report; 40 minutes for an annual fishing
report; 15 minutes for an application for
an amendment; 5 minutes for
notification of departure phone calls to
NMFS Enforcement; 10 minutes for calls
to request and observer; and 2 minutes
for ‘‘no-catch’’ reports.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 610.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: None.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary
for applications and Mandatory for
reporting and notifications.
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.)
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to
permit the Department/NMFS 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 ICR. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that

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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,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2020–23824 Filed 10–27–20; 8:45 am]
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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; Greater Atlantic Region
Dealer Purchase Reports
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
AGENCY:

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 28, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at Adrienne.thomas@noaa.gov. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0229 in the subject line of your
comments. 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 David
Ulmer, Fishery Reporting Specialist,
Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries
Office, 55 Great Republic Drive,
Gloucester, MA 01930, (757–723–0303/
978–559–1552), David.Ulmer@noaa.gov.
SUMMARY:

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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 209 / Wednesday, October 28, 2020 / Notices

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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I. Abstract
This is a request to extend a currently
approved information collection.
The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is
responsible for the stewardship of the
Nation’s living marine resources and
their habitats within the United States
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The
mandates and authorities are derived
from numerous statutes, most
significantly the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MSA), the Endangered Species Act
(ESA), and the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA).
Under the MSA, the Secretary of
Commerce has the responsibility for
conservation and management of the
nation’s marine fishery resources. Much
of this responsibility has been delegated
to NMFS. In an effort to achieve the
goals of the MSA, several fisheries are
now being managed by harvest limits
including quotas, annual target total
allowable catches (TAC) and domestic
annual harvest (DAH) limits. These
fisheries often have short fishing
seasons and require in-season
management measures, such as closures
and trip limits, to ensure that harvest
levels established in each Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) are not
exceeded. Therefore, as more fisheries
are being managed by harvest limits, the
timely collection of data from dealers
and vessel owners and operators is and
will continue to be a necessary
component of most management
regimes, as evidenced in several FMPs.
All federal permitted dealers of
Atlantic mackerel, squid, butterfish,
Atlantic sea scallop, Atlantic surfclam,
ocean quahog, Northeast (NE)
multispecies, monkfish, summer
flounder, scup, black sea bass, Atlantic
bluefish, spiny dogfish, Atlantic herring,
skates, tilefish, hagfish, American
lobster must have been issued and have
in their possession a federal dealer
permit in order to purchase such species
from fishing vessels. Federal permitted
dealers in the above fisheries are
required to submit certain information
regarding their fish purchases to NMFS.
Trip-level (trip by trip) reports provide
the comprehensive data that are
necessary for successful long-term
management of each fishery.
In all fisheries requiring mandatory
reporting, ’negative reporting’ by dealers
is required if no fish was purchased
during the reporting period. Negative
reports are necessary in order to
accurately identify dealers who have not

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purchased fish as opposed to those who
have failed to report their purchases.
All large vessel at-sea processors of
Atlantic mackerel that have been issued
and have in their possession a federal
at-sea processor permit may purchase
mackerel from fishing vessels at sea for
processing provided the large vessel did
not harvest the mackerel. These Federal
permitted vessels are also required to
submit certain information regarding
their fish purchases to NMFS.
The information collected is used by
several offices of NMFS, the Northeast
Fishery Management Council, the MidAtlantic Fishery Management Council,
and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission (ASMFC) to monitor quotamanaged species, ensuring that
conservation and management actions
may be taken in a timely manner.
Accurate and timely landings reports
are especially important for monitoring
commercial landings by species and
evaluating the effectiveness of each FMP
in achieving its fishing mortality targets.
In addition to the uses specifically
relating to management of individual
species, the statistics collected through
these reports will be incorporated into
the NMFS databases which are used in
many analyses by various offices of
NMFS, the Regional Fishery
Management Councils, the United States
Coast Guard (USCG), state fishery
enforcement agencies, the Departments
of State and Commerce, Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), the
Corps of Engineers, Congressional staffs,
the fishing industry, and the public. The
data also serve as inputs to a variety of
uses such as biological analyses and
stock assessments, and in support of
Executive Order (E.O.) 12866
‘‘Regulatory Planning and Review’’,
quota and allocation selections and
monitoring, economic profitability
profiles, trade and import tariff
decisions, allocation of grant funds
among states, and identification of
ecological interactions among species.
Data used are also utilized for
monitoring and evaluating ESA and
MMPA actions.
II. Method of Collection
Dealers submit purchase information
through an electronic process by one of
the following: The web based system as
administered by the Atlantic Coast
Cooperative Statistics Program, a
computer based trip ticket program
approved by the NMFS, or through a
NMFS approved proprietary
mechanism.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0229.
Form Number(s): None.

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Type of Review: Regular submission
(extension of a current information
collection).
Affected Public: Individuals or
households; Business or other for-profit
organizations; Not-for-profit
institutions; State, Local, or Tribal
government; Federal government.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
596.
Estimated Time per Response: 4
minutes per trip.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 33,074.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: 624,437.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act, Code of Federal Regulations Title
50 Part 648.
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 ICR. 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,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2020–23823 Filed 10–27–20; 8:45 am]
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