60-day FRN

60184

Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 168 / Thursday, August 31, 2023 / Notices

The
purpose of the meeting is for the
Advisory Panel to create a Fishery
Performance Report that includes
advisor input on recent spiny dogfish
catch, specifications, and related
management measures.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Special Accommodations
The meeting is physically accessible
to people with disabilities. Requests for
sign language interpretation or other
auxiliary aid should be directed to
Shelley Spedden, (302) 526–5251, at
least 5 days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: August 28, 2023.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–18857 Filed 8–30–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

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; NMFS Observer Programs’
Information That Can Be Gathered
Only Through Questions
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 October 30, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0593 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.

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SUMMARY:

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Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Ken
Keene, National Observer Program
Coordinator, NOAA, 1315 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910,
(301–427–8158), and kenneth.keene@
noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract
This is a request for revision and
extension of an existing information
collection.
The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) deploys fishery observers on
United States (U.S.) commercial fishing
vessels and to fish processing plants in
order to collect biological and economic
data. NMFS has at least one observer
program in each of its five Regions.
These observer programs provide the
most reliable and effective method for
obtaining information that is critical for
the conservation and management of
living marine resources. Observer
programs primarily obtain information
through direct observations by
employees or agents of NMFS; and such
observations are not subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).
However, observer programs also collect
the following information that requires
clearance under the PRA: (1)
Standardized questions of fishing vessel
captains/crew or fish processing plant
managers/staff, which include gear and
performance questions, safety questions,
and trip costs, crew size and other
economic questions; (2) questions asked
by observer program staff/contractors to
plan observer deployments; (3) forms
that are completed by observers and that
fishing vessel captains are asked to
review and sign; (4) questionnaires to
evaluate observer performance; and (5)
a form to certify that a fisherman is the
permit holder when requesting observer
data from the observer on the vessel.
The information collected will be
used to: (1) Monitor catch and bycatch
in federally managed commercial
fisheries; (2) understand the population
status and trends of fish stocks and
protected species, as well as the
interactions between them; (3)
determine the quantity and distribution
of net benefits derived from living
marine resources; (4) predict the
biological, ecological, and economic
impacts of existing management action
and proposed management options; and
(5) ensure that the observer programs
can safely and efficiently collect the
information required for the previous

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four uses. In particular, these biological
and economic data collection programs
contribute to legally mandated analyses
required under the Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MSA), the Endangered Species Act
(ESA), the Marine Mammal Protection
Act (MMPA), the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA),
Executive Order 12866 (E.O. 12866), as
well as a variety of state statutes. The
confidentiality of the data will be
protected as required by the MSA,
section 402(b).
This collection will be revised as
follows. First is the expansion of
observers to include an additional
fishery. The Southeast region will begin
sending observers out on Southeast reef
fish fishery trips and thus needs to add
this fishery to this collection. Second,
NOAA is combining the Southeast
observer efforts into one program. The
third change is the West Coast
Groundfish Observer Program (WCGOP)
would like to start collecting the names
of crew members within their observer
logbooks. The data will be recorded on
paper, scanned in, and stored according
to vessel name. This information will
only be accessed if there is an
enforcement issue. The final change is
also within the West Coast Groundfish
Observer Program. They have
introduced a new phone app that
captains are using to declare upcoming
fishing trips and NMFS is using to let
them know if they have been selected
for observer coverage. Other observer
programs are also working on
converting to smart phone apps, but
they have not yet been implemented.
II. Method of Collection
The information will be collected by
(1) NMFS observers while they are
deployed on a vessel to observe a
particular fishing trip; questions will be
asked in-person to the captain, crew
and/or owner (if on board the vessel)
during the course of the observed trip;
(2) via mail through follow up surveys
of economic information not available
during the trip; (3) via telephone or mail
survey by the observer program staff or
contractor planning to deploy observers;
or (4) via feedback questionnaires
mailed to the vessel owners or captains
to evaluate observer performance.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0593.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
13,212.

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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 168 / Thursday, August 31, 2023 / Notices
Estimated Time per Response:
Northeast Fisheries Observer Program
and At-Sea Monitors, 117 minutes;
North Pacific Groundfish and Halibut
Observer Program and Processing
Plants, 56 minutes; Alaska Marine
Mammal Observer Program, 15 minutes;
West Coast Groundfish Observer
Program, 31 minutes; Pacific Islands
Region Observer Program, 86 minutes;
Southeast Fishery Observer Program, 55
minutes; West Coast Region Observer
Program, 62 minutes. Information will
be collected for observed fishing trips
and deployments to fish processing
plants; therefore, there will be multiple
responses for some respondents, but
counted as one response per trip or
plant visit.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 16,253.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $459,631.
Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary.
Legal Authority: The primary
authority for NMFS to place observers
on fishing vessels is included in the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (MSA), the
Endangered Species Act (ESA), and the
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA).
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 Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023–18815 Filed 8–30–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
[RTID 0648–XD306]

60185

assessment results to managers for fish
stocks in the offshore U.S. waters of the
northwest Atlantic. Assessments are
prepared by the lead stock assessment
analyst and reviewed by an independent
panel of stock assessment experts. The
public is invited to attend the
presentations and discussions between
the review panel and the scientists who
have participated in the stock
assessment process.
The public portion of the
Management Track Assessment Peer
Review Meeting will be held from
September 18, 2023 to September 20,
2023. The meeting will conclude on
September 20, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern
Standard Time. Please see
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for the
daily meeting agenda.
DATES:

The meeting will be held
via Google Meet:

ADDRESSES:

https://meet.google.com/qza-zvku-oig
+1 252–987–4102
PIN: 732 891 507#
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alexander Dunn, 508–495–2195,
alexander.dunn@noaa.gov.
For
further information, please visit the
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
(NEFSC) website at https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-englandmid-atlantic/population-assessments/
fishery-stock-assessments-new-englandand-mid-atlantic. For additional
information about management track
assessment peer review, please visit the
NEFSC web page at https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-englandmid-atlantic/population-assessments/
management-track-stock-assessments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

September Management Track Peer
Review Meeting
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting.
AGENCY:

NMFS will convene the
Assessment Oversight Panel (AOP) to
convene the Management Track
Assessment Peer Review Meeting for the
purpose of reviewing Red Hake (North
and South), Acadian Redfish, Skate
Complex, Atlantic Mackerel, Northern
Windowpane Flounder, and Spiny
Dogfish stocks. The Management Track
Assessment Peer Review is a formal
scientific peer-review process for
evaluating and presenting stock

SUMMARY:

Daily Meeting Agenda—Management
Track Peer Review Meeting
The agenda is subject to change; all
times are approximate and may be
changed at the discretion of the Peer
Review Chair.

ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
Time

Subject

Presenter

9 a.m.–9:15 a.m .................................................

Welcome/Logistics/Conduct of Meeting ...........

9:15 a.m.–10:45 a.m ..........................................

Red Hake (North and South) ...........................
Discussion/Questions .......................................
Break.
Red Hake (North and South) cont ...................
Discussion/Questions .......................................
Morning Wrap Up Summary/Discussion ..........
Public Comment ...............................................
Lunch.
Acadian Redfish ...............................................
Discussion/Questions .......................................
Break.
Acadian Redfish cont .......................................

Michele Traver, Russ Brown, Adrian Jordaan,
Chair.
Toni Chute.
Panel.

10:45 a.m.–11 a.m .............................................
11 a.m.–12 p.m ..................................................
12 p.m.–12:15 p.m .............................................
12:15 p.m.–12:30 p.m ........................................
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m ..........................................
1:30 p.m.–3 p.m. ................................................
3 p.m.–3:15 p.m .................................................
3:15 p.m.–4:30 p.m ............................................

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Toni Chute.
Panel.
Panel.
Public.
Brian Linton.
Panel.
Brian Linton.

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