2017-00816. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Atlantic Sea Scallops Amendment 10 Data Collection

AGENCY:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted on or before March 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Shannah Jaburek, [phone] or [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

This request is for an extension of a currently approved information collection.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Greater Atlantic Region manages the Atlantic sea scallop (scallop) fishery of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the East Coast under the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The regulations implementing the FMP are at 50 CFR part 648. To successfully implement and administer components of the FMP, OMB Control No. 0648-0491 includes the following information collections for scallop vessel owners, operators, and fishery participants: Vessel monitoring system (VMS) trip declarations for all scallop vessels, including powerdown declarations; notification of access area trip termination for limited access scallop vessels; submission of access area compensation trip identification; submission of access area trip exchange forms; VMS purchase and installation for individuals that purchase a federally permitted scallop vessel; VMS daily catch reports; submission of ownership cap forms for individual fishing quota (IFQ) scallop vessels; submission of vessel replacement, upgrade and permit history applications for IFQ, Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM), and Incidental Catch (IC) scallop vessels; submission of VMS pre-landing notification form by IFQ vessels and limited access vessels for access areas; enrollment into the state waters exemption program; submission of requests for IFQ transfers; payment of cost recovery bills for IFQ vessels; sector proposals for IFQ vessels and industry participants; and sector operations plans for approved sector proposals.

Data collected through these programs are incorporated into the NMFS database and are used to track and confirm vessel permit status and eligibility, scallop landings, and scallop vessel allocations. Aggregated summaries of the collected information will be used to evaluate the management program and future management proposals.

II. Method of Collection

Participants will submit electronic VMS transmissions and paper applications by mail, facsimile, or email.

III. Data

OMB Number: 0648-0491.

Form Number: None.

Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a currently approved collection).

Affected Public: Business or other for-profits organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 647.

Estimated Time per Response: VMS trip declaration, trip termination, compensation trip identification, powerdown provision, daily catch reports, 2 minutes; access area trip exchange, 15 minutes; VMS purchase and installation, 2 hours; IFQ ownership cap forms, 5 minutes; vessel replacement, upgrade and permit history applications, 3 hours; VMS pre-landing notification form, 5 minutes; VMS state waters exemption program, 2 minutes; quota transfers, 10 minutes; cost recovery, 2 hours; sector proposals, 150 hours; sector operations plans, 100 hours; IFQ, Northern Gulf of Maine, and incidental catch vessel VMS requirements, 2 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 3,460.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $790,283.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Dated: January 11, 2017.

Sarah Brabson,

NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.