2019-21621. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Electronic Logbook for the Commercial Shrimp Fishery in the Gulf of Mexico  

  • Start Preamble

    AGENCY:

    National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), 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 by December 3, 2019.

    ADDRESSES:

    Direct all written comments to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer, NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159, Asheville, NC 28801 (or at PRAcomments@doc.gov). All comments received are part of the public record. Comments will generally be posted without change. All Personally Identifiable Information (for example, name and address) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

    Start Further Info

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Adam Bailey, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, Sustainable Fisheries Division, 263 13th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, 727-824-8305, or adam.bailey@noaa.gov.

    End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a current information collection.

    The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) authorizes the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) to prepare and amend fishery management plans for any fishery in waters under its jurisdiction. NMFS manages the commercial shrimp fishery in Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) under the Fishery Management Plan for the Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf.

    The electronic logbook (ELB) regulations for the Gulf shrimp fishery may be found at 50 CFR 622.51(a)(2). These regulations require vessel owners or operators issued a Federal commercial permit for Gulf shrimp to participate in the NMFS-sponsored ELB reporting program. As of July 15, 2019, there are approximately 1,412 valid or renewable Federal permits to commercially harvest shrimp from Federal waters in the Gulf. Reporting through a vessel's ELB, such owners or operators must provide information regarding the size and number of shrimp trawls deployed, and the type of bycatch reduction device and turtle excluder device used for each trip. Compliance with the ELB reporting requirements is required to renew the Gulf shrimp permit.

    Monitoring shrimp vessels is challenging when they operate together with many other fishing vessels of differing sizes, gears types, and fishing capabilities. Monitoring is made even more challenging by seasonal variability in shrimp abundance and price, and the broad geographic distribution of the fleet. ELBs provide a precise means of estimating the amount of shrimp fishing effort. Using ELBs to estimate fishing effort serves an important role to help estimate bycatch in the Gulf shrimp fleet.

    II. Method of Collection

    The current ELB unit automatically collects fishing effort data and transmits those data via a cellular phone connection activated when the vessel is within non-roaming cellular range.

    III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0543.

    Form Number(s): None.

    Type of Review: Regular submission.

    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,412.

    Estimated Time per Response: 3 hours.

    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 4,236.

    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $338,880.

    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.

    Start Signature

    Sheleen Dumas,

    Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department.

    End Signature End Supplemental Information

    [FR Doc. 2019-21621 Filed 10-3-19; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 3510-22-P

Document Information

Published:
10/04/2019
Department:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice.
Document Number:
2019-21621
Dates:
Written comments must be submitted by December 3, 2019.
Pages:
53113-53113 (1 pages)
PDF File:
2019-21621.Pdf