2010-31832. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Vessel Monitoring System Requirement in the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0573.

Form Number(s): NA.

Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection).

Number of Respondents: 1,500.

Average Hours per Response: Installation/activation reports and exemption reports, 5 minutes; declaration reports, 4 minutes.

Burden Hours: 2,114.

Needs and Uses: This request is for a renewal of a currently approved information collection.

NOAA has established large-scale depth-based management areas, referred to as Groundfish Conservation Areas (GCAs), where groundfish fishing is prohibited or restricted. These areas were specifically designed to reduce the catch of species while allowing healthy fisheries to continue in areas and with gears where little incidental catch of overfished species is likely to occur. Because NOAA needs methods to effectively enforce area restrictions, certain commercial fishing vessels are required to install and use a vessel monitoring system (VMS) that automatically sends hourly position reports. Exemptions from the reporting requirement are available for inactive vessels or vessels fishing outside the monitored area. The vessels are also required to declare what gear will be used.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Frequency: Every four years and on occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: [e-mail].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Diana Hynek, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to [e-mail].

Dated: December 14, 2010.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.