2017-27927. 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: Non-commercial Permit and Reporting Requirements in the Main Hawaiian Islands Bottomfish Fishery.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0577.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Request: Regular (extension of a currently approved information collection).

Number of Respondents: 100.

Average Hours per Response: 10 minutes per paper permit application; 5 minutes per online permit application; 2 hours per appeal of denied permit; 20 minutes per trip report logsheet.

Burden Hours: 102.

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

Regulations at 50 CFR 665, Subpart C, require that all participants (including vessel owners, operators, and crew) in the boat-based non-commercial bottomfish fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone around the main Hawaiian Islands obtain a federal bottomfish permit. This collection of information is needed for permit issuance, to identify actual or potential participants in the fishery, determine qualifications for permits, and to help measure the impacts of management controls on the participants in the fishery. The permit program is also an effective tool in the enforcement of fishery regulations and serves as a link between the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and fishermen.

Regulations at 50 CFR 665 require that all vessel owners or operators in this fishery submit a completed logbook form at the completion of each fishing trip. These logbook reporting sheets document the species and amount of species caught during the trip. The reporting requirements are crucial to ensure that NMFS and the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will be able to monitor the fishery and have fishery-dependent information to develop an Annual Catch Limit for the fishery, evaluate the effectiveness of management measures, determine whether changes in fishery management programs are necessary, and estimate the impacts and implications of alternative management measures.

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Frequency: Annually and at the end of each fishing trip.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.

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

Dated: December 21, 2017.

Sarah Brabson,

NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.