2018-07885. Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Reporting of Sea Turtle Incidental Take in Virginia Chesapeake Bay Pound Net Operations

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 June 15, 2018.

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 Carrie Upite, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930; [phone]; or [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

This request is for extension of a current information collection.

This action would continue the reporting measure requiring all Virginia Chesapeake Bay pound net fishermen to report interactions with endangered and threatened sea turtles, found both live and dead, in their pound net operations. When a live or dead sea turtle is discovered during a pound net trip, the Virginia pound net fisherman is required to report the incidental take to National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and, if necessary, the appropriate rehabilitation and stranding network. This information will be used to monitor the level of incidental take in the state-managed Virginia pound net fishery and ensure that the seasonal pound net leader restrictions (50 CFR 223.206(d)(10)) are adequately protecting listed sea turtles. Based on the number of sea turtle takes anticipated in the Virginia pound net fishery and the available number of Virginia pound net fishermen and pound nets, the number of responses anticipated on an annual basis is 988. This is an increase from the previous information collection (n=483) as we used the maximum number of possible licensed pound net sites per Virginia fishery regulations (n=161) on which to base our information collection estimate, rather than the number of documented sites from NMFS monitoring efforts (n=80), as the latter is outdated and may be an underestimate.

II. Method of Collection

Reports may be made either by telephone or fax.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0648-0470.

Form Number(s): None.

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

Affected Public: Individuals or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 35.

Estimated Time per Response: 10 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 165.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $227 in recordkeeping/reporting costs.

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: April 11, 2018.

Sarah Brabson,

NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.