2011-18907. 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): NA.

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

Number of Respondents: 100.

Average Hours per Response: Permit application, 15 minutes; appeal of denied permit, 2 hours; trip report logsheet, 20 minutes.

Burden Hours: 100.

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

All non-commercial participants (including vessel owners, operators, and crew) in the boat-based bottomfish fishery in the main Hawaiian Islands are required to obtain a federal bottomfish permit, pursuant to 50 CFR part 665. 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.

All vessel owners or operators in this fishery are required to 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 estimate of an Annual Catch Limit (annual Total Allowable Catch) 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 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: July 21, 2011.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.