2017-09568. 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: U.S.-Canada Albacore Treating Reporting System.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0492.

Form Number(s): None.

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

Number of Respondents: 135.

Average Hours per Response: 5 minutes for the request to be placed on the eligible list per year; 5 minutes for required vessel markings; 15 minutes for logbook entries; 10 minutes for each set of two hail reports for border crossings per year.

Burden Hours: 839.

Needs and Uses: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), West Coast Region, manages the United States (U.S.)-Canada Albacore Tuna Treaty of 1981 (Treaty). Owners of vessels that fish from U.S. West Coast ports for albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) are required to notify the NMFS West Coast Region of their desire to be on the list of vessels provided to Canada each year indicating vessels eligible to fish for albacore tuna in waters under the jurisdiction of Canada. Additionally, vessel operators are required to report in advance their intention to fish in Canadian waters prior to crossing the maritime border, as well as to mark their fishing vessels to facilitate enforcement of the effort limits under the Treaty. Vessel operators are also required to maintain and submit a logbook of all catch and fishing effort. The regulations implementing the reporting and vessel marking requirements under the Treaty are at 50 CFR part 300.172-300.176.

The estimated burden below includes hours to complete the logbook requirement, although it is assumed that most if not all of the respondents already complete the required logbook under the mandatory West Coast Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan (HMS FMP), OMB Control No. 0648-0223. Duplicate reporting under the Treaty and HMS FMP is not required. Most years, there will be much less fishing (and thus less reporting) under the Treaty than the level on which the estimate is based.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Frequency: On occasion.

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: May 8, 2017.

Sarah Brabson,

NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.