80 FR 35630 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Progress Report on Cooperative Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Minimization

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 119 (June 22, 2015)

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.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 119 (Monday, June 22, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 35630]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15235]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Progress Report 
on Cooperative Halibut Prohibited Species Catch Minimization

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 August 21, 2015.

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 [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Patsy A. Bearden, (907) 586-7008 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for revision of an existing information collection.
    The purpose of this collection is for each sector in the Bering Sea 
and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) groundfish fisheries to 
inform the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (Council) of 
their progress on voluntary, non-regulatory methods they are using 
within their fishery cooperatives to reduce halibut mortality and to 
report the effectiveness of those actions in absolute reductions in 
halibut mortality.
    At the June 2015 meeting, the Council requested that, in addition 
to providing the BSAI Halibut Prohibited Species Catch (PSC) Progress 
Report, Amendment 80 cooperatives provide their 2016 Halibut PSC 
Management Plans at the December 2015 Council meeting. Since 2011, all 
vessels and companies participating in the Amendment 80 sector have 
been affiliated with one of two Amendment 80 cooperatives, the Alaska 
Seafood Cooperative or the Alaska Groundfish Cooperative. The plans 
should be designed not just to accommodate the revised hard caps, but 
to bring savings to levels below the hard cap.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents have a choice of either electronic or paper forms. 
Methods of submittal include email of electronic forms, and mail and 
facsimile transmission of paper forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0697.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (revision of an existing 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 8.
    Estimated Time per Response: 40 hours for BSAI Halibut Bycatch 
Avoidance Progress report; 12 hours for Amendment 80 Halibut PSC 
Management Plan.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 264 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $4 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: June 17, 2015.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015-15235 Filed 6-19-15; 8:45 am]
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