Federal Register: December 29, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 250)
DOCID: FR Doc E6-22338
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOTICE: NOTICES
DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice.
SUBJECT CATEGORY:
Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Vessel Chartering Permits
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 27, 2007.
DOCUMENT 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.
SUMMARY:
Agency information collection activities; proposals, submissions, and approvals,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
I. Abstract
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issues Atlantic Highly
Migratory Species (HMS) Chartering Permits to applicable vessels to
allow U.S. fishing vessels to fish for HMS within the Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ) of other nations in a manner consistent with
another country's regulations. The permits collect data consistent with
an International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
(ICCAT) recommendation that states that at the time of the chartering
arrangement, the chartering and flag Contracting parties shall provide
specific information concerning the charter to the ICCAT Executive
Secretary, including vessel details, target species, duration, and
consent of the flag Contracting Party or Cooperating nonContracting
Party, Entity, or Fishing Entity. Current regulations require U.S. vessels to
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submit information regarding their chartering arrangements. The
information collected from chartering permit applications will be used
to ensure that vessels entering into chartering agreements comply with
ICCAT conservation and management measures. The NMFS would use
information submitted in applications for chartering arrangements, and
other applicable notifications (such as termination notifications from
the applicant indicating a desire to terminate their chartering
agreement), to monitor the activities and durations of such
arrangements targeting HMS in the Atlantic Ocean. NMFS would report
this information annually to the Executive Secretary of ICCAT as a
means of demonstrating compliance with ICCAT's conservation and management recommendations.
II. Method of Collection
Information is submitted on forms or other written format, and may be submitted electronically by email.
III. Data
OMB Number: 06480495.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Business and other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 10.
Estimated Time Per Response: 40 minutes for a Chartering permit application; and 5 minutes for a termination notification.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 8.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $8.
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: December 22, 2006.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer. [FR Doc. E622338 Filed 122806; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 351022P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Karyl BrewsterGeisz, National Marine Fisheries Service at (301) 7132347 or Karyl.BrewsterGeisz@noaa.gov.