OMB files this comment in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11(c). This OMB action is not an approval to conduct or sponsor an information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This action has no effect on any current approvals. If OMB has assigned this ICR a new OMB Control Number, the OMB Control Number will not appear in the active inventory. For future submissions of this information collection, reference the OMB Control Number provided. In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, OMB is withholding approval at this time. Prior to publication of the final rule, the agency must submit to OMB a summary of all comments related to the information collection contained in the proposed rule and the agency response. The agency should clearly indicate any changes made to the information collection as a result of these comments.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
07/31/2023
07/31/2023
07/31/2023
35,409
0
35,409
5,276
0
5,276
384,233
0
384,233
This request is for revision of the information collection to incorporate proposed changes in Atlantic bluefin tuna reporting requirements under Amendment 13 (RIN 0648-BI08) to the 2006 Atlantic Consolidated Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Fishery Management Plan (FMP) (Amendment 13). These changes include expanding an existing requirement to report commercial fishing interactions with bluefin tuna to Atlantic Tunas Longline permitted vessels using green-stick gear, and removal of reporting requirement for vessels fishing with purse seine gear, which would no longer be allowed.
US Code:
16 USC 971
Name of Law: Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975
This rule would change the existing requirements for the collection of information (OMB # 0648-0372) by modifying the VMS reporting requirement for vessels issued an Atlantic Tunas Longline permit that are fishing with green-stick gear. Such vessels would be required to report through VMS, the number, length range, and disposition of bluefin caught using green-stick gear. This requirement would increase the number of responses by only 5 to 10, because of the low number of vessels expected to use green-stick gear and the low rate of bluefin bycatch. The burden hours associated with a single response is 5 minutes, for a burden hour increase of 1. This requirement would not change the total number of respondents and have a de minimis impact on total costs.
Secondly, this proposed rule would remove the requirements for vessels fishing with purse seine gear to report bluefin information through VMS, because this rule would eliminate the provisions that allow fishing with purse seine gear. The removal of this requirement would reduce the number of responses by 43, the estimate of total burden by six hours and reduce the estimated cost burden by almost two thousand dollars.
$1,486,847
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Clifford Hutt 301 427-8588
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Vessel Monitoring System Certification Statement for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species
0648-0372 Supporting Statement Part A.docx
Vessel Monitoring System for Atlantic Highly Migratory Species - purchase, installation and activation checklist