Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

SOUTH PACIFIC TUNA ACT

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0218

This change request is associated with the information requirements and associated burden for the license application (and optionally, expressions of interest in such a license) element of the currently approved collection of information under the South Pacific Tuna Act (OMB Control No. 0648-0218).

The change involves a one-time additional information collection. A Federal Register Notice will request and encourage any individual or company that plans or intends to seek authorization for a purse seine vessel to participate in the western and central Pacific ocean (WCPO) purse seine fishery (that is not currently authorized to participate in the fishery) to notify the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of such plan or intent by providing the following information: (1) whether the vessel is already built, under construction, or not yet under construction; (2) if not yet under construction, whether an agreement has been reached with a builder concerning its construction, and if so, the date of agreement; (3) the name of the vessel, if known; (4) the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Certificate of Documentation number of the vessel, if assigned; (5) the international radio call sign of the vessel, if assigned; (6) the vessel’s length overall, if known; (7) the approximate date of fishing authorization that will be sought, if known; (8) the name and contact information of the individual or company most likely to seek authorization for the vessel to participate in the WCPO purse seine fishery; and (9) the name(s) of the currently authorized purse seine vessel(s) that that person or company intends to remove from the WCPO purse seine fishery coincident with the entry of the subject vessel, if any. These instructions, as well as the published Federal Register Notice, will be posted on the Pacific Islands Region home page: http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/

under “What’s Hot Now”, as well as on the International Fisheries Division home page, http://www.fpir.noaa.gov/IFD/ifd_index.html under “News”.

Response to this collection of information is voluntary and is not required in order to obtain the necessary authorization from NMFS for a vessel to participate in the WCPO purse seine fishery.

The burden and cost of the additional information would be borne only by respondents intending to seek authorization for a United States (U.S.) purse seine vessel to participate in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) purse seine fishery, and only those that choose to respond. The new burden associated with a response to the request for information is estimated at 15 minutes per response. Responses are expected to be submitted electronically, so no additional cost burden is expected to be associated with this request. Approximately 10 or fewer responses are expected from this information request.

Total added responses: 10; total added burden: 2.5 (3) hours.

There are no changes to the license application form, or the expression of interest; the requested pieces of information will be listed in the request for information (published notice).

Total new responses and burden for this information collection: 561 + 10 responses = 571; 402 + 3 hours = 405.

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