60-day FRN

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 234 / Monday, December 7, 2015 / Notices
• Representatives of a businessowned or co-owned vessel must bring
proof that the individual is an agent of
the business (such as articles of
incorporation), a copy of the applicable
swordfish and/or shark permit(s), and
proof of identification.
• Vessel operators must bring proof of
identification.
Workshop Objectives
The Protected Species Safe Handling,
Release, and Identification Workshops
are designed to teach longline and
gillnet fishermen the required
techniques for the safe handling and
release of entangled and/or hooked
protected species, such as sea turtles,
marine mammals, and smalltooth
sawfish. In an effort to improve
reporting, the proper identification of
protected species will also be taught at
these workshops. Additionally,
individuals attending these workshops
will gain a better understanding of the
requirements for participating in these
fisheries. The overall goal of these
workshops is to provide participants
with the skills needed to reduce the
mortality of protected species, which
may prevent additional regulations on
these fisheries in the future.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: December 2, 2015.
Alan D. Risenhoover,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–30770 Filed 12–4–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Atlantic Highly
Migratory Species Recreational
Landings and Bluefin Tuna Catch
Reports
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:

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 February 5, 2016.

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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 Margo Schulze-Haugen,
(301) 427–8503 or [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
ADDRESSES:

I. Abstract
This request is for extension of a
currently approved information
collection.
Catch reporting from recreational and
commercial hand-gear fisheries provides
important data used to monitor catches
of Atlantic highly migratory species
(HMS) and supplements other existing
data collection programs. Data collected
through this program are used for both
domestic and international fisheries
management and stock assessment
purposes.
Atlantic bluefin tuna (BFT) catch
reporting provides real-time catch
information used to monitor the BFT
fishery. Under the Atlantic Tunas
Convention Act of 1975 (ATCA, 16
U.S.C. 971), the United States is
required to adopt regulations, as
necessary and appropriate, to
implement recommendations of the
International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT),
including recommendations on a
specified BFT quota. BFT catch
reporting helps the U.S. monitor this
quota and supports scientific research
consistent with ATCA and the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801
et seq.). Recreational anglers and
commercial hand-gear fishermen are
required to report specific information
regarding their catch of BFT.
Atlantic billfish and swordfish are
managed internationally by ICCAT and
nationally under ATCA and the
Magnuson-Stevens Act. This collection
provides information needed to monitor
the recreational catch of Atlantic blue
and white marlin, which is applied to
the recreational limit established by
ICCAT, and the recreational catch of
North Atlantic swordfish, which is
applied to the U.S. quota established by
ICCAT. This collection also provides
information on recreational landings of
West Atlantic sailfish which is
unavailable from other established

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monitoring programs. Collection of
sailfish catch information is authorized
under the Magnuson-Stevens Act for
purposes of stock management.
II. Method of Collection
Respondents reporting BFT catch in
states (and the United States Virgin
Islands and Puerto Rico) other than
Maryland and North Carolina may use
either an internet Web site or a toll-free
telephone number. Respondents
reporting Atlantic marlin, West Atlantic
sailfish, or North Atlantic swordfish in
states (and the United States Virgin
Islands and Puerto Rico) other than
Maryland or North Carolina may use
either an internet Web site or a toll-free
telephone number to report landings
information. In Maryland and North
Carolina, a paper reporting system is
used for all of the aforementioned
species. Under state law, respondents in
Maryland and North Carolina must
submit a landing card at a state-operated
reporting station. States that participate
in a landing card program must submit
weekly reports and one annual report to
NOAA to summarize landings and
results to date.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0328.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(extension of a currently approved
information collection).
Affected Public: Businesses or other
for-profit organizations; individuals or
households; and State, Local, or Tribal
government.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
20,527.
Estimated Time per Response: 5
minutes for an initial call-in or internet
report; 5 minutes for a confirmation call;
10 minutes for a landing card; 1 hour for
a weekly state report; and 4 hours for an
annual state report.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 2,190.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $0 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

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 234 / Monday, December 7, 2015 / Notices

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 1, 2015.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2015–30692 Filed 12–4–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
RIN 0648–XE271

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to
Specified Activities; Taking Marine
Mammals Incidental to the Bravo
Wharf Recapitalization Project
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice; proposed incidental
harassment authorization; request for
comments.
AGENCY:

NMFS has received a request
from the U.S. Navy (Navy) for
authorization to take marine mammals
incidental to construction activities as
part of a wharf recapitalization project.
Pursuant to the Marine Mammal
Protection Act (MMPA), NMFS is
requesting public comment on its
proposal to issue an incidental
harassment authorization (IHA) to the
Navy to incidentally take marine
mammals, by Level B harassment only,
during the specified activity.
DATES: Comments and information must
be received no later than January 6,
2016.
ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposal
should be addressed to Jolie Harrison,
Chief, Permits and Conservation
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
Physical comments should be sent to
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring,
MD 20910 and electronic comments
should be sent to [email protected].
Instructions: NMFS is not responsible
for comments sent by any other method,
to any other address or individual, or
received after the end of the comment
period. Comments received
electronically, including all
attachments, must not exceed a 25-

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megabyte file size. Attachments to
electronic comments will be accepted in
Microsoft Word or Excel or Adobe PDF
file formats only. All comments
received are a part of the public record
and will generally be posted to the
Internet at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/
permits/incidental/construction.htm
without change. All personal identifying
information (e.g., name, address)
voluntarily submitted by the commenter
may be publicly accessible. Do not
submit confidential business
information or otherwise sensitive or
protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laura McCue, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, (301) 427–8401.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Availability
An electronic copy of the Navy’s
application and supporting documents,
as well as a list of the references cited
in this document, may be obtained by
visiting the Internet at:
www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/
incidental/construction.htm. In case of
problems accessing these documents,
please call the contact listed above.
National Environmental Policy Act
The Navy has prepared a draft
Environmental Assessment (Wharf
Bravo Recapitalization at Naval Station
Mayport, Jacksonville, FL) in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) and the regulations
published by the Council on
Environmental Quality. It is posted at
the aforementioned site. NMFS will
independently evaluate the EA and
determine whether or not to adopt it.
We may prepare a separate NEPA
analysis and incorporate relevant
portions of Navy’s EA by reference.
Information in the Navy’s application,
EA, and this notice collectively provide
the environmental information related
to proposed issuance of this IHA for
public review and comment. We will
review all comments submitted in
response to this notice as we complete
the NEPA process, including a decision
of whether to sign a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI), prior to a
final decision on the incidental take
authorization request.
Background
Sections 101(a)(5)(A) and (D) of the
MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.) direct
the Secretary of Commerce to allow,
upon request by U.S. citizens who
engage in a specified activity (other than
commercial fishing) within a specified
area, the incidental, but not intentional,
taking of small numbers of marine
mammals, providing that certain

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findings are made and the necessary
prescriptions are established.
The incidental taking of small
numbers of marine mammals may be
allowed only if NMFS (through
authority delegated by the Secretary)
finds that the total taking by the
specified activity during the specified
time period will (i) have a negligible
impact on the species or stock(s) and (ii)
not have an unmitigable adverse impact
on the availability of the species or
stock(s) for subsistence uses (where
relevant). Further, the permissible
methods of taking and requirements
pertaining to the mitigation, monitoring
and reporting of such taking must be set
forth, either in specific regulations or in
an authorization.
The allowance of such incidental
taking under section 101(a)(5)(A), by
harassment, serious injury, death, or a
combination thereof, requires that
regulations be established.
Subsequently, a Letter of Authorization
may be issued pursuant to the
prescriptions established in such
regulations, providing that the level of
taking will be consistent with the
findings made for the total taking
allowable under the specific regulations.
Under section 101(a)(5)(D), NMFS may
authorize such incidental taking by
harassment only, for periods of not more
than one year, pursuant to requirements
and conditions contained within an
IHA. The establishment of prescriptions
through either specific regulations or an
authorization requires notice and
opportunity for public comment.
NMFS has defined ‘‘negligible
impact’’ in 50 CFR 216.103 as ‘‘. . . an
impact resulting from the specified
activity that cannot be reasonably
expected to, and is not reasonably likely
to, adversely affect the species or stock
through effects on annual rates of
recruitment or survival.’’ Except with
respect to certain activities not pertinent
here, section 3(18) of the MMPA defines
‘‘harassment’’ as: ‘‘. . . any act of
pursuit, torment, or annoyance which (i)
has the potential to injure a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild [Level A harassment]; or (ii) has
the potential to disturb a marine
mammal or marine mammal stock in the
wild by causing disruption of behavioral
patterns, including, but not limited to,
migration, breathing, nursing, breeding,
feeding, or sheltering [Level B
harassment].’’
Summary of Request
On July 21, 2015, we received a
request from the Navy for authorization
of the taking, by Level B harassment
only, of marine mammals, incidental to
pile driving in association with the

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