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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 193 / Friday, October 4, 2019 / Notices
the NMFS Endangered Species Act
(ESA) Section 4(d) Rule for salmon and
steelhead. This document serves to
notify the public of the availability and
opportunity to comment on the HGMP.
DATES: Comments must be received at
the appropriate address (see ADDRESSES)
no later than 5 p.m. Pacific time on
November 4, 2019. Comments received
after this date may not be considered.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should
be addressed to the NMFS Sustainable
Fisheries Division, 1201 NE Lloyd
Blvd., Portland, OR 97232. Comments
may be submitted by email. The
mailbox address for providing email
comments is:
[email protected].
Include in the subject line of the email
comment the following identifier:
Comments on Elochoman/Beaver Creek
Hatchery program.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
James Archibald at (503) 230–5425 or by
email at [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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Background
Section 9 of the ESA and Federal
regulations prohibit the ‘‘taking’’ of a
species listed as endangered or
threatened. The term ‘‘take’’ is defined
under the ESA to mean harass, harm,
pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap,
capture, or collect, or to attempt to
engage in any such conduct. NMFS may
make exceptions to the take prohibitions
in section 9 of the ESA for hatchery
programs that are approved by NMFS
under Limit 5 of section 4(d) of the ESA
(50 CFR 223.203(b)).
The operator, WDFW, submitted an
HGMP to NMFS pursuant to NMFS’ 4(d)
Rule for salmon and steelhead for the
Elochoman Type-N coho salmon
hatchery program in the Columbia River
Estuary.
NMFS has evaluated the operations of
this proposed coho salmon program for
its effects on ESA-listed salmon and
steelhead populations in the Columbia
River, as part of its 2017 Mitchell Act

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Dated: September 30, 2019.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation
Division, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

• Lower Columbia River Chinook
Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha):
threatened, naturally and artificially
propagated;
• Lower Columbia River Coho
(Oncorhynchus kisutch): threatened,
naturally and artificially propagated;
• Lower Columbia River Steelhead
(Oncorhynchus mykiss): threatened,
naturally and artificially propagated;
• Lower Columbia River Chum
(Oncorhynchus keta): endangered,
naturally and artificially propagated.

16:49 Oct 03, 2019

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531–1543; 16 U.S.C.
1361 et seq.

[FR Doc. 2019–21589 Filed 10–3–19; 8:45 am]

ESA-Listed Species Covered in This
Notice

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Biological Opinion, and found that the
operations of the program would not
jeopardize listed species or adversely
modify their designated critical habitat.
Approving the HGMP under Limit 5
of the 4(d) rule would limit application
of take prohibitions for ESA-listed
salmon and steelhead associated with
the operation of the program. Prior to
HGMP approval and the drafting of a
decision memo, NOAA Fisheries is
seeking public review and comment on
the HGMP.
The program is intended to contribute
to the survival and recovery of Lower
Columbia River coho salmon in the
Columbia River Estuary, and enhance
fishing opportunity for tribal,
commercial, and recreational fisheries.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Electronic
Monitoring Systems for Atlantic Highly
Migratory Species (HMS)
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 December 3,
2019.
SUMMARY:

Direct all written comments
to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer,
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159,
Asheville, NC 28801 (or at
[email protected]). All comments
received are part of the public record.
Comments will generally be posted
without change. All Personally
Identifiable Information (for example,
name and address) voluntarily
submitted by the commenter may be

ADDRESSES:

PO 00000

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publicly accessible. Do not submit
Confidential Business Information or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to Ian Miller, phone 301–427–
8503, or email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
Vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and
other electronic monitoring systems
collect important information on fishing
effort, catch, and the geographic
location of fishing effort and catch for
certain sectors of the Atlantic HMS fleet.
Data collected through these systems are
used in both domestic and international
fisheries management, including for law
enforcement, stock assessments, and
quota management purposes. Atlantic
HMS vessels required to use VMS are
pelagic longline, purse seine, bottom
longline (directed shark permit holders
in North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Virginia), and gillnet (directed shark
permit holders consistent with the
requirements of the Atlantic large whale
take reduction plan requirements at 50
CFR 229.39.(h)) vessels. In addition to
VMS, pelagic longline vessels are also
required to have electronic monitoring
systems to monitor catch and account
for bluefin tuna interactions.
The National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) Office of Law Enforcement
monitors fleet adherence to gear- and
time-area restrictions with VMS
position location data. Gear restricted
areas and time-area closures are
important tools for Atlantic HMS
management that have been
implemented to reduce bycatch of
juvenile swordfish, sea turtles, and
bluefin tuna, among other species.
Electronic monitoring data from the
pelagic longline fleet are used by NMFS
to accurately monitor bluefin tuna catch
by the pelagic longline fleet, to ensure
compliance with Individual Bluefin
Quota (IBQ) limits and requirements,
and to ensure that the Longline category
bluefin tuna quota is not over-harvested.
Additionally, electronic monitoring is
used to verify disposition of retained
shortfin mako sharks, consistent with
binding international agreements. VMS
reporting of bluefin tuna catch is used
to monitor IBQ allocations in real-time.
Atlantic HMS fisheries are managed
under the dual authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
(MSA) and the Atlantic Tunas
Conservation Act (ATCA). Under the

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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 193 / Friday, October 4, 2019 / Notices

MSA, management measures must be
consistent with ten National Standards,
and fisheries must be managed to
maintain optimum yield, rebuild
overfished fisheries, and prevent
overfishing. Under ATCA, the Secretary
of Commerce shall promulgate
regulations, as necessary and
appropriate, to implement measures
adopted by the International
Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
II. Method of Collection
First-time VMS respondents must
install a VMS unit and submit an
activation checklist to NMFS via mail.
Hail-out, hail-in, hourly position
reports, and bluefin tuna catch reports
must be submitted to NMFS
electronically via the VMS
communication system. First-time
electronic monitoring respondents must
have an electronic monitoring system
installed by a NMFS contractor.
Electronic monitoring data must be
submitted after each pelagic longline
trip via mail.

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III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0372.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
311.
Estimated Time per Response: 4 hours
for initial VMS installation; 5 minutes
per VMS initial activation checklist; 2
minutes per hail-out/hail-in declaration;
6 hours for initial electronic monitoring
installation; 5 minutes for pelagic
longline bluefin tuna catch records; 15
minutes for purse seine bluefin tuna
catch records; 1 minute for dockside
review of bluefin tuna catch records; 2
hours for electronic monitoring data
retrieval.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 6,420.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $422,329.
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

VerDate Sep<11>2014

16:49 Oct 03, 2019

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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.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2019–21620 Filed 10–3–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Proposed Information Collection;
Comment Request; Alaska American
Fisheries Act (AFA) Permits
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 December 3,
2019.
SUMMARY:

Direct all written comments
to Adrienne Thomas, PRA Officer,
NOAA, 151 Patton Avenue, Room 159,
Asheville, NC 28801 (or at
[email protected]). All comments
received are part of the public record.
Comments will generally be posted
without change. All Personally
Identifiable Information (for example,
name and address) voluntarily
submitted by the commenter may be
publicly accessible. Do not submit
Confidential Business Information or
otherwise sensitive or protected
information.

ADDRESSES:

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection
instrument and instructions should be
directed to Gabrielle Aberle, National
Marine Fisheries Service, P.O. Box
21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668.
Telephone (907) 586–7228.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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I. Abstract
This request is for extension of a
current information collection.
The American Fisheries Act (AFA)
was signed into law in October 1998.
The purpose of the AFA was to tighten
U.S. ownership standards that had been
exploited under the Anti-reflagging Act,
and to provide the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock fleet the
opportunity to conduct their fishery in
a more rational manner while protecting
non-AFA participants in the other
fisheries. The AFA established sector
allocations in the BSAI pollock fishery,
determined eligible vessels and
processors, allowed the formation of
cooperatives, set limits on the
participation of AFA vessels in other
fisheries, and imposed special catch
weighing and monitoring requirements
on AFA vessels.
Any vessel used to engage in directed
fishing for a non-western Alaska
community development quota (nonCDQ) allocation of pollock in the Bering
Sea and any shoreside processor,
stationary floating processor, or
mothership that receives pollock
harvested in a non-CDQ directed
pollock fishery in the Bering Sea must
have a valid AFA permit on board the
vessel or at the facility location at all
times while non-CDQ pollock is being
harvested or processed.
Permanent AFA permits (AFA catcher
vessel, AFA catcher/processor, AFA
mothership, and AFA inshore
processor) for the BSAI pollock fishery
had a one-time application deadline of
December 1, 2000, and were issued with
an indefinite expiration date. Therefore,
except for participants that require
annual or replacement permits, all AFA
entities required to have a permit are
already permitted.
This information collection contains
the following AFA permitting and
reporting requirements:
• The AFA Permit: Rebuilt,
Replacement, or Removed Vessel
Application is submitted by an owner of
an AFA vessel to notify NMFS the
vessel has been rebuilt; to request an
AFA permit for a replacement catcher
vessel, catcher/processor, or
mothership; or to request removal of an
AFA catcher vessel that is a member of
an inshore cooperative and assign its
catch history to another vessel or vessels
in the same cooperative.
• The Application for AFA Inshore
Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit is
submitted annually by each AFA
inshore catcher vessel cooperative to
obtain an AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel
Cooperative Permit and identify the
vessels and processors that will be

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