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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 88 / Friday, May 6, 2022 / Notices
than military readiness activities. The
MMPA does not define small numbers
and so, in practice, where estimated
numbers are available, NMFS compares
the number of individuals taken to the
most appropriate estimation of
abundance of the relevant species or
stock in our determination of whether
an authorization is limited to small
numbers of marine mammals. When the
predicted number of individuals to be
taken is fewer than one third of the
species or stock abundance, the take is
considered to be of small numbers.
Additionally, other qualitative factors
may be considered in the analysis, such
as the temporal or spatial scale of the
activities.
The amount of authorized take is
below one third of the estimated
population abundance of all species
(Gerrodette and Palacios 1996; NMFS
2015b). In fact, take of individuals is
less than 8 percent of the abundance of
any affected population.
Based on the analysis contained
herein of the planned activity (including
the required mitigation and monitoring
measures) and the anticipated take of
marine mammals, NMFS finds that
small numbers of marine mammals will
be taken relative to the population size
of the affected species or stocks.

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Unmitigable Adverse Impact Analysis
and Determination
There are no relevant subsistence uses
of the affected marine mammal stocks or
species implicated by this action.
Therefore, NMFS has determined that
the total taking of affected species or
stocks would not have an unmitigable
adverse impact on the availability of
such species or stocks for taking for
subsistence purposes.
National Environmental Policy Act
In compliance with Executive Order
(E.O.) 12114, the NSF prepared an
Environmental Analysis to consider the
direct, indirect and cumulative effects to
the human environment resulting from
this marine geophysical survey in the
Eastern Tropical Pacific. The NSF’s
Environmental Analysis tiers to the
2011 Final Programmatic Environmental
Impact Statement/Overseas
Environmental Impact Statement for
marine-related research funded by the
NSF, which was prepared under E.O.
12114 and the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA).
NMFS determined that the form and
substance of the Environmental
Analysis satisfies all the requirements of
an Environmental Assessment under
NEPA, as implemented by the
regulations published by the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ; 40 CFR

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parts 1500–1508) and includes adequate
information analyzing the effects on the
human environment of issuing the IHA.
The NSF’s draft Environmental Analysis
was made available to the public for
review and comment. In compliance
with NEPA and CEQ regulations, as well
as NOAA Administrative Order 216–6A,
NMFS has reviewed the NSF’s
Environmental Analysis, determined it
to be sufficient, and adopted that
Environmental Analysis. The NSF’s
Environmental Analysis and NMFS’
Determination are available at https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/
marine-mammal-protection/incidentaltake-authorizations-research-and-otheractivities.
Endangered Species Act
Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973 (ESA: 16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) requires that each Federal
agency insure that any action it
authorizes, funds, or carries out is not
likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of any endangered or
threatened species or result in the
destruction or adverse modification of
designated critical habitat. To ensure
ESA compliance for the issuance of
IHAs, NMFS consults internally
whenever we propose to authorize take
for endangered or threatened species.
The NMFS OPR ESA Interagency
Cooperation Division issued a Biological
Opinion under section 7 of the ESA, on
the issuance of an IHA to L–DEO under
section 101(a)(5)(D) of the MMPA by the
NMFS OPR Permits and Conservation
Division and the NSF’s funding of L–
DEO’s survey. The Biological Opinion
concluded that the action is not likely
to jeopardize the continued existence of
ESA-listed blue whales, fin whales, sei
whales, sperm whales, Mexico DPS
humpback whales, Central America DPS
humpback whales, and Guadalupe fur
seals.
Authorization
As a result of these determinations,
NMFS has issued an IHA to L–DEO for
conducting geophysical surveys of the
Guerrero Gap in the Eastern Tropical
Pacific in spring 2022, provided the
previously mentioned mitigation,
monitoring, and reporting requirements
are incorporated.
Dated: May 2, 2022.
Kimberly Damon-Randall,
Director, Office of Protected Resources,
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2022–09792 Filed 5–5–22; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Southeast Region Vessel
Monitoring System (VMS) and Related
Requirements
The Department of Commerce will
submit the following information
collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication
of this notice. We invite the general
public and other Federal agencies to
comment on proposed, and continuing
information collections, which helps us
assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. Public
comments were previously requested
via the Federal Register on January 12,
2022, during a 60-day comment period.
This notice allows for an additional 30
days for public comments.
Agency: National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
Title: Southeast Region Vessel
Monitoring System and Related
Requirements.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0544.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission
(extension of a current information
collection).
Number of Respondents: 901.
Average Hours per Response: Annual
VMS maintenance, 2 hours; Installation/
Activation of VMS unit, 5 hours;
Installation and activation checklist, 20
minutes; power-down exemption
request, 5 minutes; and trip declaration,
1 minute.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,628.
Needs and Uses: The NMFS, Office of
Law Enforcement, Southeast
Enforcement Division is submitting this
request for an extension of a currently
approved information collection.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
authorizes the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council (Gulf Council) and
South Atlantic Fishery Management
Council (South Atlantic Council) to
prepare and amend fishery management
plans for any fishery in Federal waters
under their respective jurisdictions.
NMFS and the Gulf Council manage the
reef fish fishery in the Gulf of Mexico
(Gulf) under the Fishery Management

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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 88 / Friday, May 6, 2022 / Notices

Plan (FMP) for the Reef Fish Resources
of the Gulf of Mexico. NMFS and the
South Atlantic Council manage the
fishery for rock shrimp in the South
Atlantic under the FMP for the Shrimp
Fishery in the South Atlantic Region.
The vessel monitoring system (VMS)
regulations for the Gulf reef fish fishery
and the South Atlantic rock shrimp
fishery may be found at 50 CFR 622.28
and 622.205, respectively.
The FMPs and the implementing
regulations contain several specific
management areas where fishing is
restricted or prohibited to protect
habitat or spawning aggregations, or to
control fishing pressure. Unlike size,
bag, and trip limits, where the catch can
be monitored on shore when a vessel
returns to port, area restrictions require
at-sea enforcement. However, at-sea
enforcement of offshore areas is difficult
due to the distance from shore and the
limited number of patrol vessels,
resulting in a need to improve
enforceability of area fishing restrictions
through remote sensing methods. In
addition, all fishing gears are subject to
some area fishing restrictions. Because
of the sizes of these areas and the
distances from shore, the effectiveness
of enforcement through over flights and
at-sea interception is limited. An
electronic VMS allows a more effective
means to monitor vessels for intrusions
into restricted areas.
The VMS provides effort data and
significantly aids in enforcement of
areas closed to fishing. All position
reports are treated in accordance with
NMFS existing guidelines for
confidential data. As a condition of
authorized fishing for or possession of
Gulf reef fish or South Atlantic rock
shrimp in or from Federal waters, vessel
owners or operators subject to VMS
requirements must allow NMFS, the
United States Coast Guard, and their
authorized officers and designees,
access to the vessel’s position data
obtained from the VMS.
The information collected on the
‘‘Vessel Monitoring System Installation
and Activation Certification for the Reef
Fish Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico’’
form provides NMFS assurance that
vessels are compliant with the
requirements to install and activate an
approved VMS unit. Information
collected on the ‘‘Vessel Monitoring
System Mobile Transceiver Unit (MTU)
Power-Down Exemption Request for
Vessels in the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish
Fishery’’ form provides information that
allows NMFS to exempt a vessel from
their the VMS reporting requirement
under specific criteria.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.

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Frequency: VMS unit installation,
once; installation and activation
checklist, once; power down exemption
request, variable but on average less
than once per year; trip declaration,
variable but an average of 9 annually per
vessel; and annual maintenance once
per year.
Respondent’s Obligation: Submission
of the Installation and Activation
certification is and mandatory.
Transmission of fishing activity report is
mandatory. Submission of a Power
down Exemption Authorization request
is required to obtain or retain benefits.
Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
This information collection request
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view the
Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the
publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/
public/do/PRAMain. Find this
particular information collection by
selecting ‘‘Currently under 30-day
Review—Open for Public Comments’’ or
by using the search function and
entering either the title of the collection
or the OMB Control Number 0648–0544.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Chief Information Officer, Commerce
Department.
[FR Doc. 2022–09820 Filed 5–5–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–22–P

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
Agency Information Collection
Activities; Submission to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
Review and Approval; Comment
Request; Fisheries Certificate of Origin
The Department of Commerce will
submit the following information
collection request to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) for
review and clearance in accordance
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995, on or after the date of publication
of this notice. We invite the general
public and other Federal agencies to
comment on proposed, and continuing
information collections, which helps us
assess the impact of our information
collection requirements and minimize
the public’s reporting burden. Public
comments were previously requested
via the Federal Register on January 24,

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2022 during a 60-day comment period.
This notice allows for an additional 30
days for public comments.
Agency: National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
Title: Fisheries Certificate of Origin.
OMB Control Number: 0648–0335.
Form Number(s): NOAA Form 370.
Type of Request: Regular submission,
extension of a current information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 540.
Average Hours per Response: 25
minutes.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 5,833.
Needs and Uses: This request is for an
extension of a current information
collection sponsored by NMFS’ Office of
International Affairs, Trade, and
Commerce. The information required by
the International Dolphin Conservation
Program Act, amendment to the Marine
Mammal Protection Act, is needed to:
(1) Document the dolphin-safe status of
frozen and/or processed tuna import
shipments; (2) verify that import
shipments of fish were not harvested by
large-scale, high seas driftnets; and (3)
verify that tuna was not harvested by an
embargoed nation or one that is
otherwise prohibited from exporting
tuna to the United States.
Collected information includes the
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Entry Identification, date of entry, and
contact details on the exporting and
importing companies. Collected
information also includes harvest
characteristics such as fishing vessel
name, fishing trip dates, vessel flag,
vessel gear type, and ocean area of
harvest, as well as the declaration of the
dolphin-safe status of the shipment, and
if applicable, the attachment of required
certifications. Forms are submitted by
importers and processors. NMFS uses
this information to verify the dolphinsafe status of tuna shipments.
Affected Public: Business or other forprofit organizations.
Frequency: Per applicable tuna
importation.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Marine Mammal
Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.)
and the Dolphin Protection Consumer
Information Act (16 U.S.C. 1385).
This information collection request
may be viewed at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to view the
Department of Commerce collections
currently under review by OMB.
Written comments and
recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be
submitted within 30 days of the
publication of this notice on the
following website www.reginfo.gov/

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