Purse Seine Vessel - Catch Report Form

OMB Control Number: 0648-0218
Expires: 03/31/2023
Information Collection Under the South Pacific Tuna Act
This collection of information is required under regulations at 50 CFR 300, Subpart D. These regulations are issued
under authority of the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (SPTA), which implements the Treaty on Fisheries Between
the Governments of Certain Pacific Island States and the Government of the United States of America (Treaty).
Under these regulations, operators of U.S. purse seine vessels seeking licenses under the Treaty are required to
submit completed license application forms (and optionally, expressions of interest in such licenses) and FFA Vessel
Register applications/VMS registration forms (50 CFR 300.32). Operators of U.S. purse seine vessels licensed under
the Treaty are required to submit completed catch report forms and unloading logsheets (50 CFR 300.34).
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average: (a) for the optional expressions of
interest in vessel licenses, 15 minutes per response for license renewals and 120 minutes per response for initial
licenses; (b) for the license application forms, 60 minutes per response; (c) for the FFA Regional Register
applications/VMS registration forms, 45 minutes per response; (d) for the catch report forms, 60 minutes per
response; and (e) for the unloading logsheet, 30 minutes per response. These estimates include time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for
reducing this burden to: Regional Administrator, NMFS, Pacific Islands Regional Office, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg
176, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818
This information is collected by NMFS and transmitted to the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA)
pursuant to the Treaty and the SPTA. Confidentiality of the information collected in the catch report forms and the
unloading logsheets is maintained by NMFS pursuant to section 973j of the SPTA, and is treated in accordance with
NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, Protection of Confidential Fisheries Statistics. However, NOAA and NMFS
have no direct control over the confidentiality policies and practices of the FFA, so once the information is
transmitted to the FFA, NMFS and NOAA cannot provide any assurance of confidentiality.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be
subjected to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the
Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.
This collection of information has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under control
number 0648-0218.
Privacy Act Statement
Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
Convention Implementation Act (WCPFCIA; 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq) and the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (16
U.S.C. 973g and 973j).
Purpose: In order to fulfill obligations under the South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988, the NOAA National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) requires the submission of an unloading logsheet by U.S. purse seine vessel owners and
operators operating in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean.
Routine Uses: The Department will use this information to determine permit eligibility and to identify fishery
participants. Disclosure of this information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a), to be
shared within NMFS offices, in order to coordinate monitoring and management of sustainability of fisheries and
protected resources, as well as with the applicable State or Regional Marine Fisheries Commissions and International
Organizations. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses as identified in the
Privacy Act System of Records Notice, NOAA-6, Fishermen’s Statistical Data.
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is mandatory under 50 CFR 300.34.

U.S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSHPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

OMB No. 0648-0218
Expires 03/31/2023

Regional Purse-Seine Logsheet (RPL): Supplemental Instructions
Whale Shark Encirclement Reporting

Pursuant to regulations implementing decisions of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries
Commission and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, in the event that one or more
whale sharks are encircled by purse seine fishing operations, the following information must be
recorded on the Regional Purse-Seine Logsheet (RPL) (see 50 CFR 300.218). This information
must be recorded for each set in which an encirclement occurs:
1. The number of whale sharks encircled in the set:
 Enter the information regarding the set in which the whale shark interaction
occurred as you would for any other set
 In the fields for DISCARDS, enter “whale shark” or “RHN” under ”Name” and
enter the number of individuals that were encircled under “Number”
2. A brief description of any conditions or circumstances that might have led to the
encirclement:
 On the blank line(s) directly below the line of information for that set, enter a
brief description of any conditions or circumstances
 E-Log: Add a comment for the set and enter the description
3. A brief description of the steps taken to ensure the safe release of the whale shark(s):
 On the same line(s) used for the information in element 2, enter the steps taken to
ensure the safe release of the whale shark(s)
 For E-Log: Enter the steps taken to ensure the safe release of the whale shark(s)
in the same comments section used for the information in element 2
4. Whether each of the animals was alive or dead upon release, to the best of your
knowledge:
 On the same line(s) used for the information in elements 2 and 3, enter an
indication of whether the animal was alive or dead upon release
For E-Log: Enter the indication in the same comments section used for elements 2

U.S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSHPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

OMB No. 0648-0218
Expires 03/31/2023

Sample Whale Shark Encirclement Report

U.S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSHPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE

OMB No. 0648-0218
Expires 03/31/2023

Privacy Act Statement
Authority: The collection of this information is authorized under the Western and Central
Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act (WCPFCIA; 16 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.).
Purpose: In order to fulfill obligations under the WCPFCIA, the NOAA National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) requires the submission of information for NMFS to monitor daily
catch and effort information of the U.S. purse seine vessels fishing for highly migratory species
in the Commission’s area of competence for compliance-related and scientific purposes.
Routine Uses: The Department will use this information to collect information on U.S. purse
seine daily catch and effort information. Disclosure of this information is permitted under the
Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. Section 552a), to be shared within NMFS offices, in order to
coordinate monitoring and management of sustainability of fisheries and protected resources, as
well as with the applicable State or Regional Marine Fisheries Commissions and International
Organizations. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all of the published routine uses
as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/NOAA-6, Fishermen’s
Statistical Data.
Disclosure: Furnishing this information is mandatory.