60-Day FRN

68110

Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 3, 2023 / Notices

Jessi
Doerpinghaus, Staff Officer, Pacific
Council; telephone: (503) 820–2415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

The
primary purpose of these meetings is for
the GAP, STT, HC, and SAS to prepare
for the November 2023 Pacific Council
meeting. The GAP, STT, HC, and SAS
will discuss items related to the
advisory body’s particular management
items and other matters on the Pacific
Council’s November agenda. The GAP,
GMT, and EWG will meet during the
GAP webinar to discuss matters related
to the Council’s fishery ecosystem plan
initiative. No management actions will
be decided by the GAP, GMT, EWG,
STT, HC, or SAS. The GAP, GMT, EWG,
STT, HC, and SAS recommendations
will be considered by the Council at
their November or March Council
(ecosystem matters) meetings. A
detailed agenda for each of the GAP,
STT, HC, and SAS webinars will be
available on the Pacific Council’s
website prior to the meeting.
Although non-emergency issues not
contained in the meeting agenda may be
discussed, those issues may not be the
subject of formal action during this
meeting. Action will be restricted to
those issues specifically listed in this
document and any issues arising after
publication of this document that
require emergency action under section
305(c) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act,
provided the public has been notified of
the intent to take final action to address
the emergency.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Special Accommodations
Requests for sign language
interpretation or other auxiliary aids
should be directed to Mr. Kris
Kleinschmidt (kris.kleinschmidt@
noaa.gov; (503) 820–2412) at least 10
days prior to the meeting date.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.
Dated: September 28, 2023.
Rey Israel Marquez,
Acting Deputy Director, Office of Sustainable
Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2023–21843 Filed 10–2–23; 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; Alaska Region Permit Family
of Forms
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
AGENCY:

The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), invites 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. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before December 4, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at [email protected]. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0206 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Gabrielle
Aberle, National Marine Fisheries
Service, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK,
99802–1668. Telephone 907–586–7356.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:

I. Abstract
The National Marine Fisheries
Services (NMFS), Alaska Region, is
requesting extension of a currently
approved information collection for the
applications for the Federal Fisheries
Permit (FFP), the Federal Processor
Permit (FPP), and the Exempted Fishing
Permit (EFP).
NMFS requires an FFP for U.S.
vessels that are used to fish for
groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska or
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. An
FFP is also required for vessels used to
fish for any non-groundfish species and
that are required to retain any bycatch

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of groundfish under 50 CFR 679.4(b).
An FPP is required for stationary
floating processors (processing vessels
that operate solely within Alaska State
waters) and is required for shoreside
processors that receive and/or process
groundfish harvested from Federal
waters or from any federally permitted
vessels. NMFS issues an EFP to allow
groundfish fishing activities that would
otherwise be prohibited under
regulations for groundfish fishing. EFPs
are issued to support projects that could
benefit the groundfish fisheries and the
environment and result in gathering
information not otherwise available
through research or commercial fishing
operations. Regulations governing these
permits are at 50 CFR 600.745, 679.4,
and 679.6.
Section 303(b)(1) of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act specifically recognizes
the need for permit issuance. Requiring
a permit for marine resource users—
mandated by 50 CFR 679.4(b), 679.4(f);
679.6; and 600.745(b)—is one of the
regulatory steps taken to carry out
conservation and management
objectives. Permit issuance is essential
in fishery resources management for
identification of the participants and
expected activity levels and for
regulatory compliance. The information
requested on the FFP, FPP, and EFP
applications is used for fisheries
management and regulatory compliance
by NMFS Sustainable Fisheries
Division, NMFS Restricted Access
Management Program, NMFS Observer
Program, NOAA Office of Law
Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard, and
the North Pacific Fisheries Management
Council.
The type of information collected on
the FFP application includes permit
holder identification information, vessel
information, permit information, and
species endorsements. Information
collected on the FPP application
includes processor identification
information, stationary floating
processor or community quota entity
vessel information, and vessel
ownership information. An EFP
application includes information on the
applicant and a description of the
project design including how it will
vary from current fishing regulations,
the species affected and targeted, when
and where the fishing will take place,
the vessel that will be used, and a
provision for public release of all
obtained information.
II. Method of Collection
The FFP and FPP application forms
are available as fillable pdfs on the
NMFS Alaska Region website and are

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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 3, 2023 / Notices
submitted by mail, delivery, or fax. An
FPP may be renewed online through
eFISH on the NMFS Alaska Region
website. There is no form to apply for
an EFP. Applicants submit the required
information by mail, delivery, email, or
fax.

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III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648–0206.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission
(extension of a current information
collection).
Affected Public: Individuals or
households; Business or other for-profit
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents:
484.
Estimated Time per Response:
Application for Federal Fisheries
Permit: 21 minutes; Application for
Federal Processor Permit: 25 minutes;
Exempted Fisheries Permit application:
100 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden
Hours: 474 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to
Public: $2,420 in recordkeeping and
reporting costs.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain benefits, mandatory.
Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens
Fishery Conservation and Management
Act.
IV. Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to
permit the Department/Bureau to: (a)
Evaluate whether the proposed
information collection is necessary for
the proper functions of the Department,
including whether the information will
have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the
accuracy of our estimate of the time and
cost burden for this proposed collection,
including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c)
Evaluate ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and (d) Minimize the
reporting burden on those who are to
respond, including the use of automated
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you may ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying

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information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of
the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2023–21845 Filed 10–2–23; 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; Alaska American Fisheries
Act Reports
National Oceanic &
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection,
request for comment.
AGENCY:

The Department of
Commerce, in accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(PRA), invites 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. The purpose of this
notice is to allow for 60 days of public
comment preceding submission of the
collection to OMB.
DATES: To ensure consideration,
comments regarding this proposed
information collection must be received
on or before December 4, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are
invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer,
at [email protected]. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648–
0401 in the subject line of your
comments. Do not submit Confidential
Business Information or otherwise
sensitive or protected information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information or
specific questions related to collection
activities should be directed to Gabrielle
Aberle, National Marine Fisheries
Service, Juneau, AK. Telephone (907)
586–7356.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:

I. Abstract
The National Marine Fisheries
Services (NMFS), Alaska Region,
requests extension of a currently

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68111

approved information collection for
American Fisheries Act reporting
requirements.
NMFS Alaska Region manages the
groundfish fisheries of the Bering Sea
and Aleutian Islands Management Area
in the Exclusive Economic Zone off
Alaska. The North Pacific Fishery
Management Council (Council)
prepared the Fishery Management Plan
for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area
(FMP) under the authority of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, 16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq., and other applicable
laws. Regulations implementing the
FMP are at 50 CFR part 679.
The Bering Sea pollock fishery is
managed under the American Fisheries
Act (AFA). The purpose of the AFA was
to tighten U.S. ownership standards for
U.S. fishing vessels under the Antireflagging Act and to provide the Bering
Sea pollock fleet the opportunity to
conduct its fishery in a more rational
manner while protecting non-AFA
participants in the other fisheries. The
AFA established sector allocations in
the Bering Sea 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.
This information collection contains
the annual and periodic reporting
requirements for AFA cooperatives.
These requirements include reports
about on-going fishing operations of the
cooperatives and reports focused on
efforts to minimize salmon bycatch in
the Bering Sea pollock fishery. These
reporting requirements are at 50 CFR
679.21 and 679.61.
This information is used to manage
the Bering Sea pollock fishery, to
evaluate the salmon bycatch
management measures, and to provide
the public with information about how
the program operates and information
about bycatch reduction under this
program. This information collection
provides the Council and NMFS with
information about the organization and
fishing operations of the AFA
cooperatives, allocations to the AFA
cooperatives, and the effectiveness of
the Chinook salmon and chum salmon
bycatch management measures. This
information is necessary to ensure longterm conservation and abundance of
salmon and pollock, maintain a healthy
marine ecosystem, and provide
maximum benefit to fishermen and
communities that depend on salmon
and pollock.

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