Notice2024-27911
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Individual Bluefin Tuna Quota Tracking and Appeals
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
November 29, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 230 (Friday, November 29, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 94713-94714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-27911]
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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; Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Individual Bluefin
Tuna Quota Tracking and Appeals
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 July 16, 2024, during a 60-day comment period. This
notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.
Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
Title: Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Individual Bluefin Tuna
Quota Tracking and Appeals.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0677.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission (request for extension of a
current information collection).
Number of Respondents: 240.
Average Hours per Response: 12 minutes for initial application for
IBQ account, 15 minutes per IBQ allocation lease, and 15 minutes per
IBQ Cost Recovery.
Total Annual Burden Hours: 96.
Needs and Uses: This request is for renewal and extension of a
currently approved information collection. Under the provisions of the
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C.
1801 et seq.), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is
responsible for management of the Nation's marine fisheries. NMFS must
also promulgate regulations, as necessary and appropriate, to carry out
[[Page 94714]]
obligations the United States undertakes internationally regarding tuna
management through the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act (ATCA, 16 U.S.C.
971 et seq.).
Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan
(79 FR 71510, December 2, 2014) implemented individual bluefin tuna
quota (IBQ) shares and allocations for vessels permitted in the
Atlantic Tunas Longline category through the IBQ online system. IBQs
are intended to fairly and effectively allocate limited quota for
incidental capture of Atlantic bluefin tuna among vessels in the
Longline category, while minimizing dead discards and discouraging
interactions with bluefin tuna. An online system developed by NMFS
tracks allocations and allocation leases, and reconciles allocation
with bluefin tuna catches for quota monitoring. This collection of
information accounts for the reporting burden associated with
allocation and lease tracking. Amendment 13 to the 2006 Consolidated
HMS FMP (87 FR 59966) reaffirmed the need for IBQs and, among other
things, made adjustments to the vessel allocation process, and
established procedures for cost recovery if deemed necessary.
First-time vessel permit holders in the affected categories must
obtain and set up an IBQ account in the online ``IBQ Catch Shares
Program'' in order to be issued IBQ shares and resultant allocation, to
lease IBQ, and to resolve quota debt. To use the electronic IBQ System,
first-time participants will need to request an account and set their
account up with background information. The information collected
during account issuance and set-up will be used by NMFS to verify the
identity of the individual/business and whether they qualify for IBQ
allocation leasing.
The lease monitoring information collected by the online system
will be used by each permit holder to keep track of their individual
IBQ allocation, and document allocation leases with other IBQ
participants. NMFS will use these data to ensure proper accounting of
allocations among participants, and to track use of quota allocations
and reconcile allocation usage with bluefin tuna catch and landings.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
Frequency: Once for IBQ account set up; annually, or as needed, for
IBQ lease applications; and annually for IBQ cost recovery.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), and the Atlantic Tunas
Convention Act of 1975 (16 U.S.C. 971 et seq.).
This information collection request may be viewed at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov">www.reginfo.gov</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
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 0648-0677.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-27911 Filed 11-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on November 29, 2024.
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