Notice2025-15040
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program Permit and License Information Collection
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
August 7, 2025
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 150 (Thursday, August 7, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 150 (Thursday, August 7, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38132-38134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-15040]
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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; Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program Permit
and License Information Collection
AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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SUMMARY: 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 October 6, 2025.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e2acada3a3ccb2b0a3a28c8d8383cc858d94"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2ecede3e38cf2f0e3e2cccdc3c38cc5cdd4">[email protected]</span></a>. Please
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0620 in the subject line of your
comments. All comments received are part of the public record and will
generally be posted on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> without change. 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 Jahnava Duryea, Groundfish IFQ Permits Coordinator, Southwest
Fisheries Science Center, 110 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060,
(916) 930-3725 or via email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f69c979e98978097d89283848f9397b698999797d8919980"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c3a9a2abada2b5a2eda7b6b1baa6a283adaca2a2eda4acb5">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
This is a request for renewal of an approved information
collection.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requests comments on
the extension of a currently approved information collection for the
West
[[Page 38133]]
Coast Region's Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program.
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16
U.S.C. 1801 et seq., provides that the Secretary of Commerce is
responsible for the conservation and management of marine fisheries
resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (3-200 miles offshore) of the
United States. NMFS West Coast Region manages the Pacific Coast
Groundfish Fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coast
of Washington, Oregon, and California under the Pacific Coast
Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP).
In January 2011, NMFS implemented a trawl rationalization program,
which is a catch share program, for the Pacific Coast Groundfish
Limited Entry Trawl Fishery. The program was implemented through
Amendments 20 and 21 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish FMP and the
corresponding implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 660. Amendment 20
established the trawl rationalization program that consists of an
individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the shorebased trawl fleet
(including whiting and non-whiting sectors) and cooperative programs
for the at-sea mothership and catcher/processor trawl fleets (whiting
only). Amendment 21 set long-term allocations for the limited entry
trawl sectors of certain groundfish species.
Under the trawl rationalization program, new permits, accounts,
endorsements and licenses were established. These consist of quota
share (QS) permits/accounts, vessel accounts, first receiver site
licenses, mothership endorsements on certain limited entry trawl
permits, mothership catcher vessel endorsements on certain limited
entry trawl permits, catcher/processor endorsements on certain limited
entry trawl permits, a mothership cooperative permit, and a catcher/
processor cooperative permit. NMFS collects information from program
participants in order to: (1) establish new permits, accounts, and
licenses; (2) renew permits, accounts, and licenses; (3) allow trading
of QS percentages and quota pounds (QP) in online QS and vessel
accounts, and allow transfer of catch history assignments between
limited entry trawl permits; (4) track compliance with program control
limits; and (5) implement other features of the regulations pertaining
to permits and licenses.
As part of its fishery management responsibilities, NMFS requires
this information to determine whether a respondent complies with
regulations that pertain to issuance and renewal of permits, and
transfer and use of quotas. Identification of the participants of the
trawl rationalization program, their gear types, descriptions of their
vessels, and activity levels are needed to control and determine the
extent of fishing and to track inseason quota use. Collection of this
information also allows NMFS to equitably manage annual shorebased
trawl allocations for the fishery and enforce control limits such that
no person may own or control, or have a controlling influence over,
quota for any individual species that exceeds the Shorebased IFQ
Program accumulation limits.
II. Method of Collection
Information is collected by email and electronically through our
Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program for Pacific Coast Groundfish
online portal, as well as a small portion submitted via mail.
The following information is collected by email: QS permit
application forms; vessel account registration requests; trawl
identification of ownership interest forms for new applicants,
mothership catcher vessel endorsed limited entry permit owners, and
mothership permit owners; mothership permit change of vessel
registration, permit owner, or vessel owner application forms;
mothership cooperative permit application forms; change of mothership
catcher vessel endorsement and catch history assignment registration
forms; catcher/processor cooperative permit application forms; and QS
abandonment requests. Approximately 1% of the proceeding forms are
received via regular mail by account holders.
The following information is collected electronically: QS permit
renewals; late QS permit renewals; QS percent transfers; QP transfers
from a QS account to a vessel account; vessel account renewals; late
vessel account renewals; QP transfers from a vessel account to another
vessel account; trawl identification of ownership interest forms for
online QS and vessel account renewals; first receiver site license
application forms (new applicants and re-registrations); and mothership
permit renewals, and material change forms.
III. Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0620.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current
information collection).
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; non-
profit institutions; State, local, or tribal government.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 392.
Estimated Time per Response: QS permit/account application form--20
minutes; QS permit/account online renewal--10 minutes; QS permit/
account late renewal form--15 minutes; QS transfer--10 minutes; QP
transfer from QS account to vessel account--5 minutes; vessel account
registration request--15 minutes; vessel account online renewal--10
minutes; vessel account late renewal form--15 minutes; QP transfer from
vessel account to another vessel account--5 minutes; trawl
identification of ownership interest form for new entrants--45 minutes;
trawl identification of ownership interest form for renewals--3.2
minutes; first receiver site license application form for new
entrants--200 minutes; first receiver site license application form for
re-registering license holders--100 minutes; mothership permit renewal
form--10 minutes; mothership permit change of vessel registration,
permit owner, or vessel owner application form--35 minutes; mothership
cooperative permit application form--230 minutes; change of mothership
catcher vessel endorsement and catch history assignment registration
form--35 minutes; catcher/processor cooperative permit application
form--110 minutes; QS abandonment request--10 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 808.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $15,724.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits.
Legal Authority: The program was implemented through Amendments 20
and 21 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish FMP and the corresponding
implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 660.
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.
[[Page 38134]]
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 information collection request. 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 information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2025-15040 Filed 8-6-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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