Notice2026-19740
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Reporting Requirements for Sea Otter Interactions With Coastal Pelagic Species Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management Plan
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
September 28, 2026
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 186 (Monday, September 28, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 186 (Monday, September 28, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 61209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19740]
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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; Reporting Requirements for Sea Otter Interactions With Coastal
Pelagic Species Fisheries; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management
Plan
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 May 7, 2026, 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: Reporting Requirements for Sea Otter Interactions with the
Pacific Sardine Fishery; Coastal Pelagic Species Fishery Management
Plan.
OMB Control Number: 0648-0566.
Form Number(s): None.
Type of Request: Regular submission (extension of a current
information collection).
Number of Respondents: Two respondents.
Average Hours per Response: 0.25 (15 minutes).
Total Annual Burden Hours: Roughly 1 hour.
Needs and Uses: This is a request for renewal of an approved
information collection. This collection is necessary under the
regulations implementing the Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS) Fishery
Management Plan (FMP) at 50 CFR 660.520.
On May 30, 2007, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
published a final rule (72 FR 29891) implementing a requirement under
the CPS FMP to report any interactions that may occur between a CPS
vessel and/or fishing gear and sea otters. In accordance with the
regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA), NMFS
initiated an ESA section 7 consultation with the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service (USFWS) regarding the effects of implementing the
final rule (72 FR 29891), which codified Amendment 11 to the CPS FMP.
USFWS determined that formal consultation was necessary on the possible
effects to the threatened southern sea otter. USFWS completed a
biological opinion for this action and although it was concluded that
fishing activities were not likely to jeopardize the continued
existence of the southern sea otter, there remained the potential to
incidentally take southern sea otters. USFWS determined that certain
measures should be put in place to ensure the continued protection of
the species, including certain reporting requirements.
Specifically, these reporting requirements are:
(1) If a southern sea otter is entangled in a net, regardless of
whether the animal is injured or killed, the vessel operator must
report this interaction within 24 hours to the Regional Administrator.
(2) While fishing for CPS, vessel operators must record all
observations of otter interactions (defined as otters within encircled
nets or coming into contact with nets or vessels, including but not
limited to entanglement) with their purse seine net(s) or vessel(s).
With the exception of an entanglement, which must be initially reported
as described in paragraph (1) of this section, all other observations
must be reported within 20 days to the Regional Administrator.
(3) When contacting NMFS after an interaction, vessel operators
must provide the location (latitude and longitude) of the interaction
and a description of the interaction itself. If available, location
information should also include water depth, distance from shore, and
relation to port or other landmarks. Descriptive information of the
interaction should include whether or not the otters were seen inside
or outside the net; if inside the net, had the net been completely
encircled; whether any otters came in contact with either the net or
the vessel; the number of otters present; duration of interaction; the
otter's behavior during interaction; measures taken to avoid
interaction.
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
Frequency: As necessary.
Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: 50 CFR 660.520; MSA.
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 0648-0566.
Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2026-19740 Filed 9-25-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 28, 2026.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.