Billing Code 3510-22-P
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 Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Amendment 14
Data Collection
AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.
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 [INSERT DATE 60 DAYS AFTER DATE OF
PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
ADDRESSES: Interested person are invited to submit written comment to Adrienne Thomas,
NOAA PRA Officer, at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please reference OMB Control Number 06480679 in the subject line of your comments. All comments received are part of the public record
and will generally be posted on http://www.regulations.gov 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 Maria Fenton, Fishery
Policy Analyst, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930, (978) 281-9196, or
maria.fenton@noaa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I.

Abstract
This is a request for renewal of an approved information collection. Under the

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Secretary of Commerce has
the responsibility for the conservation and management of marine fishery resources. Much of this
responsibility has been delegated to the NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).
Under this stewardship role, the Secretary was given certain regulatory authorities to ensure the
most beneficial uses of these resources. One of the regulatory steps taken to care out the
conservation and management objectives is to collect information from users of the resources.
This collection requires limited access mackerel and longfin squid/butterfish moratorium
permit holders to bring all catch aboard the vessel and make it available for sampling by an
observer. If a catch is not made available to an observer before discard, that catch is defined as
slippage, and the vessel operator must complete a “Released Catch Affidavit” form within 48
hours of the end of the fishing trip which details why catch was slipped, estimates the quantity
and species composition of the slipped catch, and records the time and location of the slipped
catch.
This collection also requires any vessel with a limited access mackerel permit intending
to land over 20,000 lb of mackerel to contact NMFS at least 48 hours in advance of a fishing trip
to request an observer. Vessels currently contact NMFS via phone, and selection notices or
waivers are issued by NMFS via VMS. If service providers are unable to provide coverage, an
owner, operator, or vessel manager may request a waiver by calling the Northeast Fisheries
Observer Program. Additionally, if a fishing trip is cancelled, vessels must notify NMFS of the
cancelled trip to prevent observers from being deployed to a cancelled trip.
II.

Method of Collection
Information is submitted on paper and electronically.

III.

Data
OMB Control Number: 0648-0679.

Form Number(s): None.
Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current information collection).
Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; individual or households,
state, local, or tribal government.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 10,035.
Estimated Time Per Response: Pre-trip notification to observer program, 5 minutes; Trip
Cancellation notification to observer program, 1 minute; Released Catch Affidavit, 5 minutes;
and Vessel Permit Swap Form, 5 minutes.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 765.85.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $4,358.
Respondent’s Obligation: Mandatory.
Legal Authority: The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
IV.

Request for Comments
We are soliciting public comments to permit the Agency to: (a) Evaluate whether the

proposed information collection is necessary for the proper functions of the Agency, 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 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,
Department PRA Clearance Officer,
Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs,
Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-13295 Filed: 6/14/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/17/2024]