Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan Regulations

AGENCY:

National Oceanic & 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 April 14, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at NOAA.PRA@noaa.gov. Please reference OMB Control Number 0648-0364 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 Dr. Marisa Trego, Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA 01970, (978) 282-8484, marisa.trego@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

This request is for extension of a current information collection. In 1996, pursuant to section 118 of the MMPA, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) established and convened an Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Team (Team) to assist in the development of the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (Plan). Throughout this process, the Team has provided NMFS with recommended measures designed to reduce mortality and serious injury to North Atlantic right (Eubalaena glacialis), humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), and fin (Balaenoptera physalus) whales from incidental interactions with commercial fishing gear. To gather information on where entanglements are occurring and what type of gear is involved, the Team developed gear marking requirements. As a result, any person setting trap/pot or gillnet gear to fish commercially in some areas of the Atlantic Ocean are required to paint or otherwise mark their gear with specific color codes, designating the type of gear and area where it is set, in addition to specific buoy marking requirements.

NMFS is continuing the gear marking regulations amended in the 2021 rule for the Northeast Region Trap/Pot Management Area (northeast region) commercial trap/pot fisheries because increased gear marking continues to be necessary to improve our understanding of where entanglement incidents occur (RIN 648-BJ09). The gear modifications required by the rule became effective May 1, 2022, which is at the start of the American lobster/Jonah crab fishing year.

The continuation of this data collection allows for improved information on entanglement origins that will further enable NMFS to reduce injuries and deaths of large whales, especially North Atlantic right whales, due to incidental entanglement in United States commercial fishing gear. In order to develop fair and effective management measures, the Team requires comprehensive data on when, where, and how fixed gear vessels fish, and where whales become entangled in fishing gear.

The 2021 rule modified gear marking requirements by establishing a state-specific color for Maine (purple), New Hampshire (yellow), Massachusetts (red), and Rhode Island (silver/gray) on buoy lines used in the lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot fishery, except those fishing in LMA 3 which retains black as the primary gear mark color. For ropeless fishing operations working under EFPs or state authorizations, gear marking is likely to be recommended as a permit condition for any stored buoy line that is retrieved remotely, and that unique color combination is anticipated to be defined in future rule making. All lobster and Jonah crab trap/pot vessels in the Northeast Region are required to include a 3-foot (0.9-meter (m)) solid mark within the surface system using paint or tape, at least three 1-foot state specific marks (in the top, middle and bottom of the buoy line), and at least four 1-foot (0.3-m) green marks (no marking convention defined; tape, paint, twine, etc.) within 6 inches (15.24 centimeters (cm)) of each area-specific gear mark to distinguish state from Federal waters or, in the case of LMA 3 vessels, to distinguish Northeast Region vessels from vessels fishing in the southern and western LMA 3 waters. Gear marks are all required to be 1-foot (0.3-m) long or greater when installed to distinguish them from Canadian marks, which currently are required to be at least 6 inches (15.24 cm) in length. The term “state” refers to the state associated with the vessel's principal port as declared on state and Federal permits. A principal port is considered the city and state where the majority of landings occur. Although more than 90 percent of lobster and Jonah crab Federal permit holders identify the same state as their principal port, mailing address, and home port (city and state where a vessel is moored), the port of landing was selected based on recommendations from some state managers, and is considered to be the area where fishing occurs.

The only changes to this collection since the 2021 submission were to update material and labor costs based on current data.

II. Method of Collection

Information collected is in the form of gear marking.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0648-0364.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Regular submission, extension of a current information collection.

Affected Public: Primary respondents are business or other for-profit organizations (fishermen), and individuals or households.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 3,970.

Estimated Time per Response: The time to mark each line varies on the number of marks required by area, but it is estimated that each mark takes between 6.7-8.6 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: The estimated total annual burden is between 43.2-56.0 hours per year, per vessel. For all 3,970 vessels, the total burden hours is between 171,367-222,391 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: The estimated cost is $25.66-$74.34 per vessel per year. For all 3,970 vessels, the estimated total annual cost is between $101,870-$295,130.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species 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 information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.