Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic; Shrimp Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Data Collection

This interim rule requires vessels in the shrimp fishery of the Gulf of Mexico to maintain and submit fishing records, to carry a NMFS-approved observer, and/or to carry a vessel monitoring system unit (VMS unit), if selected by NMFS to do so. This rule also informs the public of the approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the collection-of-information requirements contained in this rule and publishes the OMB control numbers for these collections. The intended effect of this rule is to collect information on the operational effectiveness of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) in shrimp trawls in reducing the mortality of juvenile red snapper, and, thereby, to determine management measures necessary to reduce overfishing of red snapper.