(a) Part 356 implements the U.S. Citizenship requirements of the American Fisheries Act of 1998, as amended, Title II, Division C, Public Law 105-277, for owners, Mortgage Trustees, and Mortgagees of vessels of 100 feet or greater in registered length that have a fishery endorsement to the vessel's documentation or where a fishery endorsement to the vessel's documentation is being sought. This part also addresses ancillary matters of charters, management agreements, exclusive sales or marketing contracts, conflicts with international agreements, determinations regarding violations of harvesting or processing limits, and exceptions for certain vessels, vessel owners and Mortgagees from the general requirements of the rule.

(b) An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Part 356 establishes a new requirement for the collection of information. The Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) has reviewed and approved the information collection requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501, et seq.) and assigned OMB control number 2133-0530 to the information collection requirements of this part 356.