Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Alaska Region Logbook and Activity Family of Forms

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 February 1, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at Adrienne.thomas@noaa.gov. Please reference OMB Control Number 0648-0213 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 Gabrielle Aberle, (907-586-7228).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Regional Office, is requesting renewal of this currently approved information collection that consists of paper logbooks and reports used for management of the groundfish fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) and the Gulf of Alaska (GOA); for management of the Individual Fishing Quota halibut and sablefish fisheries; and for management of the BSAI Crab Rationalization Program crab fisheries.

NMFS, Alaska Region, manages the groundfish and crab fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the BSAI and the groundfish fisheries of the GOA under fishery management plans (FMPs) for the respective areas. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council prepared, and NMFS approved, the FMPs under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. Regulations implementing the FMPs appear at 50 CFR parts 679 and 680. Regulations for the logbooks and reports in this information collection are at 50 CFR 679.5.

The information collected through the paper logbooks and reports promotes the goals and objectives of the fishery management plans, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable laws. The collection of reliable data is essential to the effective conservation, management, and scientific understanding of the fishery resources.

Collecting information from fishery participants is necessary to promote successful management of groundfish, crab, Pacific halibut, and salmon resources. A comprehensive information system that identifies the participants and monitors their fishing activity is necessary to enforce the management measures and prevent overfishing. An information system is also needed to measure the consequences of management controls. This collection supports an effective monitoring and enforcement system with information that includes identification of the participating vessels, operators, dealers, and processors; location of the fishing activity; timeframes when fishing and processing is occurring; and shipment and transfer of fishing products.

All vessels of the United States harvesting EEZ fish and shoreside processors, stationary floating processors (SFPs), and motherships receiving EEZ-caught fish are required to hold a Federal permit and thus comply with reporting requirements per CFR 679.5. The data collected are used for making in-season and inter-season management decisions that affect the groundfish resources and the fishing industry that uses them.

This information collection contains four components: Paper logbooks, vessel activity reports, check-in/check-out reports, and product transfer reports.

• Daily logbooks provide data about the location and timing of fishing effort, as well as discard information of prohibited species. NOAA Office for Law Enforcement (OLE) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) use logbook information during vessel boardings and site visits to ensure conservation of groundfish, compliance with regulations, and reporting accuracy by the fishing industry. The logbooks are also an important source of information for NMFS to determine where and when fishing activity occurs and the number of sets and hauls.
• A vessel activity report provides information about fish or fish product on board a vessel when it crosses the boundary of the EEZ off Alaska or crosses the U.S.—Canada international boundary between Alaska and British Columbia. NOAA OLE and USCG boarding officers use this information to audit and separate product inventory when boarding a vessel. Without the requirement to submit this prior to crossing, vessel operators may be more inclined to illegally fish in Federal waters and claim retained product was harvested from foreign or international waters.
• Check-in/check-out reports provide information on participation by processors and motherships in the groundfish fisheries. The check-in/check-out information is used by NMFS in-season managers to monitor the fishing capacity and effort in fishery allocations and quotas. Additionally, NOAA OLE agents use this information to track commercial business activity and ensure accurate accountability and proper reporting is being performed.
• Product transfer reports (PTRs) provide information on the volume of groundfish disposed of by persons buying it from the harvesters. The PTR is an important enforcement document and provides an important check on buyer purchase reports. Information collected on PTRs is used by NOAA OLE to verify the accuracy of reported shipments through physical inspections. NOAA OLE uses the PTR to monitor movement of product in and out of the processor on a timely basis.

II. Method of Collection

Paper logbooks are submitted by mail or delivery. The Vessel Activity Report and Product Transfer Report are submitted by fax or email. Check-in/Check-out Reports are submitted by fax.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0648-0213.

Form Number(s): None.

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

Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-profit organizations.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 445.

Estimated Time per Response: Catcher Vessel Trawl Daily Fishing Logbook (DFL): 18 minutes; Catcher Vessel Longline/Pot DFL: 35 minutes; Catcher/Processor Longline/Pot Daily Cumulative Production Logbook: 50 minutes; Shoreside Processor Check-in/Check-out Report: 5 minutes; Mothership Check-in/Check-out Report: 7 minutes; Product Transfer Report: 20 minutes; Vessel Activity Report: 14 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 15,654 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $9,954.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

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.