Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program Permit and License Information Collection

AGENCY:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Written comments must be submitted on or before August 9, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at JJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should be directed to Sarah Towne, NMFS West Coast Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE., Seattle, WA 98103, (206) 526-4140, or sarah.towne@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requests comments on the extension of a currently approved information collection for the West Coast Region's Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq., provides that the Secretary of Commerce is responsible for the conservation and management of marine fisheries resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (3-200 miles) of the United States. NMFS West Coast Region manages the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off of Washington, Oregon, and California under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan.

In January 2011, NMFS implemented a trawl rationalization program, which is a catch share program, for the Pacific Coast Groundfish Limited Entry Trawl Fishery. The program was implemented through Amendments 20 and 21 to the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan and the corresponding implementing regulations at 50 CFR part 660. Amendment 20 established the trawl rationalization program that consists of: an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the shorebased trawl fleet (including whiting and nonwhiting sectors), and cooperative programs for the at-sea mothership and catcher/processor trawl fleets (whiting only). Amendment 21 set long-term allocations for the limited entry trawl sectors of certain groundfish species.

Under the trawl rationalization program, new permits, accounts, endorsements and licenses were established. These consist of: Quota share (QS) permits/accounts, vessel accounts, first receiver site licenses, mothership endorsements on certain limited entry trawl permits, mothership catcher vessel endorsements on certain limited entry trawl permits, catcher/processor endorsements on certain limited entry trawl permits, a mothership cooperative permit, and a catcher/processor cooperative permit. NMFS collects information from program participants required to: (1) Establish new permits, accounts, and licenses; (2) renew permits, accounts, and licenses; (3) allow trading of QS percentages and quota pounds (QP) in online QS and vessel accounts, and allow transfer of catch history assignments between limited entry trawl permits; (4) track compliance with program control limits; and (5) implement other features of the regulations pertaining to permits and licenses. NMFS requests comments on the extension of these permit information collections.

As part of this request, NMFS plans to remove the notary requirement on all of our forms in this collection, which will save time and money for permit, vessel, and license owners.

II. Method of Collection

Information is collected by mail and electronically.

The following information is collected by mail: QS permit application forms; late QS permit renewals; vessel account registration requests; late vessel account renewals; trawl identification of ownership interest forms for new applicants, mothership catcher vessel endorsed limited entry permit owners, and mothership permit owners; first receiver site license application forms; mothership permit renewal forms; mothership permit change of vessel registration, permit owner, or vessel owner application forms; mothership cooperative permit application forms; change of mothership catcher vessel endorsement and catch history assignment registration forms; mutual agreement exception forms; mothership withdrawal forms; catcher/processor cooperative permit application forms; material change forms; and QS abandonment requests.

The following information is collected electronically: QS permit renewals; QS percent transfers; QP transfers from a QS account to a vessel account; vessel account renewals; QP transfers from a vessel account to another vessel account; and trawl identification of ownership interest forms for online QS and vessel account renewals.

III. Data

OMB Control Number: 0648-0620.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection, with revision.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal government.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 410 unique respondents.

Estimated Time per Response: QS permit/account application form—30 minutes; QS permit/account online renewal—10 minutes; QS permit/account late renewal form—15 minutes; QS transfer—10 minutes; QP transfer from QS account to vessel account—8 minutes; vessel account registration request—15 minutes; vessel account online renewal—10 minutes; vessel account late renewal form—15 minutes; QP transfer from vessel account to another vessel account—8 minutes; trawl identification of ownership interest form for new entrants—45 minutes; trawl identification of ownership interest form for renewals—5 minutes; first receiver site license application form for new entrants—210 minutes; first receiver site license application form for re-registering license holders—110 minutes; mothership permit renewal form—20 minutes; mothership permit change of vessel registration, permit owner, or vessel owner application form—45 minutes; mothership cooperative permit application form—240 minutes; change of mothership catcher vessel endorsement and catch history assignment registration form—45 minutes; mutual agreement exception—60 minutes; mothership withdrawal—120 minutes; catcher/processor cooperative permit application form—120 minutes; QS abandonment request—10 minutes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 640.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $12,475.

IV. Request for Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden (including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information collection; they also will become a matter of public record.