Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

The Department of Commerce will submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program Permit and License Information Collection.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0620.

Form Number(s): None.

Type of Request: Regular (revision and extension of a currently approved information collection).

Number of Respondents: 410.

Average Hours 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.

Burden Hours: 406.

Needs and Uses: This request is for revision and extension of a currently approved information collection.

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.

Affected Public: Business and other for-profit organizations.

Frequency: Annually and on occasion.

Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain benefits.

This information collection request may be viewed at reginfo.gov. Follow the instructions to view Department of Commerce collections currently under review by OMB.

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov or fax to (202) 395-5806.