2012-3143. 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: Alaska Commercial Operator's Annual Report (COAR).

OMB Control Number: 0648-0428.

Form Number(s): NA.

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

Number of Respondents: 204.

Average Hours per Response: 8.

Burden Hours: 1,632.

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

The Alaska Commercial Operator's Annual Report (COAR) collects harvest and production information broken out by specific criteria such as gear type, area, delivery and product type, and pounds and value. The COAR is due by April 1 of the year following any buying or processing activity.

Any person or company who received a Fisheries Business License from the Alaska Department of Revenue and an Intent to Operate Permit by Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is required to annually submit the COAR to State of Alaska, ADF&G, under Alaska Administrative Code (AAC), chapter 5 AAC 39.130. In addition, any person or company who receives an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) only permit from ADF&G annually must submit a COAR to ADF&G. Any owner of a catcher/processor or mothership with a Federal permit operating in the EEZ off Alaska is required to annually submit a COAR to ADF&G under 50 CFR 679.5(p).

The COAR provides information on ex-vessel and first wholesale values for statewide fish and shellfish products. Containing information from shoreside processors, stationary floating processors, motherships, and catcher/processors, this data collection yields equivalent annual product value information for all respective processing sectors and provides a consistent time series according to which groundfish resources may be managed more efficiently.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.

Frequency: Annually.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

OMB Desk Officer: [e-mail].

Copies of the above information collection proposal can be obtained by calling or writing Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, [phone], Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at [e-mail]).

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to [e-mail].

Dated: February 7, 2012.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.