2021-07742. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Alaska Chinook Salmon Economic Data Report (EDR)

The Department of Commerce will submit the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, on or after the date of publication of this notice. We invite 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. Public comments were previously requested via the Federal Register on January 13, 2021 (86 FR 2646), during a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Title: Alaska Chinook Salmon Economic Data Report (EDR).

OMB Control Number: 0648-0633.

Form Number(s): None.

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

Number of Respondents: 150.

Average Hours per Response: Compensated Transfer Report: 40 hours; Vessel Fuel Survey: 4 hours; Vessel Master Survey: 4 hours; CTR Verification Audit: 4 hours.

Total Annual Burden Hours: 600 hours.

Needs and Uses: The National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), Alaska Regional Office, is requesting extension of the currently approved information collection for the Alaska Chinook Salmon Economic Data Report (the EDR). The EDR collects economic data for the Alaska Chinook Salmon Economic Data Report Program.

NMFS manages the Bering Sea pollock fishery under the American Fisheries Act (AFA) (16 U.S.C. 1851). AFA fishing vessels harvest pollock in the Bering Sea pollock fishery using pelagic (midwater) trawl gear, which consists of large nets towed through the water by the vessel. At times, Chinook salmon and pollock occur in the same locations in the Bering Sea; consequently, Chinook salmon are incidentally caught in the nets as pollock is harvested. This incidental catch is called bycatch and is also called prohibited species catch (PSC).

The EDR Program provides NMFS and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) with data to evaluate the effectiveness of Chinook salmon bycatch management measures for the Bering Sea pollock fishery that were implemented under Amendment 91 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (75 FR 53026, August 30, 2010). The EDR consists of three data collections that are submitted annually by owners and operators of catcher vessels, catcher/processors, motherships, and the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program groups qualified to participate in the Bering Sea pollock fishery (50 CFR 679.65). The EDR Program also includes a means for NMFS to verify the data submitted in these three collections.

NMFS and the Council use the information to determine the effectiveness of the Incentive Plan Agreement (IPA) (see OMB Control No. 0648-0401), the IPA incentives, the PSC limits, and the performance standard in terms of minimizing salmon bycatch in times of high and low levels of salmon abundance. NMFS and the Council also use the data to evaluate how Amendment 91 affects where, when, and how pollock fishing and salmon bycatch occur and to study and verify conclusions drawn by industry in the IPA annual reports.

The EDR is submitted annually by each person who held AFA pollock quota share in the previous calendar year or was an owner or leaseholder of an AFA permitted vessel in the previous calendar year.

The EDR requirements are located at 50 CFR 679.65.

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

Frequency: Annually.

Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory

Legal Authority: American Fisheries Act (16 U.S.C. 1851); Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

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

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function and entering either the title of the collection or the OMB Control Number 0648-0633.

Sheleen Dumas,

Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Commerce Department.