[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41093-41094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19426]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 071999B]
American Fisheries Act Reports
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.
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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, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C.
3506(c)(2)(A)).
DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 27,
1999.
ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room
5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20230 (or via
Internet at LEngelme@doc.gov).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions
should be directed to Patsy Bearden, NMFS-Alaska Region, PO Box 21668,
Juneau, AK 99802,(907) 586-7465.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Abstract
The American Fisheries Act (AFA), signed into law in October 1998,
established a complex system that allocates the pollock catch in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area to entities composed of
groups of specific fishing vessels and processors. Under the AFA,
groups of vessels delivering to a specific shoreside processor may form
a cooperative and receive a direct allocation of pollock catch to be
exclusively harvested by that cooperative. At the same time, the AFA
restricts the ability of pollock fishing vessels and processors from
expanding their level of participation in other (non-pollock)
fisheries. To implement the provisions of the AFA, NMFS will need to
monitor the catch of these various entities, including newly
established fishery cooperatives, for inseason management of directed
fisheries and for managing catch limits by AFA-qualified vessels in
other fisheries. Timely reports will be necessary for NMFS to determine
catch and bycatch taken by AFA-qualified vessels.
The new reports proposed by NMFS include a Shoreside Electronic
Delivery Report that is the equivalent of existing Alaska Department of
Fish and Game (ADF&G) fish ticket reports. A report would be submitted
for each delivery on a daily basis. As an alternative to this new
electronic report, processors would have the option to fax ADF&G fish
tickets to NMFS. A daily report of pollock catch by vessel also would
be required from each of up to eight shoreside fishery cooperatives.
The AFA also lists the 20 catcher/processors and three motherships
that may participate in the pollock fisheries, and requires that all
AFA-listed catcher/processors carry two observers and weigh all
groundfish catch on scales approved by NMFS. The Council has
recommended that NMFS extend these observer and scale requirements to
the three AFA-listed motherships. The Council also recommended that
NMFS require that AFA-listed catcher/processors and motherships provide
observer sampling stations. These observer coverage, scale, and
sampling station requirements would be identical to existing
requirements for catcher/processors participating in the Community
Development Quota (CDQ) fisheries. Nine of the 23 AFA-listed catcher/
processors and motherships are not currently equipped with NMFS-
approved scales and observer sampling stations and would be required to
install scales and observer sampling stations to comply with the AFA.
The other 14 vessels participate in the CDQ fisheries and, as a
consequence, their facilities already meet the new standards
established in the AFA. The information collection requirements
associated with scales and weighing catch at-sea in the CDQ program
have been approved by the OMB under control number 0648-0330. The
information collection requirements associated with observer sampling
stations have been approved under OMB control number 0648-0269. These
requirements include requesting an annual scale and observer sampling
station inspection, maintaining scale and observer sampling station
approval documents on board the vessel, conducting a daily at-sea scale
test, producing a scale audit trail when requested and producing and
maintaining printed output from the scale.
II. Method of Collection
A. Shoreside Electronic Delivery Reports. Shoreside electronic
delivery reports would be submitted electronically by each shoreside
processor via modem or Internet connection using software provided by
NMFS. These daily reports would be in lieu of existing daily production
logbooks and weekly production reports which currently must be faxed to
NMFS or submitted electronically.
B. Shoreside Pollock Catch Report. Each of up to eight shoreside
catcher vessel cooperatives would be required to submit daily pollock
catch reports to NMFS over the Internet using a NMFS Home Page
established for this purpose that will provide a Web-based reporting
form. As an alternative for cooperatives lacking Internet access,
reports could be sent to NMFS via fax. The regulations establishing the
inshore pollock co-op program will require each catcher vessel
cooperative to appoint a designated representative or cooperative
manager who will report cooperative activity to NMFS. NMFS anticipates
that cooperative managers will operate out of shore-based offices and
will therefore have the capability to report cooperative activity to
NMFS through normal phone lines and Internet accounts. Consequently,
this catcher vessel co-op reporting requirement does not contain an at-
sea reporting requirement.
C. Scale and observer sampling station requirements for AFA-listed
Catcher/Processors and Motherships. All 23 AFA-listed catcher/
processors and motherships will be required to submit a written request
for scale and observer sampling station inspection annually. Scales
must be tested daily
[[Page 41094]]
when in use. Test results are maintained on the vessel and not reported
to NMFS. The total weight of each haul or set must be printed out daily
and maintained on board the vessel for inspection by the observer.
III. Data
OMB Number: None
Form Number: None
Type of Review: Regular submission
Affected public: Business or other for-profit
Estimated Number of Respondents: 39 (8 shoreside processors, 8
catcher vessel cooperatives, 20 catcher/processors and 3 motherships)
Estimated Time Per Response: 30 minutes for a daily catch report
from a cooperative; 5 minutes for electronically submitting or faxing a
delivery report or fish ticket; 2 minutes for a scale inspection
request; 1 minute to retain an annual scale inspection report; 45
minutes for an at-sea scale test report; 5 minutes per day for a
printed record of haul weight; 3 minutes to retain a scale audit trail
print-out; and 2 hours for requesting an observer sampling station
inspection and maintaining the inspection report.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 7,775
Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $6,368
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.
Dated: July 20, 1999.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Chief Information
Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-19426 Filed 7-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F
