2013-17144. 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 Fishery Rationalization Social Study.

OMB Control Number: 0648-0606.

Form Number(s): NA.

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

Number of Respondents: 623.

Average Hours per Response: Surveys and meetings with stakeholders, 1 hour; interviews, 30 minutes.

Burden Hours: 394.

Needs and Uses: This request is for a revision and extension of a currently approved information collection. The revision consists of minor changes to the information collection tool.

Historically, changes in fisheries management regulations have been shown to result in impacts to individuals within the fishery. An understanding of social impacts in fisheries—achieved through the collection of data on fishing communities, as well as on individuals who fish—is a requirement under several federal laws. Laws such as the National Environmental Protection Act and the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation Act (as amended 2007) describe such requirements. The collection of this data not only helps to inform legal requirements for the existing management actions, but will inform future management actions requiring equivalent information.

Literature indicates fisheries rationalization programs have an impact on those individuals participating in the affected fishery. The Pacific Fisheries Management Council implemented a new rationalization program for the Pacific Coast Groundfish limited entry trawl fishery in January 2011. This research aims to continue to study the individuals in the affected fishery after the implementation of the rationalization program. Data collected is correlated to changes in the programs' design elements. In addition, the study will compare results to previous data collection efforts in 2010 and 2012.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; individuals or households; not-for-profit institutions.

Frequency: Intermittently or biannually.

Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.

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: July 11, 2013.

Gwellnar Banks,

Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.