0205 ss ren rev 090906

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
SOUTHEAST REGION PERMIT FAMILY OF FORMS
OMB CONTROL NO.: 0648-0205

A.

JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
The Southeast Region covers the eight coastal states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, the inland states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Tennessee, as well as the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Sustainable Fisheries Division,
Southeast Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), is entrusted with the
conservation, management, and protection of marine fishery resources inhabiting federal waters
off the southeastern United States from North Carolina through Texas and Puerto Rico and the
U.S. Virgin Islands. The Division is the Region’s focal point for implementing NMFS' primary
legislative authority for fisheries management and research, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), as amended by the Sustainable
Fisheries Act (SFA).
The Division works directly with the Region’s three fishery management councils established by
Congress to perform the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. These mandates are
accomplished through fishery management plans for marine finfish and crustaceans that support
important commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic Ocean,
and Caribbean Sea and consider conservation and management issues, sociological and
economic issues, and regulatory issues. Functions and activities required to fulfill this and other
responsibilities as specified in the Magnuson-Stevens Act include: providing guidance on
fisheries management; providing technical assistance and advise in preparing fishery
management plans (FMPs) in accordance with national standard guidelines and other applicable
laws; coordinating public review and compilation of comments; initiating Secretarial review of
FMPs and amendments; drafting regulations and Federal Register notices, as well as reviewing
and responding to comments received during rulemaking; fishery management plan (FMP)
implementation; and monitoring.
A major component of fisheries management in the Region is the permit system and the
information collected by these permits. The permit/endorsement system has the following uses:
a. Registration of actual and/or potential fishing vessels/dealers.
b. Collection of data relevant to the characteristics of both vessels and (potential) fishermen.
c. Secure compliance (e.g., do not issue permits until unpaid penalties have been collected
and reporting requirements are fulfilled).
d. Provide a mailing list for the dissemination of regulatory information.
e. Register participants for fisheries with special restrictions/limited access.
f. Provide sample frames for data collection.
g. Permit purchase information for fleet economic analyses.

1

Accordingly, numerous FMPs and Amendments have been developed by the Region which
requires the collection of information for purposes of proper implementation of these rules.
Regulations implementing the FMPs and their collection of information appear at
50 CFR 600.305, 50 CFR 600.315, and 50 CFR 622.5.
Dolphin/Wahoo Fishery Management Plan
In 1999, NOAA Fisheries, on behalf of the Secretary, designated the South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council (SAFMC) as the administrative lead in jointly preparing and amending a
dolphin and wahoo FMP. This plan was to be completed with the cooperation of the Gulf of
Mexico and Caribbean Fishery Management Councils, with the New England and Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Councils acting in an advisory capacity to the SAFMC. Several logistic
issues delayed the finalization of the joint FMP. The SAFMC was concerned that identified
social and economic issues in their area of jurisdiction (the U.S. Atlantic coast) would not be
addressed in a timely manner. In July 2002, the SAFMC requested that the Secretary redesignate them as true lead on an FMP encompassing only the U.S. Atlantic coast. In January
2003, NOAA Fisheries, on behalf of the Secretary, formally announced approval of this redesignation in a Federal Register Notice. Requirements are included in 50 CFR 622.4.
The rule implemented the FMP for the dolphin and wahoo fishery in the exclusive economic
zone (EEZ) off the Atlantic states (Maine through the east coast of Florida), the rule required
vessel owners to obtain commercial vessel and charter vessel/headboat permits and submit
reports; required operators of commercial vessels, charter vessels, and headboats to obtain
operator permits; required dealers to obtain permits and submit reports; established bag and trip
limits; established a minimum size limit (dolphin only); closed the longline fisheries in areas
closed to the use of such gear for highly migratory pelagic species; prohibited sale without a
commercial vessel permit; specified allowable gear; and established a framework procedure by
which the SAFMC could establish and modify certain management measures in a timely manner.
The intended effects are to conserve and manage dolphin and wahoo and to ensure that no new
fisheries for dolphin and wahoo develop.
Information obtained on permit applications provides baseline data on participants and the
activities of vessels, dealers, and vessel operators in the Atlantic dolphin and wahoo fishery that
were not available. Collection of the taxpayer identification number (i.e., employer
identification numbers for corporations, and social security number for individuals) on the
Application under authority of the Debt Collection Act enhances NMFS’s identification of the
applicants for management and compliance purposes. To be eligible for exemption from the bag
and possession limits for dolphin and wahoo in the Atlantic EEZ or to sell dolphin and wahoo
harvested in the Atlantic EEZ, the rule requires a vessel to have on board a Federal commercial
permit for Atlantic dolphin and wahoo. As an exception to this permit requirement, a vessel with
a Federal commercial permit in a fishery other than the Atlantic dolphin and wahoo fishery
would have a 200-lb trip limit, in lieu of a bag and possession limit, and would be allowed to sell
dolphin or wahoo, provided that all fishing on and landings from that trip were landings from
waters north of 39° N. lat. (near Dover, Delaware).
NMFS issues an Atlantic dolphin and wahoo commercial permit for a vessel that has a Federal
commercial permit for king mackerel, South Atlantic snapper-grouper, or Atlantic swordfish or
for a vessel, whose owner meets both the earned income requirement and the landings
2

requirement. An owner meets the earned income requirement if he or she derived at least 25
percent of earned income or at least $10,000 from commercial fishing (i.e., the harvest and first
sale of fish) or from charter/headboat fishing during one of the 3 calendar years 1996, 1997, or
1998. An owner meets the landings requirement if he or she owned a vessel that landed and sold
at least 250 lb of dolphin and/or wahoo harvested from the Atlantic during the period January 1,
1996, through May 21, 1999. If a vessel has a Federal commercial vessel permit issued by
NMFS in the king mackerel, South Atlantic snapper-grouper, or swordfish fishery, dolphin and
wahoo is added to the fisheries for which the permit is valid upon written request to NMFS from
the owner or operator for such addition.
An owner of a vessel who desires a commercial vessel permit based on the earned income and
landings requirements is required to obtain a permit application form from and submit it to
NMFS. Information on the application form and accompanying documentation consists of the
standard information and documentation required for commercial vessel permits issued by
NMFS. Such information and documentation is not required if they are available to NMFS
through a valid permit issued in another fishery. The earned income requirement has to be
documented by an optional affidavit signed by the applicant, or by the applicant’s tax records
demonstrating that he/she does meet the income qualifications of the fishery. The original rule
stated that tax records were the only accepted documentation for proof of participation in the
fishery. However, the optional affidavit was developed to reduce burden on the participants
while still providing documentation of participation.
The landings requirement has to be documented by a listing of landings by date, species, amount,
and dealer. Only landings verified as having been received between January 1, 1996, and May
21, 1999, by the following would qualify: (1) Fishing vessel logbooks received by the Science
and Research Director of either the NMFS Southeast or Northeast Fisheries Science Centers; (2)
state trip ticket systems; or (3) for landings not covered by vessel logbook or state trip ticket
system requirements: dealer records accompanied by signed earned income affidavits. Dealer
records must definitively show dates and amounts of landings of the species known as dolphin
and/or wahoo and the vessel’s name, official number, or other reference that clearly identifies the
vessel. Dealer records must contain a sworn affidavit by the dealer confirming the accuracy and
authenticity of the records. A sworn affidavit is an official written statement wherein the
individual signing the affidavit affirms that the information presented is accurate and can be
substantiated, under penalty of law. Only landings that were harvested, landed, and sold in
compliance with state and Federal regulations would be used to establish eligibility. No appeals,
or reconsiderations of ineligibility, are allowed.
To possess a dolphin or wahoo in or from the Atlantic EEZ on board a charter vessel or
headboat, the rule requires that a valid Federal charter vessel/headboat permit for Atlantic
dolphin and wahoo be on board that vessel. There is no earned income or landing requirement
for the charter vessel/headboat permits. The owner of a vessel who desires a charter
vessel/headboat permit for the Atlantic dolphin and wahoo fishery is required to obtain a permit
application form from, and submit it to, NMFS. An owner of a charter vessel or headboat who
desires to sell dolphin is required to obtain a commercial vessel permit for dolphin and wahoo in
addition to the charter vessel/headboat permit.
To enhance enforcement of fishery regulations, the rule requires an operator of a commercial
vessel or a charter vessel/headboat in the Atlantic dolphin and wahoo fishery to obtain a permit.
3

"Operator" is defined as the master or other individual aboard and in charge of a vessel. Each
vessel that has a Federal commercial vessel or charter vessel/headboat permit for the Atlantic
dolphin and wahoo fishery is required to have on board at least one person who has a valid
operator permit when the vessel is at sea or offloading. This provides operator characteristics
data, and enforcement information to increase compliance in the fishery. Information required
on an application includes name, address, and other identifying information, such as date of
birth, height, weight, and hair and eye color, of the applicant, and other information necessary for
the issuance or administration of the permit. In addition, each applicant is required to provide
two recent (no more than 1-yr old) color, passport-sized photographs. In general, an operator
permit is valid for a 3-year period. An operator of a vessel in the Atlantic dolphin and wahoo
fishery is required to present his/her operator permit for inspection upon the request of an
authorized officer.
This rule also requires a dealer of dolphin or wahoo to obtain a dealer permit for such species.
"Dealer" is defined as a person who first receives fish by way of purchase, barter, or trade or who
first receives dolphin or wahoo harvested from the Atlantic EEZ upon transfer ashore. To obtain
such permit, the applicant has to have a valid state wholesaler's license in the state(s) where the
dealer operates, if required by such state(s), and have a physical facility at a fixed location in
such state(s).
Dolphin/Wahoo Fishery Management Plan
Amendment 22 to the FMP for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico proposes a
mandatory observer program for selected commercial and for-hire (charter vessel/headboat)
vessels in the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fishery. This requires a revision to 0648-0205 to allow
the collection of data associated with the reef fish vessel owners notifying the agency regarding
their fishing activities, by telephonic communication, so that observers can arrange to board the
vessel and observe the fishing trip. No form or application is required. The regulatory citation is
50 CFR 622.4.
South Atlantic Shrimp Amendment 6
Brown, pink, or white shrimp (penaeid) vessel owners must submit applications for federal
fishing permits and provide relevant information on those applications. This collection is
associated with rulemaking to implement Amendment 6 to the FMP for the Shrimp Fishery of
the South Atlantic Region, as prepared and submitted by the SAFMC. The shrimp fishery off the
southern Atlantic states is managed under the FMP. The FMP was prepared by the SAFMC and
is implemented under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act) by regulations at 50 CFR part 622.
The rulemaking requires an owner or operator of a trawler that harvests penaeid shrimp in the
EEZ off the southern Atlantic states to obtain a Federal fishing permit in 50 CFR 622.4.. This
family of forms includes data collection of data for agency observers aboard fishing vessels.
Amendment 6 proposes an observer program for selected commercial vessels in the South
Atlantic penaeid shrimp and rock shrimp fisheries.

4

Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Amendment 13
Amendment 13 of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) shrimp fishery FMP amends the FMP to include a
royal red shrimp endorsement, an observer program, an annual landings report, and a permit
moratorium under which eligibility for a permit must be established. Additionally, the final rule
implementing Amendment 13 to the shrimp FMP establishes a new requirement to have all
permit transfers in the Gulf of Mexico notarized. Burden hours and costs for this requirement
will also be added to OMB Control No.: 0648-0327, Highly Migratory Species Permit Family of
Forms.
The royal red shrimp fishery in the GOM is a very small component of the overall shrimp
fishery, and there are very limited data on this fishery on which to make management decisions.
Consequently, there is a need to collect additional information on areas fished, effort, catch per
unit effort, markets, value, etc. A separate royal red shrimp vessel permit or an endorsement to
the existing commercial shrimp vessel permit would provide a readily accessible database from
which to identify participants in this fishery.
In developing a methodology to assess the amount and type of bycatch for the shrimp fishery of
the GOM as required by Section 303 (a) (11) of the M-SFCMA, the Council is confronted with
two problems. First, the bycatch is made up of a very large number of species that differ
depending on the species of shrimp being harvested, environmental perturbations, and the
geographic location of trawling. This problem is compounded by seasonal differences in
abundance and the fact that the vast majority of this bycatch is made up of species that have very
little or no commercial or recreational value and are discarded. The total amount of bycatch is
also large: approximately 600.0 million pounds, annually. Consequently, although a rough
estimation of the amount of bycatch can be made by sampling bycatch to shrimp catch ratios and
multiplying, this method does not address the legal requirement of assessing the “type” of
bycatch – because, being unwanted, it is discarded without identification.
The second problem is concerned with estimating effort. There are currently approximately
2,500 permitted vessels that harvest shrimp from the Exclusive Economic Zone, and the Council
estimates that there are over 13,000 boats that fish in state waters. With such a large number of
vessels of differing sizes, gears used, and fishing capabilities compounded by seasonal variability
in abundance and price and the broad geographic distribution of the fleet, it is practically
impossible to estimate the actual amount of fishing effort using current methods and data.
Therefore, along with a royal red endorsement, the entire shrimp fishery is being placed under a
moratorium under which vessels will have to qualify for a permit. In addition, a requirement to
provide annual landings will identify species composition within the fishery. Having such a
database will allow managers and scientists to gather additional biological, social, and economic
data in order to appropriately manage this fishery where and when warranted.
Falsifying permit transfers has caused a number of problems to both the permit section and the
fishermen themselves. The new requirement of notarized transfers is expected to quell the
problem of forged or falsified permit transfers. Requirements in RIN 0648-AS15 will be added
to 50CFR622.4 (the related revision to OMB Control No.: 0648-0205 OMB approved on 6-2306).

5

Activity
Dealer Permit

Charter
Vessel/Headboat Permit

Commercial Vessel
Permit

Fishery
South Atlantic
Snapper/Grouper; Gulf
Reef Fish; Golden Crab;
Wreckfish; Rock
Shrimp;
Dolphin/Wahoo; Gulf
Reef Fish; South
Atlantic
Snapper/Grouper;
Coastal Migratory
Pelagic
King and Spanish
Mackerel; Wreckfish;
Spiny Lobster; Gulf
Shrimp; Gulf Reef Fish;
South Atlantic Rock
Shrimp; South Atlantic
Snapper/Grouper; South
Atlantic Golden Crab;
Colombian Treaty
Waters

Vessel Operator Permit
Card

Dolphin/Wahoo; South
Atlantic Rock Shrimp

Commercial Vessel
Tailing Permit

Spiny Lobster

Commercial Vessel
Monitoring System
Installation
Commercial Vessel
Monitoring System
Maintenance

50 CFR 622.4

Federal permit
application for vessels
fishing in the EEZ

50 CFR 622.4

Federal permit
application for vessels
fishing in the EEZ

50 CFR 622.4
50 CFR 622.15
50 CFR 622.17
50 CFR 635.4
50 CFR 640.4

Federal permit
application for southeast
region issued operator
card
Federal permit
application for vessels
fishing in the EEZ

50 CFR 622.4

640.4

50 CFR 622.4

South Atlantic Rock
Shrimp

No Form

50 CFR 622.4

Vessel Permit

Octocoral Coral or
Allowable Chemical

Vessel Permit
Endorsement Placement

Multiple Fishery Dealer
Application

Checklist

Various

Vessel Permit
Endorsement Transfer

Regulation Citation

South Atlantic Rock
Shrimp

Commercial Vessel
Permit Transfer

Site Permit
Site Evaluation Report

Form

Aquacultured Live Rock
Aquacultured Live Rock
Gulf Reef Fish Trap;
Gulf Red Snapper;
Mackerel Gillnet
Gulf Red Snapper

6

Federal permit
application for vessels
fishing in the EEZ
No Form – Written
Request for Either
Permit
Individual Form
Individual Form
Federal permit
application for vessels
fishing in the EEZ
No Form – Written
Request

50 CFR 622.4

50 CFR 622.4
50 CFR 622.4
50 CFR 622.4
50 CFR 622.4
50 CFR 622.4

Activity
Notification of Lost or
Stolen Traps

Observer coverage

Zone Transit
Notification
Notification of
Authorization for Trap
Retrieval
Notification of Harvest
Activity
Coupons for Tracking
ITQ

Fishery

Form

Regulation Citation

No Form – Notification

50 CFR 622.17
50 CFR 622.6

No Form - Notification

50 CFR 622.8

No Form – Notification

50 CFR 622.17

No Form – Written
Notification of
Authorization

50 CFR 622.4

Aquacultured Live Rock

No Form – Notification

50 CFR 622.41

Wreckfish

Coupon

50 CFR 622.15

South Atlantic Golden
Crab; Caribbean Spiny
Lobster; Gulf Reef Fish;
South Atlantic
Snapper/Grouper
South Atlantic and Gulf
of Mexico Penaeid
Shrimp; South Atlantic
Sargassum; South
Atlantic Golden Crab;
Gulf of Mexico Reef
Fish
South Atlantic Golden
Crab
Gulf Reef Fish, South
Atlantic
Snapper/Grouper; South
Atlantic Golden Crab

Basis of eligibility for
the Gulf of Mexico
Shrimp Moratorium
Federal permit
application for vessels
fishing in the EEZ for
shrimp
Federal permit
application for vessels
fishing in the EEZ for
shrimp

Gulf of Mexico shrimp
permit moratorium

Gulf of Mexico shrimp

Gulf of Mexico shrimp
permit

Gulf of Mexico shrimp

Royal red shrimp
endorsement

Gulf of Mexico shrimp

Transfer notarization

All fisheries with
allowable transfer of
permits

Applicable permit,
license, or endorsement

50 CFR 622.4

Annual landings report

Gulf of Mexico shrimp

Gulf of Mexico shrimp
federal permit reporting
form

50 CFR 622.4

50 CFR 622.4

50 CFR 622.4

50 CFR 622.4

2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be
used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support
information that will be disseminated to the public, then explain how the collection
complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.
The information requested is used by various offices of NMFS, Regional Fishery Management
Council staff, the U.S. Coast Guard and state fishery agencies under contract to NMFS to
develop, implement and monitor fishery management strategies. Analyzes and summarizations
of data are used by NMFS, the Regional Councils, the Departments of State and Commerce,
OMB, the fishing industry, Congressional staff and the public to answer questions about the
7

nature of the Nation’s fishery resources.
These data serve as input for a variety of uses, such as: biological analyzes and stock
assessments; E.O. 12291 regulatory impact analyzes; quota and allocation selections and
monitoring; economic profitability profiles; trade and import tariff decisions; allocations of grant
funds among states; identify ecological interactions among species. NMFS would be
significantly hindered in its ability to fulfill the majority of its scientific research and fishery
management missions without these data.
It is anticipated that the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to
support publicly disseminated information. As explained in the preceding paragraphs, the
information gathered has utility. NMFS retains control over the information and safeguards it
from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with NOAA standards for
confidentiality, privacy, and electronic information. The information collection is designed to
yield data that meet all applicable information quality guidelines. Prior to dissemination, the
information will be subjected to quality control measure and a pre-dissemination review pursuant
to Section 515 of the Public Law 106-554.
3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of
information technology.
Regarding the permitting data collection, the Southeast Region's Web site allows the public to
obtain a copy of the permit application, which can be downloaded and completed electronically,
and then printed. Otherwise, the Southeast Region currently has no resource or technological
capability for electronic (i.e., Web site) permit application and issuance. This capability cannot
be accomplished in the Southeast Region without significant changes to the permit issuance
criteria and our permit issuance processes. These changes have been initiated, in that the
Southeast Region Permits Team may be switching from a non-Web database (Rbase) to a Webbased database (Oracle) in the future. The Southeast Region also has initiated clearance of a
survey of permitted vessel owners to determine the feasibility of Web site application and
associated costs/benefits. The survey results will be used to evaluate the feasibility of electronic
permit transactions for possible inclusion in future permitting system changes and
resource/technology allocations. Such changes could support NOAA=s proposed initiative for
One-Stop Shopping (to improve customer service through coordination of NOAA consultation
and permitting activities).
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
The Magnuson-Stevens Act's operational guidelines require each FMP to evaluate existing state
and federal laws that govern the fisheries in question, and the findings are made part of each
FMP. Each Fishery Management Council membership is comprised of state and federal officials
responsible for resource management in their area. These two circumstances identify other
collections that may be gathering the same or similar information. In addition, each FMP
undergoes extensive public comment periods where potential applicants review the proposed
permit application requirements. Therefore, NMFS is confident it is aware of similar collections
if they exist. The other information proposed to be collected is not being collected elsewhere;
therefore, this data collection would not cause duplication.
8

5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe
the methods used to minimize burden.
Because all applicants are considered small businesses or small entities, separate requirements
based on size of business have not been developed. Only the minimum data to meet the current
and future needs of NMFS's fisheries management are requested from the vessel owners.
6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently.
The Region’s three fishery management councils established by Congress are expected to fulfill
the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. These mandates are accomplished through fishery
management plans for marine finfish and crustaceans that support important commercial and
recreational fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea and
consider conservation and management issues, sociological and economic issues, and regulatory
issues. Functions and activities required to fulfill this and other responsibilities as specified in the
Magnuson-Stevens Act include: providing guidance on fisheries management; providing
technical assistance and advise in preparing FMPs in accordance with national standard
guidelines and other applicable laws; coordinating public review and compilation of comments;
initiating Secretarial review of FMPs and amendments; drafting regulations and Federal Register
Notices, as well as reviewing and responding to comments received during rulemaking; FMP
implementation; and monitoring.
A major component of fisheries management in the Region is the permit system and the
information collected by these permits. Without the collection of this information, mandates
accomplished through fishery management plans cannot be fulfilled.
7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
There are no special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner
inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
8. Provide a copy of the PRA Federal Register notice that solicited public comments on the
information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments received
in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response to those
comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their
views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and
recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be
recorded, disclosed, or reported.
A Federal Register notice solicited comments on this renewal request; none were received.
These data collection programs were all part of FMPs or amendments to these FMPs. As such
public comments were solicited for all parts of the rule, including the collection of information
requests. As part of the FMP development process, public hearings are held throughout the
9

region soliciting comments from constituents about any part of the proposed FMP and associated
rule. Additionally, upon publication of the Notice of Availability of the Amendment in the
Federal Register, the public has 60 days to comment on the Amendment. Likewise, upon
publication of the proposed rule, which includes any reporting requirements, the public has 45
days to comment on the rule and its associated collections. Also, notices were published
regarding all aspects of the collection discussed earlier in this supporting statement.
9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
There are no payments or other remunerations to respondents.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
All data submitted under the proposed collection will be handled as confidential material in
accordance with M-SFCMA, Section 402b, and NOAA Administrative Order 216-100,
Protection of Confidential Fishery Statistics.
This information collection will be included in a comprehensive NMFS Permits and
Registrations System of Records Notice, to be submitted for review to the Department of
Commerce before the end of Fiscal Year 2006.
11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual
behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered
private.
No questions of a sensitive nature are asked.
12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
Burden hours for this collection of information total 15,670, reduced from15,770. There are
1176 permits annually for which the optional affidavit for income qualifiers applies, with a time
savings per response of 5 minutes (1176 applicants x 5 minutes saved = 98 hours). The
additional two hours’ difference is due to cumulative rounding errors.
Responses have decreased from 62,408 to 60,248, also due to cumulative errors (see # 15).
Form/Notification
/Endorsement
Multiple Fishery
Dealer Application
Multiple Fishery
Vessel Application
South Atlantic
Wreckfish Vessel
Form

Total Number
of Respondents

Annual
Number of
Responses

Time per
Response

Total Time
Hours

548

274

5 min

23

9797

3294

20 min

1312

8

8

20 min

3

10

Form/Notification
/Endorsement
Rock Shrimp Vessel
Monitoring System
Maintenance
Rock Shrimp Vessel
Monitoring System
Installation
Rock Shrimp Vessel
Operator Permit Card
Applications
Rock Shrimp Vessel
Position Reports
Rock Shrimp Vessel
Non-renewed
Endorsement Requests
South Atlantic Golden
Crab Vessel Form
Colombian Treaty
Vessel Form
Aquacultured Live
Rock Site Evaluation
Report
Aquacultured Live
Rock Site Permit
Notification of Permit
Purchase Price –
Permit Transfer
Endorsement Transfer
– Gulf red snapper
Endorsement
(Placement) – Gulf red
snapper
Endorsement – South
Atlantic rock shrimp
Endorsement – Gulf
Reef Fish Trap
Endorsement –
Mackerel Gillnet
Notification of Golden
Crab Lost or Stolen
Traps
Notification –
Sargassum Vessel
Observer
Notification – Golden
Crab Observer
Transit Notification –
Golden Crab Vessel

Total Number
of Respondents

Annual
Number of
Responses

Time per
Response

Total Time
Hours

168

168

2 hours

336

0

0

4 hours

0

168

56

1 hour

56

168

33,600

14 minutes

7,840

30

10

2 hours

20

10

5

20 min

2

20

20

20 min

7

1

1

45 min

1

1

1

20 min

1

658

329

5 min

28

0

0

20 min

0

130

65

5 min

5

0

0

20 min

0

59

30

20 min

10

52

26

20 min

9

2

2

5 min

10 minutes

0

0

5 min

0

2

2

5 min

10 minutes

5

5

5 min

1

11

Form/Notification
/Endorsement
Notification
Authorization for Trap
Retrieval – Gulf Reef
Fish
Notification
Authorization for Trap
Retrieval – South
Atlantic –
Snapper/grouper
Notification
Authorization for Trap
Retrieval – Golden
Crab
Notification Harvest
Activity –
Aquacultured Live
Rock
Notification Lost
Traps – Caribbean
Spiny Lobster
Request for Octocoral
Coral or Allowable
Chemical Vessel
Permit
Dolphin/ Wahoo
permit
applications/operator
cards
Notification - Reef
Fish, Golden Crab,
Rock Shrimp. Royal
Red Shrimp Observer
coverage
Gulf of Mexico
Shrimp permit
applications
Royal Red Shrimp
permit application
Gulf of Mexico
shrimp annual
landings report
Notarization of
transfers
Gulf of Mexico
shrimp moratorium
eligibility form
Total

Total Number
of Respondents

Annual
Number of
Responses

Time per
Response

Total Time
Hours

5

5

15 min

1

2

2

15 min

1

1

1

15 min

15 minutes

10

10

5 min

1

2

2

5 min

10 minutes

0

0

5 min

0

8,459

8,479

30 minutes

4,240

5758

5758

5 minutes

479

1731

1731

20 minutes

589

14

14

22 minutes

5

2500

2500

5 minutes

208

1350

1350

20 minutes

450

2500

2500

1 minute

42

60,248

12

15,670

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or recordkeepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in #12
above).
The total annual cost burden for this collection of information is $650,978. The total revenue
generated by permit fees is $569,244: 1) fishery permits cost $50 for the first fishery and $20 for
each additional fishery; 2) operator cards cost $50; 3) Golden crab permits cost $40; 4)
aquacultured live rock cost $175 for a new permit, and $31 for renewals and 5)Wreckfish
permits cost $50 (there is no charge for the Colombian treaty permit); 6) dealer permits cost $100
for the first fishery, and $25 for each additional fishery. Notarization of transfers cost $13,500
(1350 transfers @ $10.00 each). The remaining $68,234 is accounted for by postage for mailing
in permit applications and other required reporting forms.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.
Only the observer program associated with this collection has costs to the government, which if
implemented at the requested level, would cost $1,040,000.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in Items 13 or
14 of the OMB 83-I.
There is a reduction of 98 hours (1176 responses x 5 minutes) due to a program change: the use
of an optional income qualification affidavit for those fisheries that require income qualification
for permitting. The reduction in hours results from these participants not having to gather their
tax information on a yearly basis for renewal of their permits. An additional decrease of 2 hours
is due to an adjustment: cumulative rounding or other calculation errors.
A reduction of 2,160 responses is also an adjustment. After retracing and double checking all
changes to this collection since 2003, this decrease can be due only to small cumulative
calculation errors.
16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
The results from this collection are not planned for statistical publication, although NOAA
Fisheries may distribute the results of the observations for general information.
17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the
information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.
The OMB number will be displayed where appropriate.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of the
OMB 83-I.

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There are no exemptions to the certification statement identified in Item 19 of OMB 83-I.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
This collection does not employ statistical methods.

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