Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE
INDIVIDUAL FISHING QUOTAS FOR PACIFIC HALIBUT & SABLEFISH IN
THE ALASKA FISHERIES
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0272
The Halibut and Sablefish Individual Fishing Quota Program (IFQ Program) was implemented
under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens
Act) 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq, as amended. The IFQ Program provides management measures for
the commercial fisheries that use fixed gear to harvest sablefish and Pacific halibut and limits
access to the halibut and sablefish fisheries to those persons holding quota share (QS) in specific
management areas. The IFQ Program provides each fisherman a catch quota that can be used any
time during the open season. Individual shares are intended to allow fishermen to set their own
pace and adjust their fishing effort. The IFQ Program is intended to reduce the premium that
was traditionally placed on speed, allowing fishermen to pay more attention to efficiency and
product quality. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) promulgates regulations for the
IFQ Program at 50 CFR 679.
The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) and NMFS manage fishing for Pacific
halibut through regulations established under the authority of the Convention between the United
States Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea (Convention) and the
Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982, 16 U.S.C. 773 – 733k, et seq. The IPHC promulgates
regulations pursuant to the Convention at 50 CFR 300.60 through 300.65.
NMFS is requesting to merge Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 0648-0569,
Alaska IFQ Temporary Transfers into OMB Control No. 0648-0272, Alaska Individual Fishing
Quotas for Pacific Halibut and Sablefish. Once the merger is approved, OMB Control No.
0648-0569 will be discontinued.
The OMB Control No. 0648-0569 collection includes a temporary military transfer application and an
emergency medical transfer application and appeals for each, if the application is denied. The
military IFQ transfer is for use by members of the National Guard and military reserves who are
mobilized to active duty. This temporary military transfer of annual halibut and sablefish IFQ to
other eligible IFQ recipients allows guardsmen and reservists to accrue some economic benefit
from their annual IFQ if unable to harvest it due to military service.
Military Transfer Application
Formerly, the military transfer application added 2 hr per response for an estimated 100
respondents or estimated total 200 hr burden; $25 per hr personnel costs for an estimated total
$5,000; and $5.51 miscellaneous cost per response for an estimated total $551 miscellaneous
costs. However, NMFS’ records show that no applications were filed in the last 3 years;
therefore, the number of respondents will be changed from 100 to 3 and associated numbers will
change also, so that only 6 of the original 200 burden hours will be transferred.

1

Temporary Military Transfer Application, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents
Total annual responses
Number of responses per year = 1
Total Time burden
Time requirement per response = 2 hr
Total personnel cost
Cost per hour = $25
Total miscellaneous cost (16.62)
Postage 0.44 x 3= 1.32
Photocopy (0.05 x 2 x 3= 0.30
Notary ($5 x 3= 15)

3
3
6 hr
$150
$17

No letters of appeal were filed for a military transfer application; therefore, the number of
respondents will be changed from 5 to 1 and associated numbers will change also, so that only 4
of the original 20 hours will be transferred.
TMT Letter of Appeal, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents
Total annual responses
Number of responses per year = 1
Total Time burden
Time requirement per response = 4 hr
Total personnel cost
Cost per hour = $25
Total miscellaneous cost (0.54)
Postage (0.44 x 1 = 0.44)
Photocopy (0.05 x 2 x 1 = 0.10)

1
1
4 hr
$100
$1

Emergency Medical Transfer Application
The temporary emergency medical transfer is for use in the event of a medical condition
affecting a QS holder or an immediate family member of a QS holder that prevents the QS
holder from being able to participate in the halibut or sablefish IFQ fisheries; a medical transfer
may be approved for the IFQ derived from the QS held by the person affected by the medical
condition.
NMFS records show 2 applications for emergency medical transfer; therefore the number of
respondents will be changed from 211 to 5 and associated numbers will change also, so that only
10 of the original 422 hours will be transferred.
Emergency Medical Transfer Application, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents
Total annual responses
Number of responses per year = 1
Total Time burden
Time requirement per response = 2 hr
Total personnel cost
Cost per hour = $25
Total miscellaneous cost (30.40)
Postage (0.44 x 5 = 4.90)
Photocopy (0.05 x 2 x 5 = 0.50)
Notary ($5 x 5 = $25)

2

5
5
10 hr
$250
$30

No letters of appeal were filed for an emergency medical transfer application; therefore, the
number of respondents will change from 10 to 1 and associated numbers will change also, so that
only 4 of the original 40 hours will be transferred.
EMT Letter of Appeal, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents
Total annual responses
Number of responses per year = 1
Total Time burden
Time requirement per response = 4 hr
Total personnel cost
Cost per hour = $25
Total miscellaneous cost (0.54)
Postage (0.44 x 1 = 0.44)
Photocopy 0.05 x 2 x 1 = 0.10

1
1
4 hr
$100
$1

Ownership Documentation
Ownership documentation was included in the original 2007 support statement for OMB Control
No. 0648-0569 However, the ownership documentation was later included in OMB Control No.
0648-0272 as a form in a 2008 submittal, without removing it from OMB Control No. 06480569. The corresponding burden of 2,877 hours will thus not be added again.
The overall revised totals after merging OMB Control No. 0648-0569 with OMB Control No.
0648-0272 are provided in the following table.
OMB Control No.
0648-0272
Respondents
Responses
Burden
Miscellaneous

Total Prior
to this
action
2,470
49, 537
20,239
38,397

Added from
OMB Control
No. 0648-0569
0*
10
24
49

*Eight respondents, but they are also OMB Control No. 0648-0272 respondents.

3

Total
2,470
49,547
20,263
38,446