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SUPPORTING STATEMENT
WESTERN ALASKA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) PROGRAM
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-XXXX

INTRODUCTION
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) manages the groundfish fisheries in the exclusive
economic zone (EEZ) off Alaska. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council prepared the
Fishery Management Plan (FMP)for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
Management Area under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation &
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). Regulations implementing the FMP appear at
50 CFR part 679.
The CDQ Program is an economic development program. The purpose of the program is to
provide western Alaska communities the opportunity to participate and invest in Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) fisheries, to support economic development in
western Alaska, to alleviate poverty and provide economic and social benefits for residents of
western Alaska, and to achieve sustainable and diversified local economies in western Alaska.
This collection-of-information supports the Chinook Salmon Bycatch Program (Program), a new
program created for the management of Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) in the
Bering Sea pollock fishery managed under the American Fisheries Act (AFA). The Program is
implemented under Amendment 91 to the FMP. This collection will be merged with Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Control No. 0648-0269 as soon as possible.

A. JUSTIFICATION
1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
The Program is established to promote reduction of Chinook salmon PSC in the Bering Sea
pollock fishery to the extent practicable while achieving optimum yield in the pollock fishery.
The focus of the Program is the Bering Sea pollock fishery because this trawl fishery catches up
to 95 percent of the Chinook salmon taken as PSC in the BSAI groundfish fisheries. NonChinook salmon PSC reduction measures will also remain in effect.
Chinook salmon taken incidentally in groundfish fisheries are classified as prohibited species
catch (PSC) and, as such, must be either discarded or donated through the Prohibited Species
Donation Program (see OMB Control No. 0648-0316). New measures are sought to minimize
salmon bycatch to the extent practicable while achieving optimum yield from the pollock fishery.

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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 applicable NOAA Information Quality Guidelines.
A higher level of salmon PSC accountability is required in order to carry out entity-to-entity
transfers or seasonal rollovers. The pollock fishery has two fishing season: the A season and the
B season. Transfers to eligible entities may occur at anytime in a season but transfers cannot be
made between the B season and the A season. Amendment 91 would place a limit on the number
of Chinook salmon that may be caught incidentally in the Bering Sea pollock fishery by fishing
season and fishery sector. This limit, when reached, would require directed fishing for pollock to
cease for the remainder of the season even if the total allowable catch for pollock had not been
fully harvested.
Amendment 91 includes two options for the maximum Chinook salmon PSC limit (60,000
Chinook salmon or 47,591 Chinook salmon), with the higher limit available as transferable PSC
allocations to those who participate in an industry-developed incentive plan agreement to reduce
Chinook salmon bycatch below the PSC limit. Amendment 91 also includes a Chinook salmon
bycatch performance standard that, if exceeded, would require members of the affected pollock
sector to fish under the lower Chinook salmon PSC limit in all future years. The dual allocation
levels, incentive plan agreement, and performance standard are intended to minimize Chinook
salmon PSC at all levels of Chinook salmon or pollock abundance and at all levels of Chinook
salmon encounter rates in the pollock fishery.
NMFS is modifying the CDQ group transfer procedure to incorporate Chinook Salmon Bycatch.
Since 1999, the CDQ groups have received transferable Chinook and non-Chinook salmon PSQ
allocations and are authorized to transfer their salmon PSQ allocations to and from other CDQ
groups. Under Amendment 91, NMFS would issue additional transferable Chinook salmon PSQ
allocations to eligible entities representing the AFA catcher/processor sector, the AFA
mothership sector, and to AFA inshore cooperatives. New under this proposed action, is the
authorization for the CDQ groups to transfer Chinook salmon PSQ allocations to anyone other
than another CDQ group. CDQ groups may transfer to and receive transfer from any of the other
eligible entities; the AFA inshore cooperatives, the AFA catcher/processor sector, and the AFA
mothership sector. Any entity could transfer all of its Chinook PSQ allocation or a portion of
that allocation to another entity. Each entity would be responsible for any penalties assessed for
exceeding the entity’s salmon PSQ allocation.
Transfer requests are voluntary requests through NMFS, initiated by the entity transferring
surplus Chinook PSQ allocations (transferor), to move a specific amount of a Chinook salmon
PSQ allocation from a transferor’s (sender’s) account to a transferee’s (receiver’s) account.
Transferability is expected to mitigate the variation in the distribution or encounter rates of
Chinook salmon among the recipients of the transferable allocations in a given season by
allowing recipients to accrue a larger portion of the PSC allocations in order to harvest their full
pollock allocation or to transfer surplus allocation to other sectors, including post-delivery

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transfers. Transferable allocations would provide the Bering Sea pollock fleet the flexibility to
fully harvest the pollock total allowable catch while maintaining the overall Chinook salmon
bycatch at or below the PSC limit.
NMFS will evaluate overages of Chinook PSQ on June 25 for the A season and on December 1
for the B season. These dates would provide the entities 15 days after the end of the A season
and 30 days after the end of the B season to obtain post-delivery transfers to reduce or eliminate
any overages. NMFS proposes that 15 days after the A season is an appropriate amount of time
to provide for post delivery transfers because most A season pollock fishing is completed well
before the end of the season on June 10. NMFS needs to resolve A season account balances
relatively quickly so that any necessary adjustments can be made to the B season account
balances before B season pollock fishing begins.
NMFS would allow 30 days after the end of the B season for post delivery transfers because
pollock fishing will cease for the remainder of the year on November 1. NMFS does not need to
make further adjustments to account balances within a specified period of time at the end of the
year. If, after allowing for post-delivery transfers to cover an overage, an entity exceeded its
Chinook PSQ allocation, the entity would be subject to an enforcement action for violating
NMFS regulations.
a. Groundfish/Halibut CDQ and Prohibited Species Quota (PSQ) Transfer Request
A representative from each CDQ group proposing to transfer annual amounts of groundfish and
halibut CDQ and Prohibited Species Quota (PSQ) except Bering Sea Chinook salmon would
complete and sign this form.
Requests for transfers may be submitted to NMFS either electronically or non-electronically
through a form available on the NMFS Alaska Region website (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov).
NMFS will design computer programs to review the transferor’s catch account during a transfer
request to ensure sufficient Chinook salmon is available to transfer and, if it were, to make that
transfer effective immediately.
Groundfish/Halibut CDQ and Prohibited Species Quota (PSQ) Transfer Request
Transferring CDQ Group Information
Group Name or initials
Group number
Business telephone number, business fax number, and business e-mail address
Representative’s name and signature
Receiving CDQ Group Information
Group Name or initials
Group number
Business telephone number, business fax number, and business e-mail address
Representative’s name and signature
CDQ Amount Transferred
Species or species category
Area
Amount (mt)

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PSQ Amount Transferred
Species or species category
Crab zone
Number of animals (if crab) or metric tons for groundfish
Transfer Year

Groundfish/Halibut CDQ and PSQ transfer request,
Respondents
Total number of respondents
6
Total number of responses (2)
12
1 each for A season and B season
6 hr
Total time burden
30 min. x 12 = 6 hr
$150
Total personnel cost (25 x 6)
$1
Total miscellaneous cost
Online to NMFS (0.05 x 12 = 0.60)
Groundfish/Halibut CDQ and PSQ transfer request,
Federal Government
Total number of responses
12
Total time burden = 15 minutes x 12 = 3 hr
3 hr
$75
Total personnel cost ($25)
0
Total miscellaneous cost

b. CDQ Chinook Salmon PSQ Transfer Request [REMOVED]
This form is replaced by the Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC
Allocations in OMB Control No. 0648-0393.
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 will retain control over the information and safeguard it
from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) standards for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic
information. See response to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement for more information on
confidentiality and privacy. 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 measures and a pre-dissemination review pursuant to Section 515 of
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.
Transfer forms are fillable and are posted on the Alaska Region website,
http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov and may be submitted online, by fax, or by mail.

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4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
This information request does not duplicate any previous information request.
5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe
the methods used to minimize burden.
The proposed action applies only to those entities that participate in the directed pollock trawl
fishery in the Bering Sea. The only small entities that are directly regulated by this action are the
six western Alaska CDQ organizations. These CDQ groups represent 65 western Alaska
communities that currently participate in the CDQ Program. These groups include: Aleutian
Pribilof Island Community Development Association, Bristol Bay Economic Development
Corporation, Central Bering Sea Fishermen=s Association, Coastal Villages Region Fund,
Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation, and Yukon Delta Fisheries Development
Association. Each of these groups is organized as a not-for-profit entity, and none is dominant in
its field. Consequently, each is a small entity under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA). The
impact is not significant on the CDQ groups.
6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently.
The purpose of the proposed action is to minimize Chinook salmon PSQ to the extent practicable
while achieving optimum yield from the pollock fishery. The proposed action is necessary to
ensure long-term conservation and abundance of salmon, maintain a healthy marine ecosystem,
provide maximum benefit to fishermen and communities that depend on salmon and pollock, and
comply with the Magnuson–Stevens Act. If the information were not collected annually, NMFS
would be unable to achieve these goals.
7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
No special circumstances exist.
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.
The NMFS Alaska Region will submit a proposed rule, RIN 0648-AX89, coincident with this
submission, requesting comments from the public.

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9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payment or gift will be provided under this program.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
As stated on the forms, the information collected is confidential under section 402(b) of the
Magnuson-Stevens Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.). It is also confidential under NOAA
Administrative Order 216.100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery
statistics.
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.
Information collected for the CDQ program does not include information of a private or sensitive
nature. All information collected is part of a system of records: NOAA #19, notice published
June 11, 2008 (73 FR 20914).
12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
Estimated total unique respondents: 6. Estimated total responses: 12. Estimated total burden:
6 hr. Estimated total personnel cost: $150, based on the average wage equivalent to a GS-9
employee in Alaska, including COLA, $25 per hour.
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 Question
12 above).
Estimated total miscellaneous costs are $1.
14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.
Estimated total responses: 12. Estimated total burden, 3. Estimated total personnel cost: $75,
based on the average wage equivalent to a GS-9 employee in Alaska, including COLA, $25 per
hour.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.
This is a new program.

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16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
Each year, NMFS will release to the public and publish on the NMFS Alaska Region website
(http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/):
♦ The Chinook salmon PSC allocations for each entity receiving a transferable allocation;
♦ The non-transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation for each entity;
♦ The vessels fishing on behalf of that entity for that year under each transferable or nontransferable allocation;
♦ The amount of Chinook salmon PSC that accrues towards each transferable or nontransferable allocation; and
♦ Any changes to the PSC allocations due to transfers, rollovers, and deductions to the
B- season non-transferable allocations.
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.
Not applicable.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.
Not applicable.

B.

COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.

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