Akrl Ss 032311

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
NMFS ALASKA REGION
LOGBOOK FAMILY OF FORMS
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-XXXX
INTRODUCTION
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Alaska Region manages the groundfish fisheries in
the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council
(Council) prepared the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Management Area under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. (Magnuson-Stevens Act). The FMP
is implemented under regulations at 50 CFR part 679.
NMFS manages the Bering Sea pollock fishery under the American Fisheries Act (AFA)
(16 U.S.C. 1851). The AFA “rationalized” the Bering Sea pollock fishery in part by allowing for
the formation and management of fishery cooperatives. AFA fishing vessels harvest pollock
using pelagic (mid-water) trawl gear, which consists of large nets towed through the water by the
vessel. At times, Chinook salmon and pollock occur in the same locations in the Bering Sea.
Consequently, Chinook salmon are incidentally caught in the nets as pollock is harvested. This
incidental catch is called bycatch and is also called prohibited species catch (PSC). Chinook
salmon are defined as a prohibited species because they are caught by a vessel issued a Federal
Fisheries Permit under § 679.4(b) while fishing for groundfish (pollock) in the Bering Sea and
Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) or Gulf of Alaska.
In December 2009, the Council recommended that NMFS implement the Chinook Salmon
Economic Data Report (Chinook Salmon EDR) to evaluate the effectiveness of Chinook salmon
bycatch management measures for the Bering Sea pollock fishery that were implemented under
Amendment 91 to the BSAI FMP (5 FR 53026, August 30, 2010). In addition to the creation of
this information collection and of the Chinook Salmon EDR (see OMB Control No. 0648XXXX), NMFS will revise OMB Control No. 0648-0401, AFA Reports) and submit a change
request for OMB Control No. 0648-0515, Alaska Interagency Electronic Reporting System
(IERS), to obtain additional data for the Chinook salmon PSC analysis.
This collection-of-information supports the Chinook Salmon EDR Program and the associated
rule, RIN 0648-BA80. This collection-of-information will be merged into OMB Control No.
0648-0213 as soon as possible.

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A.

JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
NMFS will implement the Chinook Salmon EDR Program to evaluate the effectiveness of
Chinook salmon PSC management measures for the Bering Sea pollock fishery that were
implemented under Amendment 91 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area.
The Chinook EDR Program will:
♦ Evaluate the effectiveness of the Incentive Plan Agreement (IPA) incentives in times of
high and low levels of salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) abundance, the upper limit
to Chinook salmon PSC, and the performance standard in terms of reducing salmon PSC.
♦ Determine where, when, and how pollock fishing and salmon PSC occur
♦ Provide data for NMFS to study and verify conclusions drawn by industry in the
IPA annual reports.

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.
NMFS would collect new information on vessel movements on the fishing grounds and more
general data on pollock allocations and transfers through revisions to the existing IPA Annual
Report and AFA Cooperative Annual Report requirements (OMB Control No. 0648-0401).
NMFS would use the added information to determine any differences between movements
related to avoidance of salmon, in some cases the avoidance of Chinook salmon, in contrast with
vessel moves that may have occurred for other reasons. NMFS would use the movement
information to compare Chinook salmon PSC avoidance between individual vessels and by
various vessel characteristics. Chinook salmon PSC rates could be merged with this information
by vessel to assess how these PSC rates change prior to and following a change in fishing
location. Movement data combined with other management data, such as NMFS seasonal
opening and closing dates or by industry incentives that open and close selected pollock fishing
areas based on individual vessel performance could assist in assessing a vessel’s voluntary
decisions to leave fishing grounds to avoid Chinook salmon PSC.

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For this requested information collection:
a. Catcher Vessel trawl gear daily fishing logbook (DFL)
Whenever the operator of an AFA catcher vessel chooses to move the vessel primarily to reduce
Chinook salmon PSC, the operator would indicate each change in location for any haul by
checking a vessel movement box in the trawl gear DFL.
The trawl gear DFL in OMB Control No. 0648-0213 is revised by adding a single column to
identify whether, prior to the haul, the operator moved fishing location to avoid salmon bycatch.
The burden associated with reporting each vessel move to avoid Chinook salmon is estimated to
be approximately 5 minutes for each move.
Although no reliable estimate can be made for the number of moves that will need to be reported,
reasonable assumptions could be used to determine an upper bound on the number of moves. If
each shore-based catcher vessel makes 25 trips per year and, on average, a Chinook PSC
avoidance-related move is made every other trip, each would make 12.5 moves per year,
requiring slightly more than one hour per vessel.
The cost to NMFS of adding a field to the trawl gear DFL would be relatively minor.
Catcher Vessel trawl gear DFL
Identification
Page number
Date
Vessel name and ADF&G vessel registration number
Federal fisheries permit number
Name and signature of operator
If inactive, enter start date, end date, and reason for inactivity
Gear type
Federal reporting area of catch
Whether harvest occurred in COBLZ or RKCSA
Number of observers onboard
Name and cruise number of each observer aboard
Crew size
If in a separate management program, mark appropriate box and enter identification number
Catch by haul information
Haul number
Indicate if prior to the haul, the operator moved fishing location to avoid salmon
Time and begin position of gear deployment
Date, time, and end position of gear retrieval
Average sea depth and average gear depth
Target species code
Hail weight (lb or mt)
Discard/disposition information
Date
Species code
Product code
Whether records are in pounds or metric tons or in numbers
Balance forward

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Daily total
Cumulative total since last delivery
Delivery information
Delivery date
ADF&G fish ticket number
Recipient’s name and ADF&G processor code

Catcher vessel trawl gear DFL, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents
110 AFA catcher vessels
49 Other catcher vessels
Total annual responses
230 AFA harvesting days x 110 = 25,300
330 other harvesting days x 49 = 16,170
Total Burden Hours (15,896.8)
Time per response = 23 min
Total personnel cost
15,897 x $25
Total miscellaneous cost
Mail DFL logsheets ($2.50 x 4 qtr x 159 = 1590)

Catcher Vessel trawl gear DFL, Federal Government
Total annual responses
Total Burden Hours (132.50)
Receive, review, data entry (159 x 4 qtr x 5 min = 53)
Prepare and mail (159 x 15 min x 2 logs = 79.50)
Total Personnel cost
Handling and mailing (25 x 133)
Total Miscellaneous Cost
Print DFLs ($12 x 159 x 2 logs = $3,816)
Postage ($5 x 159 x 2 logs = $1,590)

159

41,470

15, 897 hr

$397,425
$1,590

41,470
133 hr

$3,325
$5,406

b. Catcher/processor trawl gear ELB
NMFS requires that the operator of a trawl gear catcher/processor that is an AFA or western
Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) vessel must use an ELB with eLandings to
record and report groundfish information. In the future, NMFS will require all trawl gear
catcher/processors to use only the ELB with eLandings. In this information collection, only the
ELB is applicable.
NMFS would add a data element to the catcher/processor trawl gear ELB. Whenever the
operator of a trawl gear AFA or CDQ catcher/processor chooses to move the vessel primarily to
reduce Chinook salmon PSC, the operator would indicate each change in location for any haul by
checking a vessel movement box in the catcher/processor trawl gear ELB. This added
information would be used to determine any differences between movement related to avoidance
of salmon and other vessel movement by identifying any tow prior to a move that is due
primarily to Chinook salmon avoidance.

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Upon completion of ELB data entry each day, the operator must print an ELB logsheet and an
ELB discard report in the NMFS-specified format.
Catcher/processor trawl gear ELB
Identification
Page number
Date
Vessel name and ADF&G processor code
Federal fisheries permit number
Name and signature of operator
If inactive, start and end dates and reason not active
Gear type
Federal reporting area and whether harvest occurred in COBLZ or RKCSA
Number of observers onboard
Name and cruise number of each observer aboard
Crew size
If in a separate management program, enter identification number
Catch-by-haul information
Haul number
Indicate if prior to the haul, the operator moved fishing location to avoid salmon
Time and begin position of gear deployment
Date, time, and end position of gear retrieval
Average sea depth and average gear depth
Target species code
Hail weight of catch (lb or mt)
Species code and estimated round catch weight of Improved Retention/Improved Utilization (IR/IU) species
Catcher/processor trawl gear ELB, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents
21 AFA or CDQ catcher/processors using ELB
Total annual responses
Frequency of response
230 AFA harvesting or processing days x 21 = 4,830
Total Burden Hours
Time per response
35 min x 4,830 = 2,817.5 (2,818)
Total personnel cost
ELB $25 x 2,801 = $70,025
Total miscellaneous cost (242)
Submit ELB electronically ($0.05 x 21 x 230 = 241.50)

Catcher/processor trawl gear ELB, Federal Government
Total annual responses
Total Burden Hours
ELB -- Automatic, no personnel
Total Personnel cost
ELB No costs
Total Miscellaneous Costs
ELB No costs

5

21

4,830

2,818 hr
$70,025
$242

0
0

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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. NOAA Fisheries will retain control over the information and
safeguard it from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with NOAA
standards for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic information. See 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 predissemination 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.
All logsheets for DFLs and DCPLs may be viewed on the NMFS Alaska Region Home Page at
http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. Only a bound paper logbook may be used for purposes of
groundfish recording. The AFA or CDQ catcher/processor trawl gear ELB is an electronic data
collection that is available over the Internet. The catcher vessel ELB, on a limited basis, may be
completed on a computer and submitted to NMFS on a disc or as an attachment to an email.
4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.
None of the information collected as part of this information collection duplicates other
collections.
5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe
the methods used to minimize burden.
This action applies only to those entities that participate in the directed pollock trawl fishery in
the Bering Sea. These entities include the AFA-affiliated pollock fleet and the six CDQ
organizations that presently receive CDQ allocations of Bering Sea pollock. This collection-ofinformation does not impose a significant impact on the six CDQ small entities.
6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is
not conducted or is conducted less frequently.
The BSAI Amendment 91 established a Chinook salmon PSC limit for each Bering Sea pollock
fishing season and sector, which, when reached, would require all directed pollock fishing to
cease for that season. The information collected here, in combination with other information in
the larger Chinook EDR program is necessary to analyze if Amendment 91 to the BSAI FMP has
been successful in curtailing Chinook salmon PSC. If the collection were not conducted or were
conducted less frequently, this goal would not be achieved.

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7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a
manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.
Not applicable.
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-BA80, coincident with this
submission, requesting comments from the public.
9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than
remuneration of contractors or grantees.
No payment or gift is provided under this program.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for
assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.
The information collected is confidential under section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. 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.
This information collection does not involve information of a sensitive nature.
12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.
Estimated total unique respondents: 180. Estimated total responses: 46,300. Estimated total
burden: 18,715 hours. Estimated total personnel costs: $467,450. Note: personnel costs are
average wage equivalent to a GS-7 employee in Alaska, including COLA, at $25/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: $1,832.

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14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.
Estimated total responses: 41,470. Estimated total burden: 133 hours. Estimated total personnel
cost: $3,325. Estimated total miscellaneous cost: $5,406.
15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.
This is a temporary collection-of-information to be merged into OMB Control No. 0648-0213
when the opportunity allows. Technically, burden and costs are new. However, this action
contains some program changes due to incorporation of a new Chinook Salmon EDR Program
into this collection. Some revisions are adjustments due to corrections to the data, mostly the
number of fishing days.
Catcher vessel trawl gear daily fishing logbook (DFL)
This information collection is adjusted to correct the number of fishing days, because previous
counts under-counted the number of days these vessels fish for pollock (in two seasons). The
correction to number of fishing days changes the responses, burden, and personnel numbers.
Also, to accommodate the Chinook Salmon EDR Program, a new field is added to the DFL to
collect movement of the vessel due to avoidance of Chinook salmon.
Catcher/processor trawl gear daily cumulative production logbook (DCPL) and electronic
logbook (ELB)
This information collection is adjusted to correct the number of fishing days, because previous
counts under-counted the number of days these vessels fish for pollock (in two seasons). The
correction to number of fishing days changes the responses, burden, and personnel numbers.
Also, to accommodate the Chinook Salmon EDR Program, a new electronic logbook (ELB) is
required for all AFA and CDQ catcher/processors using trawl gear who fish for pollock. The
ELB will be used by this subset of trawl catcher/processors instead of the DCPL. A new field is
added to collect movement of the vessel due to avoidance of Chinook salmon.

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16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and
publication.
The information collected will not be published.
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 identified.
Not Applicable.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
The vessel movement data collected as part of the trawl gear catcher vessel DFL and trawl gear
catcher/processor ELB in use by AFA and CDQ vessels are analyzed in OMB Control No. 0648XXXX, Chinook Salmon EDR, Part B, as part of the Chinook Salmon EDR Program.

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