Catch and effort data are needed for scientific analyses that support critical conservation and management decisions that are made by national and international fishery management agencies. In addition, biologist need data on the amount of fish, marine mammals, and sea turtles are caught or interacted with. This family of forms also includes the collection of cost-earning information and discards reported by fishermen. This request is to modify the paper logbook catch reporting form that has already been approved for the Coastal Fisheries Vessel trip report for Snapper-Grouper, Reef Fish, Mackerel and Dolphin-Wahoo permit holders. Changes are requested in two areas:
1) gear section and 2) trip expense and payment section. The requested modifications are not expected to change the number of respondents or the response time.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303
Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act
The principal cause of the difference between the OMB inventory of 18,714 burden hours and the estimated annual burden hours of 33,590 is the planned start-up of the charter boat logbook program which will require an additional 19,154 potential burden hours from an estimated 3,250 potential respondents who held charter permits in 2009. However, the net increase in hours is only 15,236, due to adjustments to numbers of current logbook respondents.
When fully implemented, the charter logbook program will require weekly reporting from the 3,250 vessels, with 169,000 responses estimated (3,250 x 52 = 169,000). Additionally, 18,962 burden hours are estimated: 16,900 hours from fishing forms and 2,254 hours from no-fishing forms submitted by the approximately 40% expected to submit no-fish forms (16,900 + 2,254 = 19,154).
A decrease of 3,918 burden hours from previous estimates is being made to account for current estimates for all but the live rock, Columbian Treaty Waters and headboat burden hours.
Hence, the difference of the current inventory of 18,714 and the new estimated burden hours of 33,950 is a net difference of 15,236 hours.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Southeast Region Logbook Family of Forms - headboat and charter boat