0634_akrl Ss 101711

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

NMFS ALASKA REGION

LOGBOOK FAMILY OF FORMS

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-XXXX

INTRODUCTION

This information collection is being resubmitted in conjunction with the Final Rule 0648-BA80. The collection supports the Chinook Salmon Economic Data Reports (EDR) Program. It will be merged into OMB Control No. 0648-0213 as soon as possible after approval.

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. 0648-XXXX), 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.

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.

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

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)	159 41,470 15, 897 hr $397,425 $1,590

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)	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.

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)	21 4,830 2,818 hr $70,025 $242

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	0 0 0

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 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.

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-of-information 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.

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 final rule, RIN 0648-BA80, coincident with this submission. No comments were received on the proposed rule which affected any of the information collection requirements in this request.

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.

As stated on forms/instructions, 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 record-keepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in Question 12 above).

Estimated total miscellaneous costs: $1,832.

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.

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. 0648-XXXX, Chinook Salmon EDR, Part B, as part of the Chinook Salmon EDR Program.

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