Justification for Change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

SOUTHEAST REGION IFQ PROGRAMS

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0551

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) manages three individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs in the Southeast Region under three OMB Control Numbers. The red snapper IFQ program is managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf Reef Fish FMP), under OMB Control Number 0648-0551. The grouper and tilefish IFQ program in managed under the Gulf Reef Fish FMP, under OMB Control Number 0648-0587. The wreckfish individual transferable quota (ITQ) system in managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper FMP), under OMB Control Number 0648-0262. Since 1992 for South Atlantic wreckfish, 2007 for Gulf red snapper, and 2012 for Gulf grouper and tilefish, NMFS has been collecting information to administer and operate these three IFQ programs, which are intended to address overcapitalization, prevent derby fishery conditions, and prevent overfishing of these resources. These collections address IFQ share certificate and allocation debits and transfers, as well as collection of landings information necessary to operate, administer, and review management of commercial red snapper, and grouper/tilefish in the Gulf of Mexico and wreckfish in the South Atlantic.

NMFS proposes to modify OMB Control Number 0648-0551 in the following ways:

• Add an additional form for the Gulf red snapper and grouper/tilefish IFQ programs.

• Merge multiple, related information collections (3 IFQ programs) under a single OMB Control Number.

New Form for Gulf Red Snapper and Grouper/Tilefish IFQ Programs

NMFS would add the form "Close Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Account Request" to OMB Control No. 0648-0551. This form would allow IFQ shareholders and dealers in the Gulf IFQ programs to close an IFQ account. If IFQ account holder no longer commercially fish, no longer own any IFQ shares or allocation, no longer wish to participate as a dealer, or if an account holder is deceased, they may wish to close his/her IFQ account. In order to close an IFQ account, an IFQ account holder must have transferred all shares and allocation to another IFQ account. Also, dealers must have paid all of their cost recovery fees to close an IFQ dealer account. If approved, this form would be found online on the Web site: http://ifq.sero.nmfs.noaa.gov. The completed form would be mailed to: NOAA Fisheries Service, Sustainable Fisheries Division, Attn: IFQ Program, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705.

The response and burden estimates would be 30 responses, 1 hour (30 responses x 2 minutes for each response), and $13.50 (30 x $0.45 for postage).

Merging Information Collections

NMFS would be adding OMB Control Nos. 0648-0587 (Gulf Grouper and Tilefish IFQ Program) and 0648-0262 (South Atlantic Wreckfish ITQ Program) to OMB Control No. 0648-0551. The -0587 and -0262 collections would be discontinued if this change request is approved.

The merging of collections will result in the summation of burden estimates into OMB Control No. 0648-0551.

The respondents, response, burden and cost estimates for OMB Control No. 0648-0551 are 487 respondents, 11,614 responses, 982 hours, and $333,000.

The respondents, response, burden and cost estimates for OMB Control No. 0648-0587 are 1,153 respondents, 16,598 responses, 1,355 hours, and $32.

The respondents, response, burden and cost estimates for OMB Control No 0648-0262 are 4 respondents, 4 responses, 1 hour, and $0.

Thus, the respondent, response, burden and cost estimates, including the addition of the new form "Close Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Account Request", for OMB Control No. 0648-0551 total 1,644 respondents, 28,246 responses, 2,339 hours, and $333,046.

Additional program changes:

For all IFQ share transfers, using the current 0648-0551 forms, the previous time of 15 minutes for the Grouper and Tilefish transfers has been changed to 2 minutes, thus saving 52 hours.

For OMB Control No. 0648-0587, although the cost recovery fee was discussed in the last supporting statement, it was not included in recordkeeping/reporting costs. In more recent ICRs, including that for OMB Control No. 0648-0551, they are included. Thus, we have added these cost recovery fees at this time: $647,452.

For OMB Control No. 0648-0587, appeals have been removed, as they were only applicable at the beginning of the program. This removes 2 responses, 4 hours and $1.

The final new totals are thus: 1,644 respondents, 28,244 responses, 2,283 hours and $980,499.

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