Per Final Rule 0648-BC81 (Framework
24), all NE Region limited access general category (LAGC) vessels
would be required to call in weekly with their expected trip usage,
similar to current requirements for LAGC trips in access areas. The
259-vessel LAGC scallop fleet is allocated a certain number of
trips in the scallop access areas each year. These access areas are
closed to all scallop fishing except for these allocated trips.
Currently, LAGC vessels are required to call observer program the
Thursday proceeding the week (Sunday through Saturday) that they
intend to start a scallop trip in an access area. This rule will
change that requirement so that LAGC vessels must call the observer
program the Thursday proceeding the week that they intend to start
a scallop trip in any area. However, burden is already assumed for
one observer notification call per week, and no vessel is expected
to call in more than once per week, so there is no burden or cost
change expected.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303 Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Management and Conservation Act
The scallop observer program
was established with the implementation of Amendment 13. At the
time the program was implemented, the burden and costs were
estimated based on how many observer providers were believed to
apply, and how many vessels were operating in the scallop fishery
at that time. Cost and time burden as a result of the information
collection was estimated before the observer program was put into
place. The most recent request regarding OMB Control No. 0648-0546
a revision in conjunction with RIN 0648-AV90 - was coordinated
with Framework 19 and introduced new information collections to aid
in the effectiveness of the scallop observer program. However, the
original burdens and costs were not reviewed at that time. For this
renewal, the burden and costs of the scallop observer program were
thoroughly reviewed in coordination with NEFOP staff, as the
program has been operational since the 2007 implementation of
Amendment 13. Therefore, any changes to the costs and burdens from
the previous renewal are due to better understanding the actual
burdens and costs of the program, as it is operating currently, and
as it is expected to operate in the three years until the next
renewal. There are no new information collections introduced during
this renewal. Adjustments to the number of providers: As the time
of this renewal there are 2 providers that support the scallop
observer program. Conversations with NEFOP staff indicated that
there is the potential for one more service provider to enter the
scallop observer program within the three years before this
information collection is renewed. Therefore, the majority of the
information collections here were analyzed for either 628 vessels
or 3 scallop observer program providers. The two exceptions are the
'applicant response to a denial' as it is unlikely the 2 scallop
providers already operating will be denied as future providers.
However, if a new provider applies to be approved, there is the
potential for it to be denied. Therefore, for information
collections #9 and #11, analysis was completed assuming only one
observer provider would be subject to this information collection
in the three years before this information collection is renewed.
Adjustments to the number of vessels: The previous renewals
estimated 805 vessels subject to reporting requirements as a part
of this information collection: 337 limited access scallop vessels
and approximately 50 percent of general category scallop vessels
(425 vessels). Since the last renewal, a limited access program for
general category scallop vessels has been implemented and the
number of total vessels for this information collection has
decreased to 628 permitted limited access and limited access
general category scallop vessels. Updates to this information
collection resulted in the following adjustments: Adjustments in
Burden and Cost from 2008 to 2011 2008 Renewal 2011 Renewal Change
in Burden Number of Respondents 805 631 -177 Number of Responses
1740 35,841 + 34,101 Total annual hours 619 6,236 + 5,617 Total
annual costs $6,000 $44,715 + $38,715
$626,242
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Travis Ford 978
281-9233
No
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.
0546 Justification 040413.doc
Observer deployment report