This is a resubmission of as request is for revision of a current information collection, with Final Rule 0648-BC09. It adds collection of bluefin tuna catch data for vessels with Atlantic tunas General, or Atlantic tunas Harpoon, or Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Charter/Headboat vessel permits as required under Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS Fishery Management Plan (2006 Consolidated HMS FMP). The name of this collection has been changed from “Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Recreational Landings Reports” to “Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Recreational Landings and Bluefin Tuna Catch Reports”.
No changes have been made to the original submission, due to public comments or for any other reason.
The United States (U.S.) Secretary of Commerce is authorized to regulate fisheries for Atlantic HMS under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA; 16 U.S.C. 1801 et. seq.) and the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975 (ATCA; 16 U.S.C. 971 et. seq.), as amended.
Under ATCA, the Secretary of Commerce is required to promulgate regulations as may be necessary and appropriate to implement binding recommendations adopted by the International Commission on the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). ICCAT requires the United States to collect biological statistics for research purposes and establishes annual quotas which limit the overall U.S. bluefin tuna catch and U.S. recreational marlin landings. ICCAT also requires that data be collected on all sources of bluefin tuna fishing mortality. Under the authority of the MSA, the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP was developed and implemented to manage HMS fisheries and establishes the framework for allocation of the U.S. annual bluefin tuna quota. Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP further refines bluefin tuna quota allocations and management to reduce dead discards in the Longline category and collects information on sources of bluefin tuna fishing mortality in other fishing categories.
Timely access to recreational bluefin tuna and marlin landings is vital to effectively monitor and manage the U.S. quotas. This collection provides such access so that managers can implement appropriate measures to limit the harvest as necessary. Fishing seasons are closed when the annual harvest limit is reached. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must also report the total landings of bluefin tuna, swordfish, and billfishes annually to ICCAT. Quota overages may result in penalties including reductions in future annual quota allocations. In addition, this collection provides biological information for the West Atlantic sailfish; a species for which data is otherwise scarcely found.
ATCA specifically provides the Secretary of Commerce with the authority to “require any commercial or recreational fisherman to obtain a permit from the Secretary and report the quantity of catch of a regulated species” [16 U.S.C. 971(d)(c)(3)(I)]. In support of the Executive Order (E.O.) 12962 requirement to assess the implementation and evaluate achievements of the Recreational Fishery Resources Conservation Plan, recommendation number one of the NMFS Marine Recreational Fishery Policy focuses on developing a “comprehensive data acquisition and analysis system (participation, catch, effort and socio-economic data) on a regular, continuing basis.”
Under the current information collection, anglers have the option of using a phone-in system or internet website to report their recreational landings of Atlantic bluefin tuna, swordfish, white marlin, blue marlin, or sailfish. Additionally, if an angler reports landing a bluefin tuna greater than or equal to 73" in length, NMFS staff calls to verify reported information. The website and phone-in systems are currently in place for states along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. territories in the Caribbean; however, when a fish is landed in either Maryland or North Carolina, state reporting stations are available to submit a state landings report (catch card) and obtain a fish tag. The states report these landings to NMFS on a weekly (NC; year-round) or bi-weekly (MD; during the bluefin tuna season, June-October) basis, and submit final, complete annual summary reports at the end of the year. The State of Maryland also requires landings of sharks to be reported on a landing card; this collection is voluntary under Federal regulations.
This collection is being revised to include mandatory reporting of bluefin tuna that are caught by commercial Atlantic tunas General, Atlantic tunas Harpoon, or HMS Charter/Headboat vessel permit holders. Under Amendment 7 to the 2006 Consolidated HMS FMP, NMFS is implementing catch reporting to better account for all sources of bluefin tuna fishing mortality as required by ICCAT. Catch data includes information about bluefin tuna that are caught and released (alive or dead) as well as those that are kept (i.e., landed). Currently, NMFS collects bluefin tuna landings data for all landed fish, but only requires catch data from Longline category vessels (catch data from recreational vessels is collected on a voluntary basis). Amendment 7 is adding catch data reporting for most directed commercial categories. To collect this data, the phone-in and on-line system used to collect recreational landings data will be modified to collect bluefin tuna catch data from the other permit categories.
The information collected will be used by NMFS to monitor and manage domestic fisheries for swordfish, bluefin tuna, sharks, and billfishes in order to comply with ICCAT harvest limits and annual reporting requirements. Other states and agencies, including fishery management councils and interstate fishery management commissions, may use the data to coordinate planning with other fishery management programs. The information is also valuable for determining the geographic distribution of the catch and recreational landings of these species, which is used in NMFS domestic fishery management policy development.
This information collection applies to all recreational fishermen that land bluefin tuna, billfishes, or swordfish along the U.S. Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean; and recreational fishermen that land sharks in the State of Maryland. The revision expands the collection of bluefin tuna catch data to commercial fishermen with an Atlantic tunas General, Atlantic tunas Harpoon, or an HMS Charter/Headboat vessel permit. NMFS requires a report for each individual landing of bluefin tuna, billfish, or swordfish from recreational fishermen, and a report for each bluefin tuna caught by General, Harpoon and Charter/headboat permitted vessels.
For recreational landings of swordfish, billfishes, and bluefin tuna in the states of Maryland or North Carolina, the angler must proceed to a state reporting station, fill out a catch card, receive a tag, and affix it to the landed fish. The State of Maryland also requires landings of sharks to be reported on a landing card; this collection is voluntary under Federal regulations. The landing card requests the information identified below. The states then summarize this information and
report it to NMFS on a weekly (NC) or bi-weekly (MD, June-October) basis. A complete summary report is presented annually to NMFS by the states.
The following information is collected on the Maryland and North Carolina catch cards:
Date is necessary for verification of landings information and for use in scientific studies of stock movements and domestic policy development. Species is necessary to categorize and account for the landing appropriately. Vessel name, registration # (state ID), permit holder’s name, and Atlantic HMS Permit number are necessary to verify that the angler has valid permits (state fishing license and HMS vessel permit), and to identify any fraudulent reporting. The permit holder’s name, phone number, vessel name, and vessel identification number are collected with purchase and renewal of HMS vessel permits (OMB 0648-0327), and can be compared to the information entered on the catch card. Type of trip (private, charter, or headboat) is necessary to characterize the fishery for the development and analysis of regulatory actions. Was this fish caught during a tournament? and Tournament name are necessary to identify fish that would/should have already been reported through the tournament reporting collection (OMB 0648-0323) and avoid double counting. Fish size (length and/or weight) and, for sharks, Gender, is necessary for use in scientific studies of stock life history (e.g., reproductive potential).
Recreational fishermen that land bluefin tuna, swordfish, or billfish in a state other than Maryland or North Carolina, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, or commercial General or Harpoon category or HMS Charter/Headboat fishermen that catch bluefin tuna in any state or federal waters may report their catch/landing via phone or internet. To report bluefin tuna catch or landings, fishermen may call (toll-free) 1-888-872-8862, and will be led through an interactive voice reporting (IVR) system. Fishermen answer automated questions by keying in responses. (In the near future, the IVR system will be phased out and replaced by customer service operators who record the information phoned in by fishermen. Customer service operators will improve the user experience, and likely reduce the reporting burden associated with the IVR system.) If a recreationally-caught bluefin tuna greater than or equal to 73" is landed and reported via phone or Internet, a follow-up call will be made by NMFS staff to the respondent to verify the submitted data. Swordfish and billfish may also be reported by calling (toll-free) 1-800-894-5528. When reporting swordfish and billfish on this system, anglers will be prompted to leave a voicemail detailing permit, landings, and contact information and will receive a follow-up call from NMFS staff to verify the report and give a report confirmation number.
Fishermen reporting bluefin tuna, swordfish, or billfish online do so at www.hmspermits.noaa.gov by clicking “landings reports.” After entering a permit number, the fisherman enters the requested information, submits the report, and is provided with a report confirmation number.
In addition to the same information collected by the Maryland and North Carolina catch cards that is itemized above, the following information is also collected for bluefin tuna, swordfish, and billfish through the phone and online reporting systems: trip departure date and time; port and state of departure; trip end date and time; port and state of landing; fishing technique (deep drop, drift, troll, kite, or other); bait type (live, dead, lure, combination, or other); hook type (“J” hook or circle hook); approximate time hooked; approximate fight time; and number of releases for each species. This revision will add the collection of these data items for fishermen in the commercial fisheries described above. Responses to each of these items provide trip and fishery-specific information for social, economic, and biological analyses, thereby enhancing NMFS’ ability to gauge the impacts of regulations and demonstrate compliance with international requirements.
The information collected is disseminated to the public or used to support publicly disseminated information. See responses to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement on confidentiality and privacy and to Question 16 for more information on data dissemination and use. NMFS will retain control over personal information such as the angler’s name and address and safeguard it from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with legal requirements and NOAA policy for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic information. 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.
This information collection is highly automated. Fishermen reporting recreational bluefin tuna, swordfish, or billfish in states other than Maryland or North Carolina, including the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, or reporting commercial bluefin tuna catch, have the choice of reporting online or via the telephone using either an IVR telephone system (bluefin tuna only)/customer service, or a standard telephone voice recording system (swordfish and billfish only). North Carolina and Maryland recreational catch cards are submitted in hard copy, but the data are transferred to an electronic database by the state. The summary reports are electronically transmitted from the states to NMFS. Further, the IVR data are already digitized when accessed by NMFS for summary or analysis.
The landings report website (www.hmspermits.noaa.gov) is also used by NMFS to disseminate important regulatory information to fishermen, such as in-season fishery actions (e.g., fishery closures, etc.).
This collection is careful to minimize duplication or overlap with any other information collection. NMFS is the Federal agency responsible for marine fisheries data collection and the management of highly migratory species. See Question 1 above for a detailed description on how NMFS coordinates with the Maryland and North Carolina catch card programs. Further, as described in Question 2 of this Supporting Statement, reports ask if the fish were caught in a fishing tournament and, if so, what tournament. These questions are included to allow NMFS to identify fish that may have already been reported by a tournament operator through HMS tournament reporting (OMB 0648-0323).
NMFS exercises a high degree of internal coordination between this collection and two other long-term information collections from recreational fishermen: the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP fishing effort, OMB 0648-0652 and MRIP Access Point Intercept Survey, OMB 0648-0659) and the Large Pelagics Survey (LPS; OMB 0648-0380). MRIP is a general (dockside and phone) survey of anglers fishing for all species, including HMS (tuna, billfish, swordfish, and sharks). MRIP sample sizes are typically too small to provide the catch estimate precision needed to manage many HMS. HMS anglers are specifically targeted by the Large Pelagic Survey (LPS; OMB Control No. 0648-0380). The LPS produces more precise estimates of HMS catch than the general MRIP survey, but not precise enough to replace the exact counts of the targeted HMS species, nor could it do so within 24 hours of landing. The HMS recreational reporting program overlaps with these surveys only minimally on the small percent of surveyed trips that resulted in bluefin tuna, billfish, or swordfish being landed. To the extent that overlap occurs (i.e., a person reporting via catch card or directly to NMFS is also selected for a dockside or telephone interview), the information is useful to assess compliance with the mandatory reporting requirement. Bluefin tuna survey data and HMS recreational landings data are used for different purposes by fishery managers and stock assessment scientists. For billfish landings, several data sources are combined (MRIP, LPS, catch cards, tournament reports, and recreational (non-catch card) landings reports) but protocols are in place to identify double counting across programs. Therefore, data collected from other recreational programs are mostly used in a complementary manner along with HMS catch card and recreational reporting data. The expansion of bluefin tuna catch data from commercial fishermen does not duplicate any other collection and will be the only mechanism to collect this data.
All of the respondents are considered small entities. The collection is not expected to have a significant impact on them. Minimizing reporting burden on the public was one of the primary reasons for use of automation in this program. Most reporting options (voice recording, IVR, and internet) are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Since the phone numbers are toll-free, there are no associated costs. Similarly, no costs are associated with reporting on the internet. Reporting requires a minimal investment of time, is cost-free for the public, and can be performed at any public phone or internet access site. The Maryland and North Carolina catch card programs have reporting stations conveniently located in areas where these species are landed.
If the new reporting requirements for this revision were not conducted, NMFS would not be able to achieve the Amendment 7 objective of better accounting for all sources of bluefin tuna fishing mortality, which is also an ICCAT requirement.
If this entire information collection were not conducted, or were conducted less frequently, the United States could over-harvest quotas and be subject to ICCAT penalties, including reduction of the nation’s allocated catch quota, the potential imposition of trade restrictions, and other sanctions.
The stock assessments for these species, which provide the basis for domestic and international management decisions, would be less accurate without this information, since approximately 50 percent of the western Atlantic bluefin tuna quota and 30 percent of North Atlantic swordfish quota is allocated to the United States. Without close monitoring of these fisheries, the conservation and management objectives of Magnuson-Stevens Act and ATCA with respect to the rebuilding programs for these species could be jeopardized. Furthermore, it would be difficult for the United States to formulate domestic policy consistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which must be based on the best available scientific and socio-economic data. The information gathered in this collection is essential for NMFS in its preparation of documents such as Regulatory Impact Reviews and Environmental Impact Statements, as required under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, National Environmental Protection Act, and other applicable laws
during the formulation of domestic policy. Please also see the Question 7 of this Supporting Statement.
OMB guidelines state that respondents should not be required to report information more often than quarterly. States report weekly (NC) or bi-weekly (MD) rather than quarterly. This frequency is a necessary component of a responsive management program. Each individual catch and/or landing must be reported, and if reports are not immediately accounted for, enforcement of this requirement would be difficult. Moreover, reports are needed on a per-trip basis to reduce the potential for recall bias and to prevent a build-up of back-logged reports. Frequent reports of state data are required in order to implement a responsive management program. Without frequent landings reports, NMFS would not be able to monitor seasonal harvest in a timely manner, and might be required to close seasons early to avoid excess harvest, or risk overharvesting ICCAT quotas, both of which could unnecessarily penalize U.S. fishermen.
A proposed rule (RIN 0648-BC09) was published coincident with this information collection request submission, soliciting public comment on the information collection requirements in this revision.
Public comment has also been solicited during the scoping process for Amendment 7. Further, the Highly Migratory Species Advisory Panel (AP) meets twice a year and consists of recreational and commercial fisheries representatives, environmental organizations, academic experts, and state government representatives. Comments have been received from AP members regarding catch and landings reports, including interest in developing a smart phone application for the electronic reporting system. Comments were regularly received requesting the availability of electronic reporting prior to its development.
During the public comment period, NMFS received comments on the discard reporting provisions included under this collection. The a summary of the comments and NMFS response are included below (same content as in the final rule).
Comments: Several commenters supported automated catch reporting for the General, Harpoon, and Charter/headboat categories, and one commenter suggested that automated catch reporting be required for all categories. Two commenters questioned the effectiveness of this reporting methodology. One suggested that a catch card system be used, and another requested additional technical information on the reporting methodology including the data to be collected and techniques for verification.
Response: The preferred measures would implement mandatory dead discard reporting for General, Harpoon, and Charter/Headboat category vessels. The reporting system would be an extension of the web and phone-based automated landings reporting system which must currently be used by fishermen in the Angling category to submit mandatory bluefin tuna landings reports. Although catch card systems have been shown to provide a more accurate accounting for landings in some geographic areas (i.e., Maryland and North Carolina), they are more costly to employ and are difficult to implement in regions with a large number of private docks. Further, catch cards may not be as effective in accounting for discarded fish that are not landed. The data fields NMFS would collect include the trip start and end date, departure and end time, port and state of departure and landing, fishing technique, bait type, hook type, approximate time hooked, approximate fight time, species, fish size, vessel name, registration number, permit holder’s name, Atlantic HMS permit number, type of trip, and tournament name (if applicable).
No payments or gifts will be provided to respondents.
As stated on the forms, it is NOAA policy to preserve the confidentiality of information submitted under this reporting requirement, except that NMFS may release such information in aggregate or summary form, such that individual identifiers are not disclosed (NAO 216-100). Information such as the number of registered tournaments, the species that they targeted, and the states in which they occurred is provided in the annual Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report, in Fishery Management Plan (FMP) regulatory amendments, and in supporting documents made available to the public upon request. A statement is included on the tournament registration form, informing operators that tournament information (tournament name, date(s), city, state, & target species) will be posted online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/Tournaments as a service to publicize tournaments and to inform potential tournament anglers of upcoming events that are in compliance with HMS regulations. All other information submitted under this reporting requirement remains confidential, or is released only in aggregate or summary form such that individual identifiers (e.g., tournament operator’s name, phone number, postal address, and e-mail address) are not disclosed.
This collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature.
RECREATIONAL LANDINGS
Reporting of most recreationally landed bluefin tuna, swordfish, and billfish is expected to take approximately 5 minutes per landing, whether completed via phone or internet. In the States of Maryland or North Carolina, filling out a landing card and affixing a tag to each fish landed is expected to take approximately 10 minutes. Call-back verification for bluefin tuna greater than or equal to 73" is also expected to take approximately 5 minutes per landing. The number of respondents is calculated separately for bluefin tuna and billfish/swordfish. Numbers of respondents for all species landings in Maryland and North Carolina are calculated separately from all other states.
Bluefin Tuna
Recreational landings of bluefin tuna for the States of Maryland and North Carolina are given in Table 1. Each landing represents a single response as recorded via each state’s tag and report program. The year with the greatest number of landings (responses) in total for these states was 2001. In order to ensure that our estimate is slightly higher than the greatest number of possible responses, 10 percent is added to the year with the greatest landings, giving an adjusted total of 5,034 potential responses (4,576 x 1.10 = 5,034). This safety margin should account for any additional changes in future years.
(5,034 responses × 10 minutes/response) ÷ 60 minutes/hour = 839 hours.
Table 1. Annual recreational landings of bluefin tuna in Maryland and North Carolina catch card program (1999 – 2011)
YEAR |
MD Landings (Number of Fish) |
NC Landings (Number of Fish) |
TOTAL |
1999 |
1,254 |
595 |
1,849 |
2000 |
1,247 |
274 |
1,521 |
2001 |
4,240 |
336 |
4,576 |
2002 |
2,329 |
176 |
2,505 |
2003 |
2,246 |
0 |
2,246 |
2004 |
3,549 |
50 |
3,599 |
2005 |
2,308 |
30 |
2,338 |
2006 |
1,163 |
31 |
1,194 |
2007 |
1,629 |
175 |
1,804 |
2008 |
1,271 |
133 |
1,404 |
2009 |
572 |
135 |
707 |
2010 |
423 |
573 |
996 |
2011 |
430 |
324 |
754 |
The total number of bluefin tuna that could be landed based on the U.S. ICCAT quota is estimated to be 8,479 fish. This estimate is based upon weights of fish within the various bluefin tuna size classes using previous years’ landings data. Subtracting the adjusted total potential responses (5,034) from the U.S. ICCAT quota, the total number of bluefin tuna landings in other states is estimated to be 3,445 fish.
Total Quota – MD + NC landings w/10% adjustment = Landings for all other states
8,479 – (1.10 × 4,576) = 3,445
Applying the 10 percent adjustment, the total number of bluefin tuna expected to be landed in all other states is equal to 3,790 landings (3,445 × 1.10 = 3,790). The number of respondents is estimated to equal the number of fish landed.
(3,790 respondents × 5 minutes/response) ÷ 60 minutes/hour = 316 hours
During the last three years, approximately 20 respondents have been called annually to verify information for bluefin tuna landed that exceed 73" in length. Adding 10 percent as indicated above comes to 22 respondents. Verification takes approximately five minutes per response.
(22 respondents × 5 minutes/response) ÷ 60 minutes/hour = 2 hours
Swordfish and Billfish
Pursuant to ICCAT recommendation, the United States may recreationally harvest up to 250 blue and white marlin (combined) on an annual basis. In the past few years, the actual number of these fish landed has been significantly less than the 250 limit; however, to allow for the full 250 marlin landing limit to be reported through this collection, NMFS is calculating burden based on a maximum of 250 marlin landings. Based on the recent fishing years that presented the greatest number of landings, NMFS anticipates up to 916 swordfish and sailfish landings [716 swordfish (2007) + 200 sailfish (2010) = 916]. In order to ensure that our estimate is slightly higher to allow for a greater number of landings, 10 percent is added, giving an adjusted total of 1,008 potential responses (916 x 1.10 = 1,008). Therefore, NMFS estimates that a maximum of 1,258 respondents [(250 blue marlin + white marlin) + (1,008 swordfish + sailfish) = 1,258] could be required to report non-tournament recreational landings of swordfish and billfish. The greatest number of swordfish and billfish landings reported through Maryland and North Carolina’s catch card programs came in 2010, with a total of 74 landings. Adding 10% to this number equals about 81 potential reports of swordfish and billfish from these states’ catch card programs. 81 reports are subtracted from the total number of reports below to perform the separate burden hour estimate for the reports through the state catch cards:
(1,258 - 81 respondents (all states – MD & NC) × 5 minutes/response) ÷ 60 minutes/hour = 98 hrs
(81 respondents (MD & NC catch cards) × 10 minutes/response) ÷ 60 minutes/hour = 14 hrs
98 hours (all states, excluding MD & NC) + 14 hours (MD & NC catch cards) = 112 hrs
Sharks
Because the State of Maryland’s catch card program for sharks has only been in place for a short time, the number of respondents is still uncertain. We can, however, project the number of respondents based on results from past surveys of fishermen in the area, which reported catch of blue, common thresher, dusky, porbeagle, sandbar, and shortfin mako sharks. Information from the Large Pelagics Survey (LPS) indicate that over the past five years, on average, approximately 206 shortfin mako sharks, 13 blue sharks, 0 dusky, 0 porbeagle, 0 sandbar, and 24 common thresher sharks are landed annually in Maryland. Adding these numbers, and adding 10% to account for unforeseen increases in numbers, gives a total of 267 respondents.
1.10 × (206 shortfin mako sharks + 13 blue sharks + 24 common thresher sharks) = 267 sharks
The Maryland catch cards for sharks will take the same amount of time to fill out as they do for billfish and bluefin tuna (less than 10 minutes).
(267 respondents/responses × 10 minutes/response) ÷ 60 minutes/hour = 45 hrs
State Reports of Recreational Landings
In addition to the reporting burden on the part of anglers, it is expected that 62 weekly (NC) or bi-weekly (MD) reports (1 hour each) and two annual reports (4 hours each) will be submitted by Maryland and NC fishery management agencies each for a total of 64 responses and 70 hours.
Total Calculations
Responses: 5,034 (bluefin tuna from MD/NC) + 3,790 (bluefin tuna from other states) + 22 (bluefin tuna verification calls) + 1,258 (swordfish and billfish landings) + 64 (state reports to NMFS) + 267 (MD shark catch cards) = 10,435 responses.
Burden Hours: 839 (bluefin tuna from MD/NC) + 316 (bluefin tuna from other states) + 2 (bluefin tuna verification calls) + 112 (swordfish and billfish landings) + 70 (state reports to NMFS) + 45 (MD shark catch cards) = 1,384 burden hours.
NMFS encourages other states to consider implementing landings card programs in order to improve the compliance with self-reported landings programs. Based on a comparison of MD catch cards, telephone reports, and dockside intercept sampling, compliance with the catch card program appears to be quite high. The high compliance with the landings card program may be due to a number of factors including better awareness of the program, increased visibility of state personnel at docks, a greater sense of participation or buy-in from fishermen, a combination of all of these, or some other unknown factor(s). NMFS conducted a catch card pilot study in Puerto Rico in 2010; the results of which are being reviewed for implementation. NMFS will continue to work cooperatively with individual states to select the program that best suits the needs of state and Federal fishery managers on a case by case basis. NMFS will submit a nonsubstantive change request to OMB to correct burden estimates, if and when such changes take place for each state. If other states opt to use landings card programs, their landings report burden would double (10 minutes per response for catch cards versus 5 minutes per landing for telephone or internet reports), and there would be an increase of 34 hours per state due to the drafting of weekly and annual reports.
REVISION ADDING CATCH REPORTING FOR GENERAL, HARPOON, AND CHARTER/HEADBOATS
NMFS estimated the potential annual catch for each permit category based on previous years’ data. The number of bluefin tuna caught and released or discarded dead for the General category was estimated by the average number of large medium and giant bluefin tuna released in recreational fisheries from 2006-2011 (LPS data). For the Harpoon category, the number of bluefin tuna landed in 2012 was used as a proxy for the number of bluefin tuna caught and released or discarded dead. For the HMS Charter/Headboat category, the average number of all bluefin tuna landed from 2006 – 2012 (LPS) was used as a proxy for the number of fish caught and released. Landings and catch for each category were added and multiplied by the 5 minutes it takes to complete a report for each fish, for an estimated total reporting burden of 7,285 responses and 607 hours, affecting a total of potentially 8,226 permit holders.
Permit Category |
Number of Permit holders in 2012 |
Number of Bluefin Landed in 2012 |
Projected Annual Number of Bluefin Caught and Released |
Projected Total Annual Catch (Number of Fish Landed + Number Caught and Released) = Total Responses |
Total Amount of Time (hrs) (5 mins. Per response / 60 mins/ hour) |
General |
4,084 |
2727 |
123 |
2850 |
238 |
Harpoon |
13 |
128 |
128 |
256 |
21 |
Charter/Headboat |
4,129 |
3721 |
458 |
4179 |
348 |
TOTAL |
8,226 |
6576 |
709 |
7285 |
607 |
Total respondents, responses and burden including added requirements: 18,661 respondents, 17,720 responses and 1,991 hours.
There are no costs in supplies or materials other than the time burden. Costs to states to distribute weekly and annual summary reports are covered in the grants to the states as indicated in Question 14.
Federal government costs for the revision to the IVR and online systems to add catch reporting for the additional permit categories is expected to be at most $35,000 (one-time cost, annualized to $11,667). Future annual maintenance would likely be included in the annual cost of the recreational reporting automated program ($8,681).
The North Carolina catch card program is carried out by the NC Division of Marine Fisheries in cooperation with NMFS at a cost to the Federal government of $33,000 per year. The Federal share of the Maryland program is funded at a level of $35,000 per year. It should be noted, however, that ancillary data may be collected by dockside staff in conjunction with catch cards (e.g., biological sample materials or dockside intercepts approved under 0648-0380); thus, these costs are not entirely attributable to the landings reports. Similar costs are anticipated for future cooperative catch card programs and the Federal share will depend on the amount and type of services contributed by the states.
The average hourly wage for Federal employees that verify landings is $25/hour:
2 hours (bluefin tuna verification) + 50 hours (half of the burden hours for swordfish and billfish landings; if verification is needed) = 52 hours × 25 dollars/hour = $1,300 in federal wages
Adding the cost of the revision to the previous costs:
$11,667 (annualized revision start-up) + $8,681 (automated system administration) + $68,000
(federal funding for state programs) + $1,300 (federal employee wages) = $89,648 total cost to Federal government.
Program changes:
This revision requests an increase in the number of respondents and burden hours because of the additional reporting requirements in Amendment 7. Added responses and burden: 7,285 and 607.
Collected information is published in stock assessments, environmental impact statements, environmental assessments, reports to ICCAT, the annual HMS Stock Assessment and Fisheries Evaluation (SAFE) Report, and regulatory impact reviews. The data are presented in aggregate form, which cannot lead to the identification of individuals.
For the IVR and Billfish/Swordfish scripts, the operator reads the OMB Control No., expiration date and PRA statement on request. This is to avoid incurring costs of script changes when the expiration date changes.
Not Applicable.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT |
| Author | Richard Roberts |
| Last Modified By | Sarah Brabson |
| File Modified | 2014-11-18 |
| File Created | 2014-10-29 |