Federally permitted fishing vessels
participating in the Atlantic surfclam or ocean quahog individual
transferable quota (ITQ) fishery in the Northeast Region of the
U.S. are subject to certain information collection requirements in
order for NMFS to process requests for the transfer of surfclam or
ocean quahog quota shares or authorization to shuck surfclams or
ocean quahogs at sea. Per RIN 0648-BD64, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) is requesting a revision of OMB Control No.
0648-0240 to continue management of the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean
Quahog Fishery Management Plan (FMP). This revision would enable
NMFS to collect additional information about individual
transferable quota (ITQ) allocation holders to aid the Mid-Atlantic
Fishery Management Council in developing an excessive shares cap in
this fishery. This is a resubmission of this request with the final
rule. No changes have been made to the original request.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303 Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Management and Conservation Act as amended in 2006
Program Changes The proposed
addition of the ITQ permit application and the ITQ ownership form
would increase the estimated annual burden of this collection by
378 responses, 97 hours, and $186. The burden estimate for the
current aspects of this collection has been adjusted based on
updated information. Using data for the most resent 3 year period,
the average number of responses to the ITQ transfer form increased
by 85 additional responses, annually. Accounting for these
additional responses, plus adjusting for recent changes in cost of
first-class postage, resulted in estimated increases of 85
responses, 8 hours and $232 (rounded down to $231 in ROCIS).
$3,575
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Douglas Potts 978
281-9341
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.