The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science
Center collects socioeconomic data from commercial fishermen in the
Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic shrimp fisheries who hold one or
more permits for harvesting shrimp from federal waters (U.S.
Exclusive Economic Zone). Information about revenues, variable and
fixed costs, capital investment and other socioeconomic information
is collected from a random sample of permit holders. Additionally,
we will conduct a short demographic/socioeconomic survey of shrimp
vessel crews. Next to nothing is known about the five thousand
individuals crewing federally permitted shrimp vessels. These data
are needed to conduct socioeconomic analyses in support of
management of the shrimp fishery and to satisfy legal requirements.
The data will be used to assess how fishermen will be impacted by
and respond to federal regulation likely to be considered by
fishery managers. This request is to modify/add questions to give
options to record income/expenses from oil clean-up
activities.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303 Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act as amended in 2006
No changes or adjustments are
requested for the economic survey of vessel owners (other than the
burden hours change related to the population size change mentioned
above). Program Change: New crew survey will add 300 hours. Most
federally permitted shrimp vessels in the Southeast are operated by
3 to 4 crew members, including the captain. We estimate that there
are over 5000 hired crew members working in the federal shrimp
fisheries of the southeast US. These individuals are almost
entirely unstudied (and ignored in the management process). No
sampling frame is available for this population (as there is no
crew permit in the Southeast). We propose to contact them by asking
a (random) subset of selected vessel owners to hand a 2-page survey
questionnaire (with attached return envelope) to their current crew
members, thereby making the crew member survey subsidiary to the
vessel owner survey. There is no way to know in advance how well
this setup will work, and what type of response we will receive. We
have spoken to a couple of owners who seemed willing to
participate, and have not encountered significant objections. Our
questions for the crew members are very basic and demographic in
nature. The goal of this new element of the data collection is to
provide some broad, rough information where no information
currently exists. The only alternative method for collecting
information from this crew population would be an expensive and
difficult-to-organize dockside intercept survey (especially since
typical shrimp trips often take 3 weeks or more; and access to
private docks is not guaranteed; the NE recently tried).
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.