Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

ALASKA SCALE & CATCH WEIGHING REQUIREMENTS

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0330

Justification: Requests the addition of one column in the “Record of Daily Flow Scale Tests”.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. (Magnuson-Stevens Act) authorizes the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to prepare and amend fishery management plans for any fishery in waters under its jurisdiction.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) manages the U.S. groundfish fisheries of the exclusive economic zone off Alaska under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska and the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area. NMFS manages the crab fisheries in the waters off the coast of Alaska under the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Crab. Catcher/processors participating in Crab Rationalization (CR) Program fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). The fishery management plans were approved by the Secretary of Commerce under authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Act as amended in 2006. The fishery management plans are implemented by regulations at 50 CFR parts 679 and 680.

An additional column is needed in the “Record of Daily Flow Scale Tests” to allow for the correct recording of the math needed to complete the form. The column allows the participant to record the math of multiplying the number of sand bags run times the total platform scale weight of the by the number of times the sand bags are run.

This change is not expected to increase the burden or cost of this information collection, because the participant does this procedure anyway, NMFS is just providing space to do that. This does not require them to provide any new information.

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