0393 Supporting Statement BF25 012816

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

ALASKA AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT (AFA): PERMITS

OMB NO. 0648-0393

This action requests revision of this information collection due to an associated rule

[RIN 0648-BF25].

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Region manages the United States (U.S.) groundfish fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and other applicable laws.. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council prepared, and NMFS approved, the FMP. Regulations implementing the FMP appear at 50 CFR part 679.

On October 21, 1998, the President signed The American Fisheries Act (AFA). The AFA authorizes the formation of fishery cooperatives in all sectors of the BSAI pollock fishery, grants anti-trust exemptions to cooperatives in the mothership sector, and imposes operational limits on fishery cooperatives in the BSAI pollock fishery. NMFS incorporated the relevant provisions of the AFA into the FMP and established a comprehensive management program to implement the AFA. With respect to the fisheries off Alaska, the AFA affected the management programs of the pollock fishery of the BSAI and to a lesser extent the other groundfish fisheries of the BSAI, the groundfish fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska, the king and Tanner crab fisheries of the BSAI, and the scallop fishery off Alaska. Mitigation of potential adverse impacts to non-AFA fishermen and processors is also mandated by the AFA.

Currently, pollock in the BSAI is managed in three separate geographic units: the Bering Sea subarea, the Aleutian Islands subarea, and the Bogoslof District of the Bering Sea subarea. Amendment 110 would only apply to management of the pollock fishery in the Bering Sea subarea and would not affect the management of pollock fisheries in the Aleutian Islands or the status of pollock fishing in the Bogoslof District. Therefore, in this document, the term “pollock fishery” refers only to the Bering Sea pollock fishery, unless otherwise specified.

JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

With this action, the Council seeks to provide greater incentives that minimize salmon bycatch in all conditions of abundance, while still providing a very reasonable opportunity to harvest the full pollock total allowable catch (TAC). The management measures focus on retaining the incentives to avoid Alaska-origin chum salmon while maintaining the flexibility to avoid Chinook salmon.

2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support information that will be disseminated to the public, then explain how the collection complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.

a. Request for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation [REVISED]

PSC transferability mitigates the variation in the salmon encounter rates among sectors, inshore cooperatives, and CDQ groups, in a given pollock season. It allows eligible participants to obtain a larger portion of the PSC allocation in order to harvest their pollock allocation or to transfer surplus PSC allocation to other entities. When a Chinook salmon PSC allocation is reached, the affected sector, inshore cooperative, or CDQ group must stop fishing for pollock for the remainder of the season even if its pollock allocation has not been fully harvested.

Each year, NMFS issues transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations to the following entities, if these entities meet all the applicable requirements of this section.

♦ AFA inshore cooperatives.

♦ CDQ groups. A CDQ group is not required to submit an application to receive a transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation.

♦ AFA catcher/processor sector.

♦ AFA mothership sector.

A completed application consists of the application form and a contract, described below.

Application form.

The applicant must submit a paper copy of the application form with all information fields accurately filled in, including the affidavit affirming that each eligible vessel owner, from whom the applicant received written notification requesting to join the sector entity, has been allowed to join the sector entity subject to the same terms and conditions that have been agreed on by, and are applicable to, all other parties to the sector entity.

Contract.

A contract containing the following information must be attached to the completed application form:

(1) Information that documents that all vessel owners party to the contract agree that the entity, the entity's representative, and the entity's agent for service of process named in the application form represent them for purposes of receiving transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations.

(2) A statement that the entity's representative and agent for service of process are authorized to act on behalf of the vessel owners party to the contract.

(3) Signatures, printed names, and date of signature for the owners of each AFA-permitted vessel identified in the application form.

Once submitted, the contract is valid until amended or revoked by the parties to the contract.

Deadline, application: must be received by NMFS no later than 1700 hours Alaska local time on October 1 of the year prior to the fishing year for which the Chinook salmon PSC allocations are effective.

Deadline, Contract Amendments: An amendment to sector entity contract, with no change in entity participants, may be submitted to NMFS at any time and is effective upon written notification of approval by NMFS to the entity representative. To amend a contract, the entity representative must submit a complete application for the next year.

When complete, submit to NMFS:

♦ By mail to: Administrator, Alaska Region, NMFS

Attn: NMFS Sustainable Fisheries

P.O. Box 21668

Juneau, AK 99802–1668

♦ By fax to: (907)586–7354

♦ Online to: eFISH at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login

The application form is available on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications or by contacting NMFS at (800) 304–4846, Option 2.

Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation

Block A -- Contact information.

Name and NMFS person ID of entity

Name of entity’s representative

Name of agent for service of process (if different from representative)

Business mailing address; indicate whether permanent or temporary

Business telephone number, business fax number, and business e-mail address

Block B -- Vessel identification

Vessel name

ADF&G vessel registration number

Federal Fisheries Permit number

Block C -- Affirmation – check box

Block D -- Certification.

Signature and printed name of entity’s representative and date signed

Signature and printed name of agent for service of process, and date signed

Attachment -- Contract

Changed personnel cost from $25/hr to $37/hr

Approval as an Entity Eligible to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents Inshore cooperatives = 7 CDQ groups = 6 Mothership sector = 1 Catcher/processor sector - 1 Total annual responses = 2 Two seasons -- A season and B season Time per response= 8 hr Total personnel cost ($37/hr x30) Total miscellaneous cost Mail (1.35 x 30 = 40.50) Photocopy (5 pp x 0.05 x 30 = 7.50)	15 30 240 hr $8,880 $48

Approval as an Entity Eligible to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours = 2 hr Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 60) Total miscellaneous cost	30 60 hr $2,220 0

b. Application for Transfer of Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations [REVISED Personnel Costs]

Chinook salmon PSC allocations made to sectors, inshore cooperatives, and the CDQ groups are transferable. Transferability mitigates the variation in the salmon encounter rates among sectors, inshore cooperatives, and CDQ groups, in a given pollock season. It allows eligible participants to obtain a larger portion of the PSC allocation in order to harvest their pollock allocation or to transfer surplus PSC allocation to other entities.

A Chinook salmon PSC allocation issued to eligible entities may be transferred to any other entity receiving a transferable allocation of Chinook salmon PSC by submitting to NMFS a paper or electronic application for transfer.

NMFS will add any Chinook salmon PSC allocation remaining at the end of the A season after any transfers, to an entity's B season allocation

Application forms are available on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications.

When application is complete, submit:

♦ Online to: eFISH at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login

♦ By mail to NMFS Alaska Region

Sustainable Fisheries Division

P.O. Box 21668

Juneau, AK 99802-1668

♦ By fax to 907-586-7131

If sending online, the transferor's designated representative must log onto the NMFS online services system and create a transfer request as indicated on the computer screen. By using the transferor's NMFS ID, password, and Transfer Key, and submitting the transfer request, the designated representative certifies that all information is true, correct, and complete.

The transferee's designated representative must log onto the NMFS online services system and accept the transfer request as indicated on the computer screen. By using the transferee's NMFS ID, password, and Transfer Key, the designated representative certifies that all information is true, correct, and complete.

If submitting by mail or fax, the transferor's and transferee’s designated representatives must sign and date the application certifying that all information is true, correct, and complete.

Application for Transfer of Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations

Block A -- Identification of transferor

Name and NMFS person ID

Business mailing address; indicate whether permanent or temporary

Business Telephone No., Business Fax No, and Business E-mail address

Block B -- Identification of transferee

Name and NMFS person ID

Business mailing address; indicate whether permanent or temporary

Business Telephone No., Business Fax No, and Business E-mail address

Block C -- Chinook Salmon PSC amount transferred

(check either A Season or B Season for each entry)

Date of Transfer

Number of Chinook salmon

Block D – Transferor Certification

Electronic

Representative must log onto the NMFS online services system and create a transfer request . By using the

transferee's NMFS ID, password, and Transfer Key, the designated representative certifies that all

information is true, correct, and complete

Non-electronic

Representative must enter printed name and signature of representative and date signed

Attach authorization if a representative

Block E – Transferee Certification

Electronic

Representative must log onto the NMFS online services system and accept the transfer request as indicated

on the computer screen. By using the transferee's NMFS ID, password, and Transfer Key, the designated

representative certifies that all information is true, correct, and complete.

Non-electronic

Enter printed name and signature of representative and date signed

Attach authorization if a representative

Changed personnel cost from $25/hr to $37/hr

Appln for Transfer of Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation, Respondents

Total number of respondents (per season) 1 Catcher/processor sector 1 Mothership sector 7 Inshore cooperatives 6 CDQs Total number of responses = 2 Two seasons -- A season and B season Total time burden (4.5) Time per paper response = 15 minutes x 12 = 3 Time per online response = 5 minutes x 18 = 1.5 Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 5) Total miscellaneous cost (10.40) Fax ($5 x 1 = $5 Mail (0.45 x 12 = 5.4) Online ($0 x 17 = 0)

15 30 5 hr $185 $10

Appln for Transfer of Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation, Federal Government
Total number of responses Total time burden (7.5) Time per paper response = 15 minutes Time per online response = 0 Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 8) Total miscellaneous cost	30 8 hr $296 0

c. AFA Permit Application: Rebuild, Replace, or Remove Vessel [REVISED to Change Miscellaneous Postage Costs]

An owner of an AFA vessel may replace an AFA vessel that is designated on an AFA permit with another vessel to improve vessel safety or to improve operational efficiency, including fuel efficiency. The owner of the AFA vessel that is on the AFA permit must:

♦ apply for an AFA permit for the new or replacement vessel;

♦ provide vessel documentation for the replacement vessel;

♦ show that the replacement vessel has a Federal fishery endorsement; and

♦ identify the LLP groundfish license with a Bering Sea area endorsement on which the AFA replacement vessel will be named.

When the owner of a catcher vessel that is a member of an inshore cooperative replaces that vessel, the new or replacement vessel is eligible to join the inshore cooperative of the replaced vessel.

An application to replace a lost or destroyed AFA vessel may be submitted at any time. However, if the replacement vessel does not already hold a fishery endorsement (from the U.S. Coast Guard), that endorsement must be obtained within 36 months of the end of the last year that the vessel fished for or processed pollock in the BSAI

Deadline: In the event of a total loss or constructive loss of an AFA vessel, the owner of the lost AFA vessel must apply to replace the lost vessel or remove the lost vessel within 5 years from December 31 of the year in which the vessel was lost. Applications to replace lost or destroyed AFA vessels may be submitted at any time. However, if the replacement vessel does not already hold a fishery endorsement (from the U.S. Coast Guard), that endorsement must be obtained within 36 months of the end of the last year that the vessel fished for or processed pollock in the BSAI.

NMFS will not issue a new AFA permit to an AFA rebuilt or replaced vessel, because rebuilding a vessel does not change the designated vessel. In all respects, an AFA vessel after rebuilding or replacement will receive the same permits and will be subject to the same requirements under 50 CFR part 679 that applied to the AFA vessel before rebuilding. An AFA permit does not restrict the length of a vessel, weight, or horsepower of the designated vessel.

However, an LLP license (see OMB Control Number 0648-0334) does restrict the length of a vessel. If the MLOA exceeds that shown on an LLP groundfish license with a Bering Sea endorsement, NMFS will reissue an LLP license that designates the AFA rebuilt vessel if the AFA rebuilt vessel exceeds the MLOA on that LLP license.

The owner of an AFA catcher vessel that is a member of an inshore cooperative may remove that vessel from the AFA fishery and assign the pollock catch history of the removed vessel to one or more vessels. The pollock catch history of the removed vessel may only be assigned to a vessel or vessels that were in the same inshore cooperative to which the removed vessel belonged.

To remove an AFA catcher vessel with an inshore endorsement from the AFA fishery:

♦ The owner of the vessel must submit this application to NMFS and specify the vessel(s) to which the pollock catch history would be assigned and the percentage of the pollock catch history that each vessel should receive.

♦ The vessel(s) that will receive the pollock catch history of the removed vessel must be a member of the inshore cooperative to which the removed vessel belonged on the date of the application to remove the vessel.

Application forms are available on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications.

If NMFS believes that an application is deficient, NMFS will notify the applicant and give the applicant one 30-day period to remedy the deficiencies in the application. After the thirty-day period, NMFS will review the application and any information submitted. NMFS will either grant the application or deny the application by issuing an Initial Administrative Determination, which will explain the basis for the denial. An applicant may appeal the denial of an application pursuant to the appeal procedures at 15 CFR part 906.

AFA Permit Application: Rebuild, Replace, or Remove Vessel

Block A – Purpose of Application (check one)

Block B – AFA Permitted Vessel

Identify existing AFA permitted vessel being rebuilt, replaced, or removed from AFA fishery.

If owner is notifying NMFS of rebuilding an AFA vessel, attach USCG Documentation for Rebuilt Vessel

Vessel name

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) vessel registration number

USCG documentation number

AFA permit number

LLP groundfish license number

Gross tons

Shaft horsepower

Registered length (feet)

Owner name

Owner business mailing address

Owner business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address

Block C -- Identification & ownership of replacement vessel

Attach current USCG documentation for this vessel showing a valid fishery endorsement

Vessel name

ADF&G vessel registration number

USCG documentation number

LLP groundfish license number

Gross tons

Net tons (U.S. tons)

Shaft horsepower

Registered length (feet)

Current length overall (feet)

Owner name(s)

Owner business mailing address

Owner business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address

Block D – Assignment of pollock catch history of removed vessel

Identify vessel(s) to which the owner of the removed AFA catcher vessel, listed in Block B, wishes to

permanently assign the pollock catch history of the removed vessel

Vessel name

USCG documentation number

AFA permit number

Percentage of pollock catch history of removed vessel assigned to each vessel

Block E -- Certification of Applicant

Signature and printed name of owner and date of signature

Changed postage from $90 to $45.

AFA permit application: rebuild, replace, or remove, Respondent
Total annual respondents Total annual responses Total burden hours Time per response = 60 minutes Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 112) Total miscellaneous cost (116.20) Postage (.45 x 100 = 45) Fax ($5 x 12 = 60) Photocopy (2pp x .05 x 112 = 11.20)	112 112 112 hr $4,144 $116

AFA permit application: rebuild, replace, or remove, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Time per response = 1 hr Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 112) Total miscellaneous cost	112 112 hrs $4,144 0

d. Application for AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit [REVISED Personnel Costs]

Fishery cooperatives are formed by groups of vessel owners to provide an alternative to the open access race for fish. Under a fishery cooperative, the members agree to divide up the available quota among the membership in a manner that eliminates a wasteful race for fish and allows participants to maximize productivity. NMFS relies on fishery cooperatives for much of the day-to-day management of fishing activity at the cooperative and individual vessel level.

NMFS annually will issue an AFA inshore cooperative permit upon receipt of a complete application from a cooperative formed pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 521. The information obtained from an inshore catcher vessel cooperative permit application is used to identify the universe of participating vessels and processors in the BSAI pollock fishery prior to the start of each fishing year.

NMFS will issue an AFA inshore cooperative fishing permit to an inshore catcher vessel cooperative for the purpose of cooperatively managing directed fishing for pollock for processing by an AFA inshore processor.

Application forms are available on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications.

Inshore catcher vessel cooperatives must apply for an AFA permit annually.

Deadline: must be received by NMFS by December 1 for the following fishing year.

Application for AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit

Cooperative Contact Information.

Name of cooperative

Name of Co-op representative

coop business mailing address (P.O. Box or street, city, state, zip code);

indicate whether permanent or temporary

coop business telephone number, Fax number, and E-mail address

Designated Cooperative Processor Information

Name

Physical location of AFA Inshore Processor

Federal processor permit number

Cooperative Contract Information – List of attachments that are included

Vessel Information

Vessel name as displayed in official documentation.

ADF&G Vessel Registration Number

USCG Documentation Number

AFA Permit Number

Certification of applicant

Signature and printed name of coop representative and date of signature

Changed personnel rates from $25/hr to $37/hr.

Application for AFA Cooperative Permit, Respondent
Total annual respondents Total annual responses Total burden hours Time per response = 2 hr Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 14) Total miscellaneous cost (17.50) Postage (.45 x 4 = 1.80) Fax ($5 x 3 = 15) Photocopy (2pp x .05 x 7 = 0.70	7 7 14 hr $518 $18

Application for AFA Cooperative Permit, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Time per response = 1 hr Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 7) Total miscellaneous cost	7 7 $259 0

e. AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification [UNCHANGED]

An AFA inshore cooperative that intends to contract with a vessel that is a member of another AFA inshore cooperative must submit complete information to NMFS, Alaska Region pursuant to 50 CFR part 679.62(c) for each contracted vessel. A separate notification must be submitted for each vessel. The contracted AFA catcher vessel must have an inshore fishing endorsement and be a member of an inshore cooperative.

NMFS will notify the parties to the vessel contract when the agency receives the contract fishing notification. NMFS will not make any determinations as to the legality of any contract between or among the parties or its compliance with AFA requirements. There are no permits issued for this AFA contract. NMFS simply sends a letter acknowledging that the coops are contracting.

The information derived from this information will assist cooperatives in understanding how their catch is accounted, and also will alert NMFS in-season management that some vessels might be reporting with an alternative cooperative identification. The inshore vessel contract fishing notification may assume any format, but must contain the following information.

AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification

Contract Vessel information

Vessel name and AFA permit number.

Name and signature of the contract vessel’s owner

Name of the contract vessel’s home cooperative

Name and signature of the home cooperative’s designated representative

Name of AFA inshore cooperative wishing to contract with the vessel

Name and signature of the AFA inshore cooperative’s designated representative

A complete harvest schedule that shows how all catch and any overages by the contracted vessel will be allocated between the contracting cooperative(s) and the contract vessel’s home cooperative. In the event that multiple cooperatives are contracting with the same non-member vessel, each harvest schedule submitted must clearly specify how all catch and any overages will be allocated among the various cooperatives with which the vessel is contracted as of the date of submission

Vessel Contract Fishing Notification, Respondent
Total respondents Total annual responses Number of responses per respondent = 1 Total burden hours Estimated time per response = 4 hr Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 72) Total miscellaneous cost (78.15) Postage (.45 x 3 = 1.35) Fax ($5 x 15 = 75) Photocopy (2pp x .05 x 18 = 1.80)		18 18 72 hr $2,664 $78

Vessel Contract Fishing Notification, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Estimated time per response = 30 minutes Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 9) Total miscellaneous cost		18 9 hr $333 0

f. Notification from the cooperative of replacement and removal of vessels [UNCHANGED]

The AFA allowed for the development of pollock industry cooperatives. Nine cooperatives were developed as a result of the AFA: seven inshore cooperatives, one catcher/processor cooperative, and one mothership cooperative.

The cooperative shall promptly notify NMFS any time that the cooperative

♦ replaces one vessel with another vessel upon the issuance of an AFA permit to the replacement vessel pursuant to § 679.4(l)(7)(ii).

♦ assigns the catch history of a removed vessel to other vessel or vessels in the cooperative upon the approval of an application to remove a vessel pursuant to § 679.4(l)(7)(iii).

This notification can be made through e-mail and is not expected to be of significant cost.

Coop notify of vessel change, Respondent
Total annual respondents 1 mothership coop 1 catcher/processor coop 6 inshore catcher vessel coop Total annual responses Total burden hours (0.67) Time per response = 5 minutes Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 1) Total miscellaneous cost (0.8) E-mail (0.05 x 8 = 0.40) Photocopy (1pp x .05 x 8 = 0.40)	8 8 1 hr $37 $1

Coop notify of vessel change, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Total personnel cost Total miscellaneous cost	0 0 0 0

It is anticipated that the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support publicly disseminated information. NOAA Fisheries will retain control over the information and safeguard it from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with NOAA standards for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic information. See response to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement for more information on confidentiality and privacy. 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 pursuant to Section 515 of Public Law 106-554.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of information technology.

All of the AFA applications are available on the NMFS Alaska Region Home Page at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications.

The applications for AFA Inshore Cooperative Permit and AFA Rebuild, Replace, or Remove a Vessel are fillable onscreen and may be printed and submitted by mail or fax. The AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification does not have a form.

The Application for Transfer of Chinook PSC allocation may be submitted online at eFISH https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login. The Request for Eligibility to Receive Transferable PSC has an attachment with original signatures and must be mailed to the Regional Administrator, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802, or sent by courier to the Office of the Regional Administrator, 709 West 9th St., Juneau, AK 99801.

Future plans of the NMFS Alaska Region are to allow completion of applications online through the Internet.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

No duplication exists with other information collections.

5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods used to minimize burden.

This action would apply to owners and operators of catcher vessels, catcher/processors, motherships, inshore processors, and the six Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program groups participating in the pollock fishery in the Bering Sea subarea of the BSAI.

The AFA Program consists of CDQ organizations and Alaskan communities that are home to the shorebased processors (which are small entities) and inshore processors, motherships, catcher/processors, and cooperatives (which are large entities). The only small entities that are directly regulated by this action are the six western Alaska CDQ organizations, and the impact is not significant.

6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently.

The purpose of this action is to minimize Chinook salmon PSC to the extent practicable while achieving optimum yield from the pollock fishery. The action is necessary to ensure long-term conservation and abundance of salmon, maintain a healthy marine ecosystem, provide maximum benefit to fishermen and communities that depend on salmon and pollock, and comply with the

Magnuson–Stevens Act. If the information were not collected annually, NMFS would be unable to achieve these goals.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.

No special circumstances exist.

8. Provide information on the PRA Federal Register Notice that solicited public comments on the information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments received in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response to those comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

A proposed rule (RIN Number 0648-BF25) will be published in the Federal Register coincidentally with this collection to solicit public comments.

9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payment or gift is provided under this program.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

As stated on the forms, the information collected is confidential under section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. It is also confidential under NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.

This collection of information does not include questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.

Estimated total unique respondents: 134 (7 coops, 15 sectors, 112 potential rebuild, replace, remove vessels), increased from 119. Estimated total responses: 205, increased from 177.

Estimated total burden: 444 hr, increased from 223 hr. Estimated total personnel costs:

$ 15,522, increased from $ 6,931.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or record-keepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in Question 12 above).

Estimated total miscellaneous costs: $271, decreased from $ 278.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.

Estimated total responses: 182, increased from 169. Estimated total burden: 166, increased from 147 hr. Estimated total personnel cost: $5,479, increased from $5,019.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

Adjustments

Changes were made to update personnel costs and postage costs.

Application to rebuild, replace, or remove a vessel (corrected)

a decrease of $45 miscellaneous costs, $116 instead of $161

Application for AFA Coop permit

an increase of $126 personnel costs, $476 instead of $350

Application for eligibility to receive transferable Chinook salmon PSC (corrected)

an increase of 13 respondents, 15 instead of 2

an increase of 28 responses, 30 instead of 2

an increase of 224 burden, 240 hr instead of 16 hr

an increase of $8,480 personnel costs, $8,880 instead of $400

an increase of $45 miscellaneous costs, $48 instead of $3

Application to transfer Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC

a decrease of 3 hours, 5 hr instead of 8 hr

a decrease of $15 personnel costs, $185 instead of $200

a decrease of $9 miscellaneous costs, $10 instead of $17

Program changes

This action separates the salmon PSC allocation into two seasons, A and B, instead of just one allocation and allows transfers to be used to cover overages (post-delivery transfers). There is no associated cost or burden change.

16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and publication.

For each year, NMFS will release to the public and publish on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/):

♦ Chinook salmon PSC allocations for each entity receiving a transferable allocation;

♦ Non-transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations;

♦ Vessels fishing under each transferable or non-transferable allocation;

♦ Amount of Chinook salmon bycatch that accrues towards each transferable or non-transferable allocation;

♦ Any changes to these allocations due to transfers, rollovers, and deductions from the B season non-transferable allocations; and

♦ Tables for each sector that provide the percent of the sector’s pollock allocation, numbers of Chinook salmon associated with each vessel in the sector used to calculate the opt-out allocation and annual threshold amounts, and the percent of the pollock allocation associated with each vessel that NMFS will use to calculate IPA minimum participation assigned to each vessel.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.

Not Applicable.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

Not Applicable.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.

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