Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

OMB Control No. 0648-0626

Comprehensive Data Collection on Fishing Dependence of Alaska Communities

This request is to make minor additions to questions in the Alaska Community Survey to be implemented in June 2016.

The social network questions (Q6, Q7, Q8, Q9 and Q22) in the survey instrument are insightful for determining the types of social networks of Alaska fishing communities, but extensions to the questions are required to elucidate more information about why the networks exist. Without having respondents state why they interact with other communities we are left making assumptions. Questions asking why the networks exist are informative to understanding how and why changes in fisheries and fishery policy may affect communities and their relationships with other communities.

For example, Q6 asks respondents to list communities they interact with for sharing: fisheries information; public services; traditional knowledge; professional services; resources; and culture. A community may share traditional knowledge, resources and culture with other communities because they have family there, there are tribal hubs or other socio-cultural reasons. A community may access public or professional services and fishery information because it is not available, or no longer available in their community. But we can only assume these things without respondents stating why they relate with other communities.

Similarly, in regard to Q8 and Q22, a community may need to access goods and supplies, or fishery business services in another community because those products or services may no longer be available in their community if a business closes because of commercial fisheries decline in the community. Or the communities listed may have more affordable products or be more accessible.

The question of asking why which communities are traveled to on a regular basis (Q7) provides insight to the reason behind the regular travel and could include reasons beyond those listed in other questions. Communities may have vessels moored in other communities and/or have limited infrastructure for accessing those communities.

Finally, many people send their children to schools in other communities. Asking why (Q8) can elucidate if fishery changes have any effect on educational enrollment in communities. For example, if fisheries decline, community members may out-migrate due to lack of jobs. This can cause decreased school enrollment and schools can close down. We have found this to be the case in other interview data for small communities.

The modifications require minimum burden and may add 5 minutes of respondent’s time depending upon their interest in answering the extended questions, and/or the level of detail they enter. The estimated burden is 1 hour. If respondents take an additional 5 minutes per survey, the added total burden will be 19 hours, or a change from 225 hours for the survey, to 244 hours.

In addition to the modifications described above, we have changed the contact information on the cover page to Anna Santos, as Amber Himes-Cornell is no longer the contact person for the Alaska Community Survey.