0515 rev BF83 tlandings 090116.ss

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

ALASKA INTERAGENCY ELECTRONIC REPORTING SYSTEM (IERS)

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0515

This request is to for resubmission with the final rule [RIN No. 0648-BF83].

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act)

16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq. authorizes the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to prepare and amend fishery management plans for any fishery in waters under its jurisdiction. The National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region (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. NMFS manages groundfish under the Fishery Management Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (FMPs). Regulations implementing the FMPs appear at 50 CFR parts 679 and 680.

The Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS) is a collaborative program for reporting commercial fishery landings administered by NMFS, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). The IERS consists of three main components (see https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/electronic-reporting).

♦ eLandings – a web-based application for immediate harvest data upload from Internet-capable vessels or processors,

♦ seaLandings – a desktop application for vessels at sea without Internet capability, and

♦ tLandings – a thumb drive fish ticket application for tenders or buying stations.

When compared with paper forms and conventional logbooks, IERS is a more convenient, accurate, and timely method of fisheries reporting. Some of the benefits of IERS include: improved data quality, automated processing of data, improved process for correcting or updating information, availability of more timely data for fishery managers, and reduction of duplicative reporting of similar information to multiple agencies.

Additionally, eLandings provides continuous online access to individual accounts by participants. These provisions make recordkeeping and reporting requirements less burdensome by allowing participants to more efficiently monitor their accounts and fishing activities.

Currently, daily landing reports submitted via eLandings – or seaLandings when no Internet connection is available – are required in halibut, sablefish, and crab fisheries per 50 CFR part 679.5(e)(5). NMFS requires all Federal Processing Permit (FPP)-holding shoreside or stationary floating processors to use eLandings or other NMFS-approved software to submit landing reports for all groundfish species. All Federal Fisheries Permit (FFP)-holding motherships are required to enter landing information in eLandings. seaLandings may be used when Internet is not available. Catcher/processors with an FFP are required to use eLandings or seaLandings to submit Daily Production Reports.

With this action, NMFS would:

♦ require tender vessel operators to use tLandings to create landing reports.

♦ modify the definition of buying station so that tenders and land-based buying stations are differentiated under the regulations.

♦ remove the requirement for buying stations to complete the buying station report.

The ability for processors to upload the completed data from tLandings means landing reports can be provided to NMFS more quickly and with greater reliability. Tender vessels providing digital data greatly reduces the likelihood of inefficiencies associated with unreadable fish tickets. Because the tLandings landing report has a number of automated fields to ensure data consistency and reliability, there is less likelihood for errors, benefitting agency staff by requiring less staff time to verify data accuracy. Additionally, the data provided by the tLandings recordkeeping and reporting requirement would allow the Observer Program to more effectively identify deliveries to tenders for purposes of observer deployment.

A. JUSTIFICATION

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

This action is necessary to improve timeliness and reliability of landing reports for catcher vessels delivering to tender vessels for use in catch accounting and inseason management. Requiring tenders to complete tLandings would improve tender delivery data for the purposes of having reliable, expeditious data for catch accounting and inseason management, and identifying delivery patterns to tender vessels. tLandings would provide a streamlined data entry mechanism, ensuring efficient, precise data transmission, and a mechanism for identifying tender deliveries for more reliable information.

This action would update tender delivery data for the purposes of improving the reliability and expediency of data for catch accounting and inseason management.

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.

The User means, for purposes of IERS and eLandings, an individual representative of a Registered Buyer; a Registered Crab Receiver; a mothership or catcher/processor that is required to have a Federal Fisheries Permit (FFP) under §679.4; a shoreside processor or SFP and mothership that receives groundfish from vessels issued an FFP under §679.4; any shoreside processor or SFP that is required to have a Federal processor permit under §679.4; and his or her designee(s).

a. tLandings landing report [CHANGED number of respondents; previously called Buying Station Report]

This action changes the voluntary use of tLandings to required use.

The operator of a tender vessel taking delivery of groundfish that is required to be reported to NMFS on a landing report under § 679.5(e)(5) must use tLandings to enter information about each landing of groundfish and must provide that information to the User.

The tLandings application is loaded onto a thumb drive by the User and configured with the most recent version of the tLandings tender workstation application prior to the tender vessel taking delivery of groundfish. A configured tLandings application contains a list of the authorized users, the processor’s vessel list, a species list, and includes the option for the processor to add a price list.

The tLandings tender workstation application is used locally on the tender and was developed for tender vessels without web access. The tender vessel operator must log into the configured tLandings tender workstation application and provide the information required on the computer screen. Additional instructions for tLandings is on the Alaska Region Web site at https://elandings.atlassian.net/wiki/display/tr/tLandings+Training+Scenarios The tender vessel operator provides the required information in tLandings for each delivery the tender vessel accepted prior to the completion of the transfer or offload of groundfish at the processor.

Landing reports are created and stored on the thumb drive. The application creates a printable fish ticket, which is printed on board the tender vessel and signed by the delivering CV operator. Once the tender trip is completed, the thumb drive is provided to the processor for upload into the eLandings repository database. The processor then uploads the eLandings landing report to a central agency server. Validation protocols and business rules are imbedded in the application code to provide immediate validation at the point of reporting. This system requires one-time data entry on the tender vessel and the information is transferred to the processor, and then to the agency via eLandings. Digital harvest reports improve catch accounting and streamline the process.

The tender vessel operator must make the landing information in tLandings available to the User on commencement of the transfer or offload of groundfish from the tender vessel to the processor. The User would then complete the eLandings landing report by uploading the tLandings data through the Processor Tender Interface component of eLandings online at https://elandings.alaska.gov/elandings/Login by 1200 hours, Alaska local time, of the day following the completion of the offload.

This action also modifies the definition of a buying station so that tenders and land-based buying stations are differentiated under the regulations and creates a regulatory responsibility for the tender vessel operator to complete and submit tLandings landing information to the User.

Operating tLandings requires some training and practice for both the tender operators and the User. The training costs for tender operators to use tLandings would likely be shared by NMFS and the processor as primarily an upfront cost. NMFS expects a full day of training by processors may be necessary for tender operators that were new to the system. Processors may ask tender operators to repeat the training in subsequent years. The primary cost for training would be staff time and resources. For more information about NMFS Alaska Region electronic reporting system, contact

♦ by telephone (907) 586-7462

♦ or by email [email protected]

The general costs associated with operators of tender vessels entering landing information into the tLandings application are mainly attributable to equipment and training. The cost for equipment would likely be to the tender vessel under a charter contract with an associated processor. To meet the goal of electronic reporting on board a tender, each vessel needs

♦ a laptop computer with a numeric key pad,

♦ a basic laser printer with ink cartridges and paper,

♦ a magstripe reader -- A magnetic stripe reader is a hardware device that reads the information encoded in the magnetic stripe located on the back of a plastic badge. Magnetic stripe readers can be read by a computer program through a serial port, USB connection, or keyboard wedge.

♦ thumb drives that contain the tLandings application.

For a brand new tLandings user, NMFS estimates that using the tLandings system would increase the annual cost to outfit and operate a tender by about $1,000 to $2,300 (estimated $1,650).

The number of tender vessels fluctuates every year. In 2012, there were as many as 42 tender vessels that took deliveries. ADF&G fish tickets show that in 2015, there were 30 tender vessels that received Federal groundfish in the BSAI and GOA. Those tender vessels delivered to 8 processors.

In 2015, 21 of the 30 tender vessels also took delivery of State groundfish. Many tender vessels that operate in the Federal groundfish fisheries also operate in the State groundfish fisheries, and therefore are already subject to a State tLandings requirement and may already be equipped with tLandings from ADF&G.

A tLandings requirement would primarily affect the remaining vessels. In total, nine tender vessels made 168 deliveries to processors. NMFS expects that the actual number of tender vessels that would start using tLandings for the first time is less than nine because, for example, one processor recently required all contracted tender vessels to use tLandings, and there has been a general industry shift towards electronic reporting as a benefit for recordkeeping and reporting.

This action would add an additional data field to the tLandings landing report – to report the latitude and longitude at the time of receipt of delivery from a catcher vessel. This field would allow NMFS to track where tenders are located when they take deliveries from catcher vessels. This data is necessary to determine tender activity in the GOA and catcher vessel delivery patterns when delivering to a tender as opposed to directly to a processor.

tLandings landing report

Name of vessel

Gear type of harvester

Crew size. Enter the number of licensed crew aboard the vessel, including the operator

CFEC fishery/permit/year

Processor code

Management program name and identifying number, if any, in which harvest occurred

Federal permit number

Tender ADF&G number

ODDS trip number

ADG&F groundfish statistical area of harvest & percent

Latitude and longitude at the time of receipt of delivery from a catcher vessel [new]

Date fishing began

Days fished

Date of landing

Time of landing

Number of observers onboard

Landing characteristics (dock or partial delivery)

Discard report -- Indicate whether the blue logsheet was received from the catcher vessel at the time

of catch delivery

If blue logsheet not received from the catcher vessel, enter “NO” and select the applicable code to explain

catcher vessel does not have an FFP -- “P”

catcher vessel is under 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA and does not have an FFP -- “P”

catcher vessel is under 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA and has an FFP -- “L”

catcher vessel delivered an unsorted codend -- “U”

another reason; describe circumstances -- “O”

Species, condition, and grading

Changed number of respondents from 175 to 9.

tLandings landing report, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents Total annual responses Deliveries to processors = 18 Total Burden Hours (94.5) Time per active response = 35 min Total personnel cost Cost to maintain DFL ($37/hr x 95) Total miscellaneous cost (7383.33) One time equipment charge Annualized = 1650/9= 183.33 Training cost = 8 hr x $100 x 9 =7200	9 162 95 hr $3,515 $7,383

tLandings landing report, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total Burden Hours Total Personnel cost Total Miscellaneous Cost	0 0 0 0

b. Catcher/processor Landing Report [UNCHANGED]

The operator of a catcher/processor placed in the partial observer coverage category must use eLandings or other NMFS-approved software to submit a catcher/processor landing report to NMFS for each fishing trip conducted while that catcher/processor is in the partial observer coverage category.

NMFS would use information from the catcher/processor landing report to link catch data with observer data, to determine how to appropriately assign at-sea discard rates and PSC rates to unobserved catcher/processors in the partial observer coverage category, and to monitor compliance with the requirement for catcher/processors placed in the partial observer coverage category to log all fishing trips in ODDS.

The landing report is generated through eLandings by consolidating the daily production reports for the period the vessel operator defines as the fishing trip for purposes of observer coverage. NMFS uses information from the catcher/processor landing report to link catch data with observer data, to determine how to appropriately assign at-sea discard rates and prohibited species catch (PSC) rates to unobserved catcher/processors in the partial observer coverage category, and to monitor compliance with the requirement for catcher/processors placed in the partial observer coverage category to log all fishing trips in ODDS.

The catcher/processor landing report must be submitted online at the Alaska Region Web site at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov.

Deadline: The operator of a catcher/processor placed in the partial observer coverage category must submit a catcher/processor landing report to NMFS by 2400 hours, A.l.t., on the day after the end of the fishing trip.

Approximately nine vessels could be affected by this action. Three of these vessels are currently in partial coverage and would be expected to continue to qualify for partial coverage. It is estimated that approximately six new vessels would qualify for partial coverage. It is expected that all of these newly qualified vessels would choose partial coverage for the upcoming fishing year.

Catcher/processor Landing Report

ADF&G number

ADF&G Gear Code

Crew Size

Number of Observers onboard

Date fishing began

Days fished

Date of landing

ODDS trip number (not required)

Port of landing (FCP for floating catcher processors)

Partial delivery (if applicable)

IFQ reported manually- yes or no (if applicable)

ADF&G Processor Code

Federal Permit Number

Registered buyer number (if applicable)

CFEC permits

Management program

Management program ID

NMFS ID and IFQ permits (if applicable)

State statistical areas

Itemized catch information

Species

Weights

condition and disposition codes

IFQ report (if applicable)

Catcher/processor Landing Report, Respondent
Number of respondents Total annual responses Frequency of response = 1 Total burden hours (4.5) Time per response = 30 minutes Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 5) Total miscellaneous cost Online 9 x $0 = 0	9 9 5 hr $185 $0

Catcher/processor Landing Report, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Total personnel cost Total miscellaneous cost	0 0 0 0

c. Pilot catcher vessel trawl electronic logbook [UNCHANGED]

A pilot electronic logbook for catcher vessels using trawl gear was created for use by selected vessels during a pilot project in a specified fishery. Fourteen catcher vessel operators still use this electronic method instead of the Daily Fishing Logbook (DFL), as the respondents preferred to continue using it and NMFS agreed. The pilot eLog includes computer data entry. The information recorded in the pilot eLog is submitted to NMFS through a processor of the catcher vessel’s choice on a disc at the end of each fishing trip. The estimated time for an operator to complete the pilot eLog is estimated to be the same as completion of the DFL.

Catcher Vessel trawl gear pilot eLog

Identification

Page number

Date

Vessel name and ADF&G vessel registration number

Federal fisheries permit (FFP) number

Name and signature of operator

If inactive, enter start date, end date, and reason for inactivity

Gear type

Federal reporting area of catch

Whether harvest occurred in COBLZ or RKCSA

Number of observers onboard

Name and cruise number of each observer aboard

Crew size

If in a separate management program, mark appropriate box and enter identification number

Catch by haul information

Haul number

Time and begin position of gear deployment

Date, time, and end position of gear retrieval

Average sea depth and average gear depth

Target species code

Hail weight (lb or mt)

Discard/disposition information

Whether deliveries are unsorted cod ends or presorted at sea

If presorted at sea, enter discard/disposition species information

whether records in pounds or metric tons

daily total, balance forward, and cumulative total since last delivery

species and product codes

Delivery information

Delivery date

ADF&G fish ticket number

Recipient’s name and ADF&G processor code

Catcher vessel trawl gear pilot eLog, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents Using pilot ELB = 14 Total annual responses Average 34 active days x 14 = 476 Average 3 inactive days x 14 = 42 Total Burden Hours (146.03) Time per active response (18 min x 476 = 142.8) Time for inactive response (5 min x 42 = 3.5) Total personnel cost Cost to maintain DFL ($37/hr x 146) Total miscellaneous cost	14 518 146 hr $5,402 0

Catcher Vessel trawl gear pilot eLog, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total Burden Hours (129.50) Time per response (15 min x 518) Total Personnel cost (37/hr x 130) Total Miscellaneous Cost	518 130 hr $4,810 0

d. Catcher vessel eLog [UNCHANGED]

Originally, catcher vessels ≥ 60 ft length overall (LOA) were required to submit fisheries information to NMFS through use of a paper Daily Fishing Logbook (DFL, see OMB Control No. 0648-0213). NMFS is now offering optional use of an electronic logbook (eLog) for trawl and longline catcher vessels through the seaLandings software application. NMFS created software for use by operators of catcher vessels to use instead of a paper DFL to record fisheries information. Use of the eLog will increase the speed and accuracy of data transmission to NMFS and will assist in accurate quota monitoring.

Some basic hardware requirements need to be met, such as having a laptop or personal computer on the vessel with a current Windows Operating system, and a printer to print out paper copies of the eLog.

seaLandings is fishery harvest reporting software program that functions without constant Internet connectivity and is installed on computer workstations. This interface targets at-sea vessels that use a satellite phone for email transmission. seaLandings eLog can be sent via direct transmission - a report file is zipped up and sent over the Internet and processed behind the scenes or via email. The zipped report file is attached to an email that is sent to the email server, [email protected].

All users of the seaLandings software application must Register their Operation in eLandings (the web interface) prior to being able to use the reporting program. This is necessary to identify exactly who is reporting and what type of operation they are running.

The operator must account for each day of the fishing year, January 1 through December 31, in the eLog and indicate whether the vessel was active or inactive during the time period.

Catcher Vessel eLog

Vessel name

Name and signature of operator

ADF&G vessel registration number

FFP number

Federal crab vessel permit number (if longline)

Page number

Identification

If inactive, enter start date, end date, and reason for inactivity

Gear type (if trawl)

Whether harvest occurred in COBLZ or RKCSA (if trawl)

Federal reporting area of catch

If separate management program, mark appropriate box and enter identification number

(If longline only)

IFQ

Operator IFQ permit number

Crew IFQ permit number(s)

CDQ

CDQ group number

Halibut CDQ permit number

Observer information

Number of observers onboard

Name and cruise number of each observer aboard

Crew size

Gear type( If hook and line)

Gear type

Fixed hook

Conventional

Tub

Autoline

Snap

Length of skate

Hook

Size

Spacing (ft)

Number Per Skate

Catch by haul information (if longline)

Set number

Date set, time set

Date hauled, time hauled

Location of set

Begin Position

Latitude

Longitude

Buoy or Bag number

End Position

Latitude

Longitude

Buoy or Bag number

Begin & end depth (fathoms)

Number of skates or pots

Set

Lost

Target species code

CDQ/IFQ Halibut (pounds)

IFQ SABL (pounds)

RD Round wt.

WC Western cut

EC Eastern cut

Hail weight (lb or mt)

CR Crab

Bird avoidance gear

Catch by haul information (if trawl)

Haul number

Time of gear deployment

Date hauled, time hauled

Begin Position of haul

Latitude

Longitude

Average sea depth

Average gear depth

Date and time of gear retrieval

End Position of haul

Latitude

Longitude

Target species code

Total hail weight (lb or mt)

Check if moved primarily to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch

Discard/disposition information

Date

Species code

Product code

Delivery

Delivery date

ADF&G fish ticket number

IFQ registered buyer (if longline) or recipient’s name

Unloading Port (if longline)

ADF&G processor code (if trawl)

Comments

Catcher vessel eLog, Respondent
Number of respondents 2 trawl catcher vessels 2 lgl or pot catcher vessels Total annual responses Average 34 active days x 4 = 136 Average 3 inactive days x 4 = 12 Total burden hours Time/active response (15 min x 136 = 34) Time/inactive response (5 min x 12 = 1 Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 35) Total miscellaneous cost	4 148 35 hr $1,295 0

Catcher vessel eLog, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours (1.30) Time per response = 3 min Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 1) Total miscellaneous cost	148 1 hr $37 0

e. Catcher/processor eLog [UNCHANGED]

The operator of a specified groundfish catcher/processor must use a combination of NMFS-approved catcher/processor eLog and seaLandings to record and report groundfish and PSC information.

♦ An American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher/processor

♦ Any catcher/processor harvesting pollock in a Western Alaska community development quota (CDQ) fishery

♦ Any trawl catcher/processor participating in the rockfish fishery

♦ A hook-and-line catcher/processor named on a License Limitation Program (LLP) license with a Pacific cod catcher/processor hook-and-line endorsement for the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, or both the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and direct harvesting Pacific cod

In addition, catcher/processors required to weigh catch on a NMFS-approved scale must use a NMFS-approved eLog to daily record and report the results and timing of daily scale tests to NMFS. This would allow NMFS staff to continuously monitor daily scale tests by vessels when they are at sea and to work with vessel crew to ensure that any bias in daily scale tests is discovered and corrected quickly. Allowing NMFS to identify potential scale problems during, rather than after, a fishing year would result in more effective analysis of overall trends in scale testing.

The respondent must first manually enter the daily flow scale test information onto the paper Record of Daily Scale Tests form (see OMB Control No. 0648-0330). Then the following information from all scale tests, including failed tests, must be reported within 24 hours of the testing using the eLog.

Daily flow scale test information entered into eLog

Time of test

Platform scale weight (kg)

Flow scale weight (kg)

Percent error

Comments (optional)

Catcher/processor flow scale eLog, Respondent
Total number of respondents Total annual responses (203 x 94) Average 200 active (fishing or processing) days Average 3 inactive days Total Burden Hours (4723.50) Time per active response (15 min) x 200 x 94 = 4700 Time per inactive response (5 min) x 3 x 94 = 23.50 Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 4724) Total miscellaneous cost	94 19,082 4,724 hr $ 174,788 0

Catcher/processor eLog, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total Burden Hours ( 1590.17) Time per response (5 min x 19082) Total Personnel cost ($37/hr x 1,590) Total Miscellaneous Cost	19,082 1,590 hr $ 58,830 0

f. Mothership eLog [UNCHANGED]

The operator of a mothership that is required to have an FFP under § 679.4(b) must use a combination of NMFS-approved mothership eLog and seaLandings to record and report daily processor identification information, delivery information, groundfish production data, and groundfish and PSC data.

In addition, motherships must use a NMFS-approved eLog to daily record and report the results and timing of daily scale tests to NMFS. The respondent must enter the following information from all scale tests, including failed tests, within 24 hours of the testing using the eLog.

Daily flow scale test information entered into eLog

Time of test

Platform scale weight (kg)

Flow scale weight (kg)

Percent error

Comments (optional)

Mothership eLog, Respondent
Total number of respondents Total annual responses (203 x28) Average 200 active (receiving or processing) days Average 3 inactive days Total Burden Hours Time per active response (15 min x 200 x 28 = 1400) Time per inactive response (5 min x 3 x 28 = 7) Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 1407) Miscellaneous cost	28 5,684 1,407 hr $ 52,059 0

Mothership eLog, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total Burden Hours Time per response (5 min x 28 = 2.33) Total Personnel cost ($37/hr x 2) Total Miscellaneous Cost	28 2 $74 0

g. Registration, eLandings [UNCHANGED]

Before using the eLandings system, the User must request authorization to use the system, reserve a unique User ID, and obtain a password by using the Internet to complete the eLandings Registration at https://elandings.alaska.gov/elandings/Register.

Entering information in the registration form generates the User Agreement which needs to be printed out, signed, and faxed to NMFS to enable the operation. This process is only necessary for brand new operations.

The User must print and submit a signed original User Agreement Form:

♦ by mail to NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Division

eLandings Registration

P. O. Box 21668

Juneau, AK 99802-1668

♦ by fax to (907) 586-7131 Attn: eLandings Registration

♦ or deliver to NMFS Sustainable Fisheries

eLandings Registration

709 W. 9th Street, Suite 401

Juneau, AK 99801

Upon receipt of the registration information, eLandings verifies that all of the required information is provided in the correct format, and that the requested User ID is not already in use. NMFS will email confirmation to indicate that the User is registered, authorized to use eLandings, and that the User ID and User’s account are enabled.

The User’s signature on the registration form means that the User agrees to the following terms:

♦ Use eLandings access privileges only for submitting legitimate fishery landing reports, production reports, and eLogs;

♦ Safeguard the User ID and password to prevent their use by unauthorized persons; and

♦ Ensure that the User is authorized to submit landing reports, production reports, and eLog for the permit number(s) listed.

The User must enter the following information to obtain operation registration and User ID registration. Information collected on an eLandings registration is necessary to identify the participant and to provide authorization for the participant to use eLandings.

eLandings Registration

Operation type

Operation name

ADF&G processor code

Enter all Federal permit numbers

If a shoreside processor or SFP, enter FPP number

If a catcher vessel, catcher/processor, or mothership, enter FFP number

If a Registered Buyer, enter the Registered Buyer permit number

If a Registered Crab Receiver, enter the RCR permit number

Port codes

Vessel ADF&G registration number

Vehicle license number, if a buying station

Primary User

If user is already registered, just enter userID and password.

Otherwise, enter all data including userID and password, and a new userID will be created

User ID

Password

Confirm Password

Company name

User name

City and state

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

Security question

The answer to your security question

Once registered, the User is not required to register again unless ownership changes. New ownership requires a new Federal permit and ADF&G code.

Changed number of respondents from 12 to 19. New elandings registrations include new Direct Marketers that simply buy and export fish without processing it.

eLandings Registration, Respondent
Number of respondents Total annual responses Frequency of response = 1 Total burden hours (4.75) Time per response = 15 minutes Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 5) Total miscellaneous cost (9.50) Photocopy = 0.05 x 1 x 19 = 0.95 Postage = 0.45 x 19 = 8.55	19 19 5 hr $185 $10

eLandings registration, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours (4.25) Time per response = 15 minutes Total personnel cost ($37/hr x54) Total miscellaneous cost	19 5 hr $185 0

h. eLandings or seaLandings landing report [UNCHANGED; Changed number of respondents]

eLandings and seaLandings are components of IERS. The IERS provides the Alaska fishing industry with a consolidated electronic means of reporting production and landings of commercial fish and shellfish to multiple management agencies. Some of the benefits of the electronic reporting system include: improved data quality, automated processing of data, improved process for correcting or updating information, availability of more timely data for fishery managers, and reduction of duplicative reporting of similar information to multiple agencies. seaLandings is a stand-alone software package for clients with no web access, such as the at-sea fleet. This software facilitates submission of production and landing reports through email attachments.

Using the eLandings web-based application, processors report production and landings data. Once data are entered and submitted, Users receive a printed production report, fish ticket, and/or an IFQ report as a receipt.

Information collected on an eLandings landing report is needed to identify the participant, to monitor the deliveries to the facility as well as record discard and disposition of species, and for management of various fisheries. Each of these reports is guided by a data entry time limit.

Manual Landing Report

An optional manual landing report is available in the event the eLandings system and/or the Internet is unavailable. A User who for any reason is unable to properly submit a landing report or production report through eLandings must enter the information onto a manual landing report.

see Crab Manual Landing Report at

https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/crabmanualanding.pdf

see Manual Landing Report Halibut & Sablefish IFQ/CDQ at

https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/ifqlandrpt.pdf

The manual landing report must be used until network connections are restored. When the network is restored, the User must enter this same information into eLandings. Because the manual landing report collects information that is meant to be entered into eLandings, this information is incorporated into the cost and burden of eLandings.

Out-of-state Landing Report

If the processor is not located in Alaska, the manager of a shoreside processor must complete and submit to NMFS a separate out-of-state landing report for each shipment of groundfish and donated prohibited species caught in the Alaska groundfish fisheries. If not located in Alaska, the Registered Buyer must complete and submit a separate out-of-state landing report for each shipment of halibut or sablefish.

(see Out-of-state Landing Report at.

https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/outofstateelandings.pdf

The Registered Buyer or manager of a shoreside processor must enter information from a specific vessel by noon of the day following completion of the delivery and submit the completed Out-of-State Landing Report to NMFS by fax to: 907-586-7131.

The cost and burden for this report is included in the cost for processors using eLandings.

Shoreside processor Out of State Landing Report

Shoreside Processor Information

User ID

Processor company name

Business telephone number and e-mail address

Port of landing

ADF&G processor code and Federal permit number

Unique landing report number assigned by eLandings upon completion of data entry

Groundfish delivery information

Number of observers onboard

Crew size (including operator)

Management program name and identifying number (if any)

ADF&G groundfish statistical area of harvest

Date (mm/dd/yyyy) delivery was completed

If delivery is received from

a buying station other than a tender, enter name of buying station

a tender, enter ADF&G vessel registration number

a catcher vessel, enter ADF&G vessel registration number

If blue logsheet not received from a catcher vessel, enter NO and code for reason not provided

Gear type of harvester

Total estimated hail weight (to nearest pound)

ADF&G fish ticket number provided to catcher vessel

Landings information

Date of landing (mm/dd/yyyy)

Landed scale weight (to the nearest pound) by species code and delivery condition code

Discard or disposition information

Record discard or disposition information

that occurred on and was reported by a catcher vessel

that occurred on and was reported by a buying station

that occurred prior to, during, and after production of groundfish at the shoreside processor or SFP

when no groundfish are delivered but the blue Daily Fishing Logbooks (DFL) contains records of discards or disposition

If groundfish or herring prohibited species catch (PSC)

Species code, delivery condition code, and disposition code

Weight (to the nearest pound)

If PSC halibut, salmon, or crab

Species code, delivery condition code, and disposition code

Count (in numbers of animals)

Mothership

Groundfish delivery information

Number of observers onboard

Crew size (including operator)

Management program name and identifying number (if any)

ADF&G groundfish statistical area of harvest

Date (mm/dd/yyyy) that delivery was completed

If the delivery is received from a tender, enter the ADF&G vessel registration number of the vessel

If delivery received from a catcher vessel, enter the ADF&G vessel registration number of the vessel

Indicate whether the blue logsheet was received from catcher vessel.

If NO, select the reason provided by the catcher vessel for not supplying this copy

Gear type of harvester

Total estimated round weight by species (pounds)

ADF&G fish ticket number provided to catcher vessel

Discard or disposition information

Record discard or disposition information

that occurred on and was reported by a catcher vessel

that occurred on and was reported by a buying station

that occurred prior to, during, and after production of groundfish at the mothership

when no groundfish are delivered but the blue DFL is submitted containing records

of discards or disposition

If groundfish or PSC herring

Species code, delivery condition code, and disposition code

Weight (to the nearest pound)

If PSC halibut, salmon, or crab

Species code, delivery condition code, and disposition code

Count (in numbers of animals)

Registered Buyer

IFQ halibut, CDQ halibut, and IFQ sablefish delivery information

User ID and password

Date (mm/dd) of the landing

Location of the landing (port code)

Permit numbers for receiving

IFQ hired master

CDQ halibut hired master

Registered Buyer

Delivery information

Harvesting vessel's ADF&G vessel registration number

Gear code used to harvest

ADF&G fish ticket number(s) for the landing

ADF&G statistical area of harvest

If ADF&G statistical area is bisected by a line dividing two IFQ regulatory areas, provide the

IFQ regulatory area of harvest

Initial accurate scale weight(s) (to the nearest pound) made at the time of offloading

for IFQ halibut, IFQ sablefish, or CDQ halibut sold and retained (where retained includes: fish intended

for personal use, fish weighed and reloaded for delivery to another processor, and fish landed but rejected

at the dock by the Registered Buyer)

Species codes, delivery condition code, and disposition code for each ADF&G statistical area of harvest

OR

Accurate weight of IFQ sablefish processed product obtained before the offload may be substituted before the initial accurate scale weight at time of offload if the vessel operator is a Registered Buyer reporting an IFQ sablefish landing

Whether initial accurate scale weight is given with or without ice and slime

Whether IFQ halibut is incidental catch concurrent with legal landing of salmon or concurrent with legal landing of lingcod harvested using dinglebar gear

Signatures of Registered Buyer, IFQ permit holder, IFQ hired master permit holder, or CDQ hired master permit holder

Registered Crab Receiver

IFQ crab delivery information

RCR permit number, IFQ crab permit number, and individual processing quota (IPQ) crab permit number, as appropriate

ADF&G vessel registration number of the harvesting vessel

Date (mm/dd/yyyy) fishing began

Date (mm/dd/yyyy) of the IFQ crab landing

ADF&G fish ticket number (automatically supplied)

ADF&G statistical area of harvest

Species code and delivery-condition codes of catch

Number of crab retained and sold, condition code, product type, size/grade, sold pounds, and

optionally, price per pound

Scale weight of deadloss (to the nearest pound)

Scale weight of crab retained for personal use (to the nearest pound)

Information entered for IFQ crab custom processing landings. In addition to the information required for an IFQ

crab delivery, if custom processing IFQ crab, enter the ADF&G processor code of the person for which the IFQ crab was custom processed

Signatures of Registered Crab Receiver, IFQ crab permit holder, IFQ crab hired master permit holder

Changed number of respondents from 95 to 139.

eLandings landing report, Respondent
Number of respondents Groundfish (IFQ and non IFQ): 95 Crab: 44 Total annual responses Groundfish (IFQ and non IFQ): 20,422 Crab: 1,201 Total burden (3603.83) Time per response = 10 minutes Total personnel cost ($37/hr x 3607) Total miscellaneous cost (1081.15) Internet = 0 x 21,623 = 0 Copies = 0.05 x 21,623 = 1081.15	139 21,623 3,607 hr $133,459 $1,081

eLandings landing report, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Total personnel cost Total miscellaneous cost	0 0 0 0

i. eLandings or seaLandings production report [UNCHANGED; changed number of respondents]

The eLandings production reports are required for groundfish and are additional to the eLandings landing reports. Information collected on an eLandings production report is necessary to identify the participant; to monitor the discards and disposition product; and to monitor the product leaving the facility.

Shoreside processor or SFP

Automatic information for eLandings production report

FPP number

Company name

ADF&G processor code

User name

email address

Production information

Reporting date

Number of observers onsite

Area of harvest (GOA or BSAI)

Product description -- Product by species code, product type, and product code

Product weight – actual scale weight (to the nearest pound)

Whether no production or deliveries for the day

Catcher/processor or mothership

Automatic information for eLandings production report

FFP number

Company name

ADF&G processor code

User name

email address

Telephone number

Production information

Reporting date (mm/dd/yyyy)

Whether processor is a catcher/processor or mothership

Crew size (including operator)

Management program

Gear type of harvester

Federal reporting area of harvest

If harvest with trawl gear,

whether C. Opilio Bycatch Limitation Zone (COBLZ) or Red King Crab Savings Area (RKCSA)

Product by species code, product type, and product code

Product weight (to nearest 0.001 mt)

Whether no production for the day

Discard or disposition information

Record discard or disposition that occurred

Prior to, during, or after production

Species code and disposition code

Discard weight of groundfish and PSC herring (to nearest 0.001 mt)

Discard number of PSC Pacific salmon, steelhead trout, Pacific halibut, king crab, and Tanner crab)

ADF&G statistical area

eLandings production report, Respondent

Number of respondents Catcher/processors = 94 Motherships = 28 Shoreside = 110 SFP = 14 Total annual responses Catcher/processors and motherships: 15,128 Shoreside and SFP: 10,798 Total burden hours (6842.34) At-sea = 20 minutes = 5042.67 Shoreside and SFP = 10 minutes = 1799.67 Total personnel cost ($37/hr) Total miscellaneous cost ) (1296.30) Photocopy = 0.05 x 25926 = 1296.30 Internet = 0 x 25926 = 0

246 25,926 6,842 hr $253,154 $1,296

eLandings production report, 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. NMFS will retain control over the information and safeguard it from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (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.

This collection is estimated to be 99 percent electronic. The eLandings registration, landings report, production report, and electronic logbook are submitted by Internet data entry at http://elandings.alaska.gov/. For catcher/processors and motherships that do not have Internet service, a Desktop Client Application (seaLandings) can be used to generate files for submitting via email.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

None of the information collected as part of this information collection duplicates other collections.

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

This collection-of-information does not impose a significant impact on small entities.

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

This action is necessary to improve recordkeeping and reporting efficiency for processors and to improve the quality of data obtained by NMFS, ADF&G, and IPHC for fishery management purposes. Advances in technology, public expectations, Congress’s mandate in the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, and Administration policy all require that agencies of the United States government move expeditiously to adopt electronic processes. If this collection were not conducted, NMFS fishery data collection would be set back.

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

Not Applicable.

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.

NMFS Alaska Region published a proposed rule (RIN 0648-BF83) in the Federal Register August 1, 2016 (81 FR 50436). The comment period on the proposed rule ended on August 31, 2016.

NMFS received one comment letter from the public that contained one unique substantive comment during the public comment period. NMFS’ response to this comment is presented below.

Comment 1: Will tender vessels that tender halibut need to use tLandings to submit landing reports?

Response 1: No. The rule will not alter the existing recordkeeping and reporting requirements for the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) Program. The proposed rule did not make clear that the tLandings rule will not apply to tender vessels that take IFQ halibut or sablefish.

NMFS has revised the regulatory language to clarify that only tender vessels that take groundfish will be subject to this rule.

The final rule includes a change to a section of the regulatory text (679.5(e)(5)) published in the proposed rule. The regulatory text of this final rule was modified to clarify who is required to use tLandings under this rule. The proposed rule did not make clear that the tLandings rule will not apply to tender vessels that take IFQ halibut or sablefish or to tender vessels that take Crab Rationalization Program crab. While neither of these fisheries regularly uses tender vessels, NMFS believes it is an important clarification to make. Tender vessels that take groundfish in the BSAI and GOA will be required to use and complete tLandings. To make this clarification, NMFS revised the regulatory language to say “groundfish” rather than “fish or shellfish.”

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.

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 information collection does not involve information of a sensitive nature.

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

Total estimated unique respondents: 273 (9 tender vessels, 18 catcher vessels, 94 catcher/processors, 28 motherships, 110 shoreside processors, and 14 stationary floating processors) decreased from 382. Total estimated responses: 73,171, decreased from 71,906. Total estimated burden: 16,863, decreased from 12,395 hr. Total estimated personnel cost: $624,042, decreased from $459,947.

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).

Total estimated miscellaneous costs: $9,770, increased from $2,248.

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

Total estimated responses: 19,804. Total estimated annual burden: 1,728 hr. Total estimated personnel cost: $63,936.

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

Program Changes:

NMFS is adding the use of tLandings as a new program; previously tLandings was used voluntarily. The use of tLandings will now be used by specific entities, mainly tender vessels. Other entities that were using tLandings on land will use eLandings. Only those vessels using a thumb drive at sea to pass data from a tender vessel to a processor will now be using tLandings.

tLandings landing report

a decrease of 166 respondents, 9 instead of 175

a decrease of 1,588 responses, 162 instead of 1,750

a decrease of 576 hours burden, 95 hr instead of 671 hr

a decrease of $21,312 personnel costs, $3,515 instead of $24,827

an increase of $7,383 miscellaneous costs, $7,383 instead of $0

Adjustments:

eLandings registration

an increase of 7 respondents and responses, 19 instead of 12

an increase of 2 hours burden, 5 hr instead of 3 hr

an increase of $74 personnel costs, $185 instead of $111

an increase of $4 miscellaneous costs, $10 instead of $6

eLandings landing report

an increase of 44 respondents, 139 instead of 95

an increase of 1,198 responses, 21,623 instead of 20,425

an increase of $7,511 personnel costs, $133,459 instead of $125,948

an increase of $60 miscellaneous costs, $1,081 instead of $1,021

eLandings production report

an increase of 57 respondents, 246 instead of 189

an increase of 1,500 responses, 25,926 instead of 24,426

an increase of 4,806 hr burden, 6,842 hr instead of 2,036 hr

an increase of $177,822 personnel costs, $253,154 instead of $75,332

an increase of $75 miscellaneous costs, $1,296 instead of $1,221

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

The information collected will not be published.

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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