Fishermen have proposed using longline
pot gear to protect captured sablefish from whale depredation.
Depredation negatively impacts the sablefish IFQ fleet through
reduced catch rates and increased operating costs. Depredation
negatively impacts whales through increased risk of vessel strike,
gear entanglement, and altered foraging strategies. Depredation
also increases sablefish mortality and the uncertainty of sablefish
abundance indicies. Potential benefits of longline pot gear for
sablefish fishing include: mitigation of whale interaction with
fishing gear, reduced mortality of seabirds, reduced bycatch of
non-target fish species, reduced overall halibut mortality when
targeting sablefish, and better accounting of total sablefish
fishing mortality. Using longline pots versus single pots will
maximize fishing efficiency and ex-vessel value of the fishery.
Single pots are heavy and their deployment results in lost gear and
resultant ghost fishing. Handling of lighter pot longline gear
enhances crew safety, particularly on smaller vessels. Fishermen
who voluntarily adopt the use of pot longline gear will face some
additional recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The owners of
vessels on which pot longline gear is used must register to receive
pot tags and must submit an affidavit in order to receive a
replacement for lost tags.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303 Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006
Program changes Request for Pot
Tags [new] an increase of 4 respondents, 4 instead of 0 an increase
of 4 responses, 4 instead of 0 an increase of 1 hour, 1 hr instead
of 0 hr an increase of $ 37 personnel cost, $37 instead of $ 0 an
increase of $ 1,470 miscellaneous cost, $ 1,470 instead of $ 0
Replace Pot Tags [new] an increase of 2 respondents and responses,
2 instead of 0 an increase of 1 hour, 1 hr instead of 0 hr an
increase of $37 personnel cost, $37 instead of $ 0 Longline Pot
Marker Buoys [new] an increase of 4 respondents and responses, 4
instead of 0 an increase of 1 hour, 1 hr instead of 0 hr an
increase of $ 37 personnel cost, $ 37 instead of $ 0 an increase of
$ 40 miscellaneous cost, $ 40 instead of $ 0 Adjustment Groundfish
Marker Buoys an increase of 613 hours, 1,838 hr instead of 1,225 hr
an increase of $ 15,320 personnel cost, $ 27,570 instead of $
12,250
$185
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Patsy Bearden 907
586-7008
No
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.