Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE INDIVIDUAL FISHING QUOTA LANDING INFORMATION

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0761

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requests to merge the OMB Control No. 0648-0761 information collection into the approved OMB Control No.0648-0551 information collection, Southeast Region Individual Fishing Quota Program.

NMFS manages three individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs in the U.S. southeast region with information collections approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0551. The information collection recently approved under OMB Control No. 0648-0761 also affects respondents that could potentially participate in the IFQ programs and hold federal commercial permits to harvest Gulf of Mexico reef fish. Therefore, NMFS requests this merge to streamline administration.

This change request would not result in any changes to the estimated time or cost burdens to any respondents under the information collections approved under OMB Control Nos. 0648-0761 or 0648-0551. The estimated annual number of respondents, responses, and the time and cost burden estimates approved under OMB Control No. 0648-0761 would be added to OMB Control No. 0648-0551.

If OMB approves this merger request, the annual number of respondents, responses, and the time and cost burden estimates for OMB Control No. 0648-0551 would change as follows:

-The estimated number of respondents increases from 1,059 to 1,164

-The estimated number of responses increases from 31,666 to 32,739

-The estimated burden hours increase from 2,168 to 2,223

-The estimated recordkeeping or reporting cost burden increases from $155 to $503