0513 supporting statement 9-10-2018

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS POLLOCK FISHERY REQUIREMENTS

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0513

This action requests extension of an existing information collection.

INTRODUCTION

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. National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region (NMFS), manages groundfish in the exclusive economic zone off Alaska under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP).

Amendment 82 to the FMP established a framework for the management of the Aleutian Islands subarea (AI) directed pollock fishery. Regulations implementing the FMP appear at 50 CFR part 679. More information on the AI pollock fishery can be found on the NMFS Alaska Region website at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/ai-pollock.

A. JUSTIFICATION

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

The Aleut Corporation receives an annual AI pollock allocation for the purpose of economic development in Adak, Alaska. The Aleut Corporation is identified in Pub. L. 108–199 as a business incorporated pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).

The Aleut Corporation’s AI pollock fishery is set up so that harvesting pollock in the AI directed pollock fishery and processing pollock taken in the AI directed pollock fishery are authorized only for those harvesters and processors that are selected by the Aleut Corporation and approved by the Regional Administrator.

This collection-of-information is necessary for NMFS to obtain the list of vessels and processors selected by the Aleut Corporation to harvest and process its annual AI pollock allocation. The Aleut Corporation is required by Federal regulations at 50 CFR 679.4(m)(2) to provide its selected harvesters and processors to NMFS for approval. Without this information, NMFS would not know the participants selected by the Aleut Corporation and harvest rates could not be determined, which may result in allocations being exceeded.

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 applicable NOAA Information Quality Guidelines.

a. Annual AI Pollock Fishery Participant Letter

The representative of the Aleut Corporation mails a letter to NMFS with a list of selected vessels and processors for participation in the AI directed pollock fishery for the next fishing year. The participant letter may be sent at any time during the fishing year, but must be submitted at least 14 days before harvesting pollock or processing pollock in the AI directed pollock fishery.

The participant letter must contain the following information:

• names of the vessels and processors selected for participation;

• Federal fisheries permit numbers or Federal processor permit numbers of the participants; and

• fishing year for which participation approval is requested.

NMFS reviews this list and either approves or disapproves each participant. NMFS provides the Aleut Corporation the list of approved participants and the date when participation in the AI directed pollock fishery may commence.

The Aleut Corporation provides each approved participant a copy of NMFS’ approval letter before harvesting or processing occurs. A copy of this letter must be retained on site at a shoreside processor or on board a vessel at all times, and must be presented for inspection upon the request of any authorized officer.

At the time of the 2015 renewal of this collection, no AI pollock fishery had occurred since 2011; therefore, the 2015 renewal used a placeholder burden of one hour. No directed fishing for AI pollock allocated to the Aleut Corporation occurred in 2016 or 2017. It did occur in 2018, and the costs and time burden have been revised to reflect that. The Aleut Corporation remains the only respondent.

AI pollock participant letter, Respondent
Total respondents Total annual responses Response per year = 1 Total burden hours Time per response = 16 hr (includes vessel tracking and records retention) Total personnel cost ($37 x 16) Total miscellaneous costs (0.79) Mailing list to NMFS (1.0 x 0.49) = $0.49 Photocopy of letter to 1 processor and 5 vessels ($0.05 x 1 pp x 6 = $0.30)	1 1 16 hr $592 $1

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 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 (the Information Quality Act), which requires NMFS to ensure the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information it publicly disseminates. Public dissemination of data collected by this information collection is governed by NOAA's information quality guidelines, which were issued on October 30, 2014.¹

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 information collection consists of a letter from the Aleut Corporation that contains a list of selected participants for the AI directed pollock fishery. The participant letter must be signed by the representative of the Aleut Corporation, and, as the original signature is needed, it cannot be sent electronically. The Aleut Corporation distributes copies of NMFS’ approval letter to participating vessels and processors as proof of approval to participate in the AI pollock fishery. These copies may be sent to the participants by email but must be printed by the participants and available in hard copy format for inspection on the request of any authorized officer.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

None of the information collected as part of this information collection duplicates other collections. This information collection is part of a specialized and technical program that is not like any other.

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

NMFS attempts to minimize the burden of this collection by collecting only information necessary to manage the AI pollock fishery.

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

NMFS would be unable to manage the AI pollock fishery or carry out the mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act if this collection were not conducted or were conducted less frequently. The participants selected by the Aleut Corporation would be unknown and harvest rates could not be determined, which may result in allocations being exceeded.

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

A Federal Register notice published on May 9, 2018 (83 FR 21275), solicited public comments. The comment period ended July 9, 2018. No comments were received on the notice. NMFS contacted the Aleut Corporation, the sole respondent for this collection, to request comments. The Aleut Corporation responded that it is fine with this collection.

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

No plans exist to provide any payment or gift to respondents.

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

All information collections by NMFS, Alaska Region, are protected under confidentiality provisions of section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act as amended in 2006 (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.) and under NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics.

The System of Records Notice that covers this information collection is COMMERCE/NOAA-19, Permits and Registrations for United States Federally Regulated Fisheries. An amended Privacy Act system of records notice was published in the Federal Register on August 7, 2015 (80 FR 47457), and became effective September 15, 2015 (80 FR 55327).

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.

Estimated total respondents and responses: 1. Estimated total burden: 16 hours. Estimated total personnel cost: $592.

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: $1.

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

A cost recovery program is in effect for the AI pollock fishery. Cost recovery is authorized under OMB control number 0648-0711.

Under this cost recovery program, NMFS is authorized to collect direct program costs from the Aleut Corporation. Therefore, the information collection requirements of the AI pollock fishery do not impose a cost on the Federal Government. Direct program costs are the costs NMFS incurs to manage, collect data from, and enforce the AI pollock fishery.

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

Adjustments reflect the most recently available data. The previous request (2015 renewal of this information collection) used a placeholder burden of one hour for the participant letter since no AI pollock fishery had occurred since 2011 due to lack of fish. Directed fishing for AI pollock allocated to the Aleut Corporation did occur in 2018, and the annual cost and time burden have been revised to reflect that harvest has resumed.

	Current Request					Previous Request
	Status	Responses	Hours	Personnel costs	Recordkeeping / Reporting Costs	Responses	Hours	Personnel costs	Recordkeeping / Reporting Costs
AI Pollock Participant Letter	Modified	1	16	$592	$1	1	1	$37	$1
Total burden requested under this ICR:		1	16	$592	$1	1	1	$37	$1

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

The list of approved harvesters and processors that are selected by the Aleut Corporation and approved by the Regional Administrator is posted on the NMFS Alaska Region webpage at https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/permits-licenses?field_fishery_pm_value=Aleutian+Islands+Pollock+Fishery.

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.

1 http://www.cio.noaa.gov/services_programs/IQ_Guidelines_103014.html

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