The Bering Sea (BS) pollock fishery is managed under the American Fisheries Act (AFA). The AFA established sector allocations in the BS pollock fishery, determined eligible vessels and processors, allowed the formation of cooperatives, set limits on the participation of AFA vessels in other fisheries, and imposed special catch weighing and monitoring requirements on AFA vessels. Six inshore cooperatives, two offshore cooperatives, and one mothership cooperative participate in the BS pollock fishery. This information collection authorizes AFA reporting requirements, which fall into two categories: on-going operations of the cooperatives, and reports related to minimizing salmon bycatch in the BS pollock fisheries.
A duplicative form is being removed.
US Code:
16 USC 1801 et seq.
Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act
US Code:
16 USC 1851
Name of Law: American Fisheries Act
Program Change
NMFS proposes to remove the requirement for the AFA inshore cooperative weekly catch report at 50 CFR 679.5(o) and 679.62(b)(3) because this report is no longer needed to manage the AFA inshore pollock allocations.
Please refer to the Table in A.15 of the SS.
$1,375
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Uncollected
Sally Bibb 907 586-7389
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.