The Northwest Fisheries Science Center
(NWFSC) seeks to conduct fisheries participation analyses which
involve repeated follow-up surveys of United States (U.S.) West
Coast commercial fishing participants. A U.S. mail survey will be
conducted, replicating the survey administered during 2017. The
survey will be voluntary, and contacted individuals may decline to
participate. Respondents will be asked to answer questions about
their motivations for fishing and other factors that affect
participation in the suite of West Coast commercial fisheries. This
survey is essential because data on smaller scale fishing
practices, values, participation decisions and beliefs about
fishing livelihoods are sparse; yet, they are critical to the
development of usable fishery ecosystem models that account for
non-pecuniary benefits of fishing, as well as the ways in which
fishing practices shape individual and community
well-being.
US Code:
16 USC 1801 et seq. Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
After the initial distribution
of the survey, and subsequent data collection conducted under this
OMB control number, respondents, fishery management council members
and researchers were all in agreement that the analysis and fishery
modeling provided by these data would benefit from a longitudinal
data collection. For this reason, the same research team involved
in the 2017 approval under OMB control number 0648-0749 seeks to
modify our original data collection approval for a one-time survey.
We are seeking OMB approval of an iterative version of this survey,
conducted on a biennial basis, with a second iteration of the
survey implemented in 2019. The adjustment to the program is due to
a reduction in the number of permit holders and the fact that this
is a biennial survey instead of a one-time survey.
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.