West Coast Region Groundfish
Trawl Fishery Monitoring and Catch Accounting Program
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
04/15/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
06/30/2021
2,169
2,169
447
447
153
153
This request is for extension of the
current collection for the West Coast Region Groundfish Trawl
Fishery Monitoring and Catch Accounting Program. In January 2011,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) implemented a trawl
rationalization program, a catch share program, for the Pacific
coast groundfish fishery’s trawl fleet. The program was developed
through Amendment 20 to the Groundfish Fishery Management Plan
(FMP), under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and
consists of an individual fishing quota (IFQ) program for the
shorebased trawl fleet (including whiting and non-whiting
fisheries); and cooperative (coop) programs for the at-sea
mothership (MS) and catcher/ processor (C/P) trawl fleets (whiting
only). Fixed allocations to the limited entry trawl fleet were
developed through a parallel process with Amendment 21 to the FMP.
The regulations implementing the program were effective January 1,
2011; all of the necessary tracking systems to make the program
operational became active on January 11, 2011, the date fishing
began under the new program. Since that time, the Council and NMFS
have been addressing implementation issues as they arise. To
achieve individual accountability for catch and bycatch and track
total catch, the shorebased IFQ Program is subject to 100 percent
monitoring both at-sea and dockside. In addition to 100 percent
monitoring at-sea, motherships and catcher/processors are subject
to flow scale requirements that include daily testing, reporting,
and an annual inspection.
US Code:
16 USC 1801 et seq Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act
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.