1625-0103
Supporting Statement
for
Mandatory
Ship Reporting System for the Northeast and Southeast
Coasts of
the United States
OMB No.: 1625-0103
COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS: Instruction
A. Justification
1. Circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.
Title 33 CFR part 169 prescribe the requirements of the mandatory ship reporting system. The mandatory ship reporting system was established to reduce the likelihood of collisions between ships and northern right whales. The northern right whale is an endangered species. Prior to the establishment of the reporting system, there were high mortality rates attributed to collisions with ships account for up to 50% of all recorded deaths. The populations of remaining northern right whales are concentrated in two regions on the eastern coast of the United States. The northeastern mandatory reporting area (WHALESNORTH) is located mainly off the coast of Massachusetts and is primarily a feeding area for the whales. The southeastern mandatory reporting area (WHALESSOUTH) is located off the coasts of Georgia and Florida and encompasses the species only known calving grounds for the whales. The statutory authority is 46 U.S. Code 70005.
2. Purpose of the information collection.
This reporting requirement triggers issuance of information to the mariner. This information that includes warnings of the risk of hitting northern right whales, where to obtain seasonal right whale advisories, and where to consult for information about precautionary measures that mariners may take to reduce the risk of hitting northern right whales.
3. Consideration of the use of improved information technology.
This is an electronic information collection. The mariner must report when entering either of the reporting systems. There are no forms or recordkeeping requirements. The information is sent via INMARSAT C, TELEX, e-mail, SITOR or voice radio. Contact details are published annually in the U.S. Coast Pilot.
We estimate that 100% of the reporting requirements can be done electronically. At this time, we estimate that 100% of the responses are collected electronically.
4. Efforts to identify duplication.
A vessel owner/operator must only report in once when first entering the reporting system and is not responsible to report again when leaving. This will minimize the burden on the mariner while providing increased protection to the existing northern right whale populations.
5. Methods to minimize the burden to small businesses if involved.
This information collection does not have an impact on small businesses or other small entities.
6. Consequences to the Federal program if collection were conducted less frequently.
If the collection were collected less frequently, some vessels would enter these critical zones without receiving instructions or avoidance information and potentially hit a northern right whale.
7. Special collection circumstances.
This information collection is conducted in manner consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2).
8. Consultation.
A 60-day Notice was published in the Federal Register to obtain public comment on this collection (See [USCG-2021-0172]; March 9, 2021, 86 FR 13572) and 30-Day Notice (May 24, 2021, 86 FR 27865) were published in the Federal Register to obtain public comment on this collection. The Coast Guard has not received any comments on this information collection.
9. Provide any payment or gift to respondents.
There is no offer of monetary or material value for this information collection.
10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents.
There are no assurances of confidentiality provided to the respondents for this information collection. This information collection request is covered by the Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and System of Records Notice (SORN). Links to the MISLE PIA and SORN are provided below:
11. Additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature.
There are no questions of sensitive language.
12. Estimates of annual hour and cost burdens to respondents.
The estimated number of annual respondents is 942.
The estimated number of annual responses is 1,698.
The estimated hour burden is 137 hours.
The estimated cost burden is $8,768.
The burden to respondents is provided in Appendix A. The number of respondents is the number of distinct vessels that enter WHALESNORTH and WHALESSOUTH in a calendar year. The number of responses is the number of distinct reports received from vessels entering the system. We estimate that it takes a vessel operator 0.08 hours (about 5 min.) to report that the vessel is about to enter the system. We estimate that a vessel operator’s wage rate is equivalent to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) wage rate for Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels (53-5021) [May 2019, mean hourly wage, loaded 50%, and rounded].1
13. Estimates of annualized capital and start-up costs.
There are no recordkeeping, capital, start-up or maintenance costs associated with this information collection.
14. Estimates of annualized Federal Government costs.
The estimated annual Federal Government cost is $8,560 (see Appendix B). The cost is based on government communications cost to operate the system.
15. Explain the reasons for the change in burden.
There is no change in burden. There is no proposed change to the reporting requirements of this collection. The reporting requirements, and the methodology for calculating burden, remain unchanged.
16. Plans for tabulation, statistical analysis and publication.
This information collection will not be published for statistical purposes.
17. Approval for not explaining the expiration date for OMB approval.
The Coast Guard will display the expiration date for OMB approval of this information collection.
18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.
The Coast Guard does not request an exception to the certification of this information collection.
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods
This information collection does not employ statistical methods.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | Supporting Statement |
| Author | Ben White |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-08-26 |