Justification - Participatory Fisheries System Dynamics Modeling

Project Title: Participatory fisheries system dynamics modeling

Program Office Sponsoring or Conducting this CSC Project: NMFS/SEFSC

Authority for this CSC Project: CCSA and MSA

Purpose of this CSC Project: This project engages fishermen and other stakeholders to provide conceptual models, which provide information for management strategy evaluation, ecosystem-based fishery management, integrated ecosystem assessments, and/or stock assessments.

Type(s) of Information Collected and From Whom It Is Collected: This project collects information related to ecosystem components that affect specific fisheries and their interconnections as well as information regarding changes in status of ecosystem components over time. The information will be collected from recreational and commercial fishermen and fishing dependent businesses (dealers and processors).

Use of the Information: Provide information to support Fisheries Ecosystem Plans; Management Strategy Evaluations; Integrated Ecosystem Assessments and Stock Assessments.

Method(s) of Information Collection: Focus group/workshops with a base set of questions for participants.

Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations

Estimated Average Annual Number of Participants: 80

Estimated Average Annual Number of Responses per Participant: 1.00

Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 150

Estimated Average Annual Burden Hours: 200

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Participants in this CSC Project: $2,500

Estimated Average Annual Costs to the Federal Government: $150,000

Estimated Average Annual Number of Federal Government Employees (FTEs): 0.87

Recruitment and Retention Methods for Voluntary Participants (SSA item 1): Recruitment will take place through Council contacts, Advisory Panel members, lobbying groups, industry groups, Sea Grant as well as through using social media announcement and outreach to fisheries related businesses. Our retention method will focus on maintaining regular communication with all participants concerning all project outcomes and uses of information that came from the project.

Gifts or Payments (SSA Item 9): Although not expected to be common, situations may occur in which travel reimbursements are appropriate and will be made.

Annual and Multi-Year Schedules (SSA Item 16): The schedules of participatory system dynamics modeling efforts will be based on the timing of the different activities (e.g. Management Strategy Evaluations, FEPs and stock assessments) that require the information. The schedule for these activities is often highly variable because the FMCs may request them based on emerging needs. We generally will aim to provide preliminary results to key stakeholders throughout the project and final reports within 2 years of initiating a participatory fisheries system dynamics modeling effort.

Display OMB Control No. and Expiration Date (SSA Item 17): This information will be provided when individuals sign up to participate in this CSC project.

Statistical Methods: This CSC project will not employ statistical methods.

Approval for Pretesting: This CSC project will not require additional pretesting with more than nine members of the public.

Supplemental Documents: There is one supplemental document. It is the sample process agenda for the participatory fisheries system modeling.

CERTIFICATION: I certify the following are true.

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The collection will not include highly influential scientific information, ,which is information NOAA or OMB determines: (i) could have a potential impact of more than $500 million in any year, or (ii) is novel, controversial, or precedent setting or has significant interagency interest.

5. The collection complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

6. The collection will provide qualitative and quantitative data that help inform scientific research and monitoring, validate models or tools, support STEM learning, and enhance the quantity and quality of data collected to support NOAA’s mission.

Name: Matthew McPherson