Justification - GMFMC Fishermen Feedback

Project Title: GMFMC Public Information: Fisherman Feedback Tool

Program Office Sponsoring or Conducting this CSC Project: NMFS/Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC)

Authority for this CSC Project: MSA and CCSA)

Purpose of this CSC Project: The GMFMC develops fishery management plans and recommends management measures designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of the resources it manages. This project gathers information from GMFMC stakeholders’ experiences and observations on the water. This information will help ensure the Gulf Council achieves its mission of promoting sustainable and ethical fisheries management.

Type(s) of Information Collected and From Whom It Is Collected: Information is collected from federal fishery stakeholders. The information collected includes name, email, association with the fishery, observations, and general location of observation.

Use of the Information: Results are presented during Southeast Data Assessment and Review (SEDAR) stock assessment meetings and various Council and Council advisory meetings to supplement the fisheries stakeholder role in the stock assessment process.

Method(s) of Information Collection: electronically, using google forms

Affected Public: Individuals, business or other for-profit organizations, not-for-profit organizations/institutions, state and federal government.

Estimated Average Annual Number of Participants: 800

Estimated Average Annual Number of Responses per Participant: 2

Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 2.5

Estimated Average Annual Burden Hours: 67

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Participants in this CSC Project: $0

Estimated Average Annual Costs to the Federal Government: $9,160

Estimated Average Annual Number of Federal Government Employees (FTEs): 0.06

Recruitment and Retention Methods for Voluntary Participants (SSA item 1): The tool is deployed and advertised using the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s communication network. This includes a listserv, social media, website, and the Fish Rules Regulations mobile app and FishBrain mobile app user base. Our partners at each Gulf State marine resource department also share the tool across their communications networks, which includes all licensed anglers and vessels across the region. Voluntary participants who choose to stay connected are added to specialized communications lists for each species they select and are kept informed about resulting management and future opportunities.

Gifts or Payments (SSA Item 9): We do not plan to provide a gift or payment to the voluntary participants.

Annual and Multi-Year Schedules (SSA Item 16): The fisherman feedback tool is deployed as needed in advance of each stock assessment conducted on a species in the Gulf of Mexico. Each iteration of the tool is open for a month. Analysis takes about 2-weeks and each report is delivered during the data workshop of each SouthEast Data and Review (SEDAR) Stock Assessment and published simultaneously. The report is subsequently delivered to the Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee, appropriate Advisory Panels, and the Council itself concurrently with the results of the related stock assessment.

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 PSC project will not require additional pretesting with more than nine members of the public.

Supplemental Documents: The four supplemental documents for this CSC project are as follows:

1. Screenshots of a data entry tool

2. Example of a press release announcement

3. Example of a social media post advertising the opportunity to participate in this CSC project

4. Example of the final report

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: Emily Muehlstein, Public Information Officer: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council