Southeast Region Dealer and Interview Family of Forms
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
Approved without change
09/06/2024
04/16/2024
In accordance with 5 CFR 1320, the information collection is approved for three years
table that charts list comparision
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
09/30/2027
36 Months From Approved
09/30/2024
72,637
0
86,694
1,826
0
4,062
0
0
0
This request is for a revision and renewal of a current information collection. Fishery quotas are established for many species in the fishery management plans developed by the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Management Council, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, and The Caribbean Fishery Management Council. The Southeast Fisheries Science Center has been delegated the responsibility to monitor these quotas. To do so in a timely manner, seafood dealers that handle these species are required to report the purchases (landings) of these species. It was discovered that the USVI trip interviews were being double counted with the Vessel trip interviews. We have made the changes to remove the USVI interviews for accuracy.
Fishery statistics are collected by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for a variety of reasons under several Federal statutes. The overall purposes for the data collection activities under this family of forms have not changed significantly since the first approval of this family of forms in 1995. In general industry effort has been relatively consistent from year to year and is expected to remain so even though there are some minor localized disruptions. Locations where there were brief closures/ disruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic are similar to impact noticed during natural disasters (i.e., Hurricanes and flooding) and procedures are in place to statistically account for strata with missing data. This family of forms includes the same three methodologies that were included in the previous submissions. These methods include: (1) landings statistics, (2) mandatory dealer reporting for monitoring Federal fishery annual catch limits (ACLs), and (3) bio-profile data from the Trip Interview Program (TIP). The SEFSC employs several methods to collect the variety of data included in the information collection. The following is a brief description of these procedures.
For the landing statistics referred to as general canvass statistics, the SEFSC does not collect these data directly from the seafood dealers. The state fishery agencies in each of the states in the southeast region collect landings statistics under their individual state authority. The state agencies share these data with the SEFSC as part of formal cooperative agreements between the SEFSC and the states. These cooperative arrangements serve to both reduce the overall cost of data collection and avoid the possibility of duplicate effort.
To collect the data required to monitor the federal fisheries ACLs for the coastal fisheries, the SEFSC has entered formal cooperative agreements with the states which has reduced the public burden. Starting in 2012, 7 of the 8 states changed state regulations to allow dealers to use an electronic trip ticket system. Minimum burden will be required of dealers in these 7 states to transmit federal data through the states to the SEFSC every week. In South Carolina, dealers are still permitted to use a paper trip ticket system for state reporting obligations. Burden will be required of SC dealers to use the electronic system and transmit federal ACL data every week. Mackerel gillnet dealers on the Florida gulf coast report summarized landing statistics to the SEFSC for ACL monitoring by using a simple, easy to use form developed by the SEFSC. The bio-profile data (also referred to as the trip interview data) is collected by federal and State personnel referred to as port agents who are distributed throughout the region and use local knowledge and relationships with industry to make arrangements to sample catch from the trip.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303
Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Seasonal differences are always noticed because many factors such as weather, duration of fishing trips, fuel cost, dock side fish prices, fish migration patterns, the number of fishermen with active permits, and seasonal closures can influence how many fishing trip take place annually. These annual differences also affect the number of permitted dealers because some fisherman can decide to acquire a dealer permit and sell their catch on their own while others fisherman will continue to sell their catch through dedicated wholesale dealers. A five-year averages have been used to determine annual estimates.
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.
Form NOAA Form 88-12B Dealer Report of King Mackerel Landings from Runaround Gillnet Fishing
0648-0013 30-Day 89 FR 26865 2024-0416.pdf
0648-0013 Supporting Statement Part A.docx
King Mackerel Gillnet Dealer Reporting