Justification for Change - Merge collection 0648-0819

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Alaska Region Logbook and Activity Family of Forms

OMB Control No. 0648-0213

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requests OMB merge the 0648-0819 temporary information collection into approved information collection 0648-0213, Alaska Region Logbook and Activity Family of Forms. Due to the concurrent timing of the rulemaking for 0648-BM40 and the renewal of information collection 0648-0213, Alaska Region Logbooks and Activity Family of Forms, a temporary collection was created for the rule-related collection. This request seeks to merge the new temporary collection (0648-0819) with 0648-0213 now that all actions have been resolved.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) promulgated a rule (0648-BM40) to implement electronic monitoring (EM) for pelagic trawl catcher vessels and tender vessels delivering pollock to shoreside processors or stationary floating processors in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. Pursuant to the rule, catcher vessels less than 60 ft length overall that were not previously required to submit a logbook would need to begin doing so if they participate in the trawl EM category. This logbook requirement would increase the total annual respondents, responses, and burden for the catcher vessel trawl gear daily fishing logbook, which is approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0213

Notice was provided to the public in both the proposed rule (89 FR 7660) and final rule (89 FR 60796) of the creation of a temporary collection for the revision requiring catcher vessels less than 60 ft length overall to submit a logbook if they participate in the trawl EM category that would be merged into 0648-0213 upon resolution of the extension to 0648-00213 and the approval of the final rule package in 0648-0819. The merging of these collections adds 1,800 annual responses, 540 hours, and $400 miscellaneous costs to 0648-0213.

There are no other changes to 0648-0213. Upon approval by OMB of this change request, a discontinuation request will be submitted for information collection 0648-0819.