Reporting Requirements Instructions and Form

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REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS
FOR SEA OTTER INTERACTIONS WITH THE PACIFIC SARDINE FISHERY; COASTAL PELAGIC SPECIES FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN
 
Background
While fishing for Coastal Pelagic Species (CPS), vessel operators must record all observations of otter interactions with their purse seine net(s) or vessel(s). This information collection is required by 50 CFR 660.520.
If a southern sea otter is entangled in a net, regardless of whether the animal is injured or killed, such an occurrence must be reported within 24 hours to the Regional Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries West Coast Region. All observations other than entanglement must be reported within 20 days to the Regional Administrator.
Submission Instructions
Sea otter interactions during CPS fishing can be reported by e-mail or telephone using the form on page 3 of this document. Additionally, if an interaction does not involve capture or entanglement of a sea otter in a net, information may be submitted by mail.
E-mail: 	[email protected]
Telephone: 	(562) 980-4034
Mail: 		Jennifer Quan
NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Office
501 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802
Required Information
Pursuant to 50 CFR 660.520, sea otter interaction reports from CPS fishing vessels must contain the following information, and the form below may be used to submit this information to the agency by mail or e-mail.
When contacting NOAA Fisheries after an interaction with a southern sea otter, vessel operators must provide:
    • the location (latitude and longitude) of the interaction; 
    • a description of the interaction itself.
If available, location information should also include:
    • water depth;
    • distance from shore;
    • relation to port or other landmarks. 
Descriptive information of the interaction should include:
    • whether or not the otters were seen inside or outside the net; 
    • if inside the net, had the net been completely encircled; 
    • whether any otters came in contact with either the net or the vessel; 
    • the number of otters present; 
    • duration of interaction; 
    • the otter’s behavior during interaction; 
    • measures taken to avoid interaction.
Public Burden Statement
A Federal agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with an information collection subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 unless the information collection has a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number. The approved OMB Control Number for this information collection is 0648-0566. Without this approval, we could not conduct this information collection. Public reporting for this information collection is estimated to be approximately 15 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the information collection. All responses to this information collection are mandatory pursuant to 50 CFR 660.520. The attached form collects information on interactions between sea otters and CPS fishing vessels and their gear. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden to the NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Office by mail at 501 W Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802, Attn: Jennifer Quan or by e-mail at [email protected].

	
REPORTING FORM FOR SEA OTTER INTERACTIONS 
WITH THE PACIFIC SARDINE FISHERY; COASTAL PELAGIC SPECIES FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN

General Interaction Information

Today’s Date: ___________________			Date of Interaction: ______________________

Location of Interaction (Lat., Long.): ______________________________________________________

Location Information (If Available)

Water Depth: ___________________			Distance from Shore: __________________	

Please describe the interaction location in relation to port or other landmarks: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Interaction Description

Number of Otter(s) Observed: _______________	Duration of Interaction: ________________

Please describe if and how otter(s) interacted with fishing gear:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please describe any otter behavior during the interaction:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please describe any measures taken to avoid the interaction:
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________