Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program Permit and License Information Collection

This request is for revision and extension of a current information collection pursuant to final rule 0648-BL41 to incorporate form modifications to reflect the adoption of the following council adopted preferred alternatives: 1. Move the season start date for the primary whiting season start date north of 40 degrees 30 minutes north latitude from May 15th to May 1st. Move all administrative deadlines associated with the season start date to 45 days prior to May 1. 2. Remove the mothership processor obligation deadline from regulation. 3. Remove the mothership processor cap from regulation. 4. Allow a vessel to be registered to a mothership and catcher-processor endorsed permit in the same year, with unlimited transfers. The trawl rationalization program was implemented in January 2011 and continues to operate consistent with regulations given at 50 CFR 660. Since that time, the Council and NMFS have been addressing implementation issues as they arise, through the public Council process. Under the trawl rationalization program, new permits, accounts, endorsements, and licenses were established. These consist of: QS permits/accounts, vessel accounts, FRSLs, MS endorsements on certain limited entry trawl permits, MS/CV endorsements on certain limited entry trawl permits, C/P endorsements on certain limited entry trawl permits, one or more MS coop permits, and a C/P coop permit. NMFS collects information from program participants required to: establish new permits, accounts, and licenses; renew permits, accounts, and licenses; allow trading of QS percentages and QP in online QS and vessel accounts and allow transfer of catch history assignments between limited entry trawl permits; track compliance with program control limits; and implement other features of the regulations pertaining to permits and licenses. In conjunction with the final rule 0648-BL41, NMFS is removing a few reporting requirements for trawl fishery participants. This is because these reporting requirements only exist to allow administration and enforcement of regulatory provisions that are being proposed to be eliminated. The revisions include removing the requirement for mothership permit holders to submit an ownership identification form when they annually renew the permit (a reduction of 6 respondents, the form remains for other participant types). Additionally, NMFS is removing the mutual agreement exception collection and the processor obligation collection for the Mothership sector, as they are no longer needed due to the changes proposed in 0648-BL41 that remove the requirement for catcher vessels in the mothership sector to obligate to a mothership processor.

The latest form for Pacific Coast Groundfish Trawl Rationalization Program Permit and License Information Collection expires 2026-07-31 and is listed under ICR 202211-0648-004.

QS Permit/Account Application & Renewal

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Natural Resources - Conservation, Marine and Land Management

Review document collections for all forms, instructions, and supporting documents - including paper/printable forms.