82 FR 25244 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Region Scale and Catch Weighing Requirements

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 104 (June 1, 2017)

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 104 (Thursday, June 1, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25244-25245]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11316]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Region 
Scale and Catch Weighing Requirements

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before July 31, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

[[Page 25245]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Jennifer Watson, (907) 586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This request is for extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Scale and catch weighing requirements address performance standards 
designed to ensure that all catch delivered to the processor is 
accurately weighed and accounted for. Scale and catch-weighing 
monitoring is required for Western Alaska Community Development Quota 
Program (CDQ) catcher/processors (C/Ps), American Fisheries Act (AFA) 
C/Ps, AFA motherships, AFA shoreside processors and stationary floating 
processors, Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program trawl C/Ps, non-AFA 
trawl C/Ps participating in Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) 
trawl fisheries, and longline C/Ps participating in BSAI Pacific cod 
fisheries.
    National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has identified three 
primary objectives for monitoring catch. First, monitoring must ensure 
independent verification of catch weight, species composition, and 
location data for every delivery by a catcher vessel or every pot by a 
C/P. Second, all catch must be weighed accurately using NMFS-approved 
scales to determine the weight of total catch. Third, the system must 
provide a verifiable record of the weight of each delivery. To 
effectively manage fisheries, NMFS must have data that will provide 
reliable independent estimates of the total catch.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents have a choice of either electronic or paper forms. 
Methods of submittal include email, online, mail, and facsimile 
transmission. Daily flow scale and hopper scale tests are reported 
using an electronic logbook. Printed reports are generated 
automatically by software. Video monitoring systems record and store 
video data automatically.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0330.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations; 
Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 140.
    Estimated Time per Response: 6 minutes for at-sea flow scales 
inspection request; 45 minutes for record of daily flow scale test and 
record of daily hopper scale test; 1 minute for groundfish catch weight 
printed report, groundfish audit trail printed report, groundfish 
calibration log printed report, groundfish fault log printed report, 
crab catch weight printed report, crab audit trail printed report, and 
State of Alaska scale printed report; 1 hour for electronic bin 
monitoring system, record and store data; 2 hours for observer sampling 
station inspection request, bin video monitoring inspection request, 
flow scale video monitoring inspection request, Chinook salmon bycatch 
video monitoring inspection request, and freezer longline video 
monitoring inspection request; 30 minutes for notification of Pacific 
cod freezer longline monitoring option; 16 hours for crab catch 
monitoring plan (CMP); 8 hours for CMP addendum; 5 minutes for CMP 
inspection request and catch monitoring and control plan (CMCP) 
inspection request; 40 hours for CMCP; 8 hours for CMCP addendum; 2 
minutes to notify observer of flow scale test and notify observer of 
hopper scale test; and 5 minutes to notify observer of pollock, CDQ, or 
rockfish program deliveries.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 11,037.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $895,706 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: May 26, 2017.
Sarah Brabson,
NOAA PRA Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-11316 Filed 5-31-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3510-22-P