Individual fishing quotas for the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery, otherwise known as Trawl Rationalization, was implemented in January 2011 by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council. This mandatory data collection program will continue to collect economic cost earnings data from all harvesters and processors participating in the West Coast groundfish trawl fishery. The revisions to the original data collection reflect feedback received from industry. These participants include catcher vessels (who deliver to both shoreside first receivers and at sea motherships), motherships, catcher-processors, and first receivers/shorebased processors. Northwest Fishery Science Center (NWFSC) economists will use this data to examine how the implementation of catch share management affects fleet structure, production costs, employment, generation and distribution of economic rent, and regional economic impacts. Analysis based on this data will not only be used for providing information to the Pacific Fisheries Management Council on changes to the catch share program, but also to meet monitoring requirements for catch share programs in the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303A
Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Program Changes:
Based on review of the completed economic data collection (EDC) forms submitted for the 2009 and 2010 operating years as well as discussions with survey respondents, the NMFS has modified the four forms which are used in this information collection. These modifications clarify instructions and make the requests for information more consistent with the accounting and bookkeeping systems used by survey recipients. However, the time to complete each form remains 8 hours.
The collection of historical data required in the original request was a one-time requirement. This removes 268 one-time responses (annualized to 89 responses) and 712 annual hours. Recordkeeping and reporting costs have been reduced proportionately, by 89 x $20 or $1,780.
Adjustment:
There are 16 fewer respondents than for the previous submission, so there is an additional reduction of 16 responses and 128 hours. This results in further decrease in recordkeeping/reporting costs, of $20 x 16 or $320.
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.