The National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center uses these reporting instruments to collect landings statistics and quota monitoring data from commercial seafood dealers and to conduct interviews with fishermen for effort and fishing locations data. This family of forms includes data collection activities for monitoring fishery quotas, routine collections of monthly statistics from seafood dealers, and interviews with fishermen to collect catch/effort and biological data.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303
Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
The total annual burden hours estimate of 1,542 represents a net decrease of 114 hours in the reporting burden for this PRA request from the previous burden of 1,656 hours. The total annual responses estimate of 13,917 represents a net increase of 3,305 responses from the previous 10,612 estimated responses.
Program change: The burden hours have decreased slightly because transmitting electronic data to the states take less time than completing a separate ACL form and faxing it to the science center every two weeks. Dealer reporting hours have decreased by 216 due to this program change, although reports have increased (see below).
Due to electronic submission of all dealer reports, the cost has decreased from $384 to $0.
Adjustments: The number of federally permitted dealers has increased, raising the dealer reporting responses by 2,693. In addition to the -216 hours above, there is an adjustment increase of 44.
The interview programs have adjusted the estimated number of both fish (+400) and shrimp (+212) interviews conducted annually. This is to account for seasonal variations in the fisheries due to factors outside the control of fishermen, such as weather, migration patterns of target species, and market conditions. This translates to an increase of 67 and 35 burden hours respectively.
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.