National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) established the Crab Rationalization (CR) Program as a catch share program for nine crab fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI), and assigned quota share (QS) to persons and processor quota share (PQS) to processors based on their historic participation in one or more of these nine crab fisheries during a specific period. The CR Program components include QS allocation, PQS allocation, individual fishing quota (IFQ) issuance, and individual processing quota (IPQ) issuance, quota transfers, use caps, crab harvesting cooperatives, protections for Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries, arbitration system, monitoring, economic data collection, and cost recovery fee collection.
NMFS issues a proposed rule (RIN 0648-BE98)to implement Amendment 44 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs and a regulatory amendment that would modify regulations governing the CR Program. With this action, a ROFR may continue with the current ROFR holder or a new ROFR holder when PQS is transferred and requires PQS holders to make specific certifications regarding ROFR contracts when annually applying for IPQ and when transferring PQS that are subject to a ROFR. In addition, the crab harvesting cooperatives must list the name of each member of the cooperative in its application for IFQ rather than provide NMFS with copies of each member’s IFQ application. These actions are necessary to improve available information concerning transfer and use of PQS and IPQ subject to a ROFR, thereby enhancing the ability of eligible crab communities to retain their historical processing interests in the BSAI crab fisheries, and to improve the administration of the CR Program.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 313(j)
Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act as amended in 2006
Program Change
Right of First Refusal (ROFR) Waiver and Contracts Removed and added to Applications
a decrease of 2 respondents and responses, 0 instead of 2
a decrease of 3 hours burden, 0 instead of 3
a decrease of $50 personnel costs, 0 instead of $50
a decrease of $6,000 miscellaneous costs, 0 instead of $6,000
Removed and Divided Application to transfer crab QS or PQS into two separate applications
a decrease of 126 respondents and responses, 0 instead of 126
a decrease of 252 hours burden, 0 instead of 252
a decrease of $9,324 personnel costs, 0 instead of $9,324
a decrease of $882 miscellaneous costs, 0 instead of $882
Application to transfer Crab Quota Share (QS) [new]
an increase of 126 respondents and responses, 126 instead of 0
an increase of 252 hours burden, 252 instead of 0
an increase of $9,324 personnel costs, $9,324 instead of 0
an increase of $882 miscellaneous costs, $882 instead of 0
Application to transfer Crab Processor Quota Share (PQS) [new]
an increase of 126 respondents and responses, 126 instead of 0
an increase of 252 hours burden, 252 instead of 0
an increase of $9,324 personnel costs, $9,324 instead of 0
an increase of $882 miscellaneous costs, $882 instead of 0
Net program changes: Increase of 124 responses, 250 hours and decrease of $5,118 miscellaneous costs.
Adjustments
♦ Removed “date of birth or incorporation” from forms because it does not apply.
♦ Changed personnel cost from $25/hr to $37/hr.
Application for IFQ permit
a decrease of 5 respondents and responses, 191 instead of 196
a decrease of 12 hours burden, 478 instead of 490
a decrease of $444 personnel costs, $17,686 instead of $18,130
a decrease of $30 miscellaneous costs, $333 instead of $363
Application for IPQ permit
a decrease of 53 hours burden, 210 instead of 263
a decrease of $1,961 personnel costs, $7,770 instead of $9,731
Application for Registered Crab Receiver
an increase of 10 respondents and responses, 72 instead of 62
an increase of 5 hours burden, 36 instead of 31
an increase of $185 personnel costs, $1,332 instead of $1,147
an increase of $28 miscellaneous costs, $173 instead of $145
Application for Crab IFQ Hired Master
an increase of 1,473 respondents and responses, 1,614 instead of 141
an increase of 516 hours burden, 565 instead of 49
an increase of $19,092 personnel costs, $20,905 instead of $1,813
an increase of $3,552 miscellaneous costs, $3,663 instead of $111
Application for Federal Crab Vessel Permit
a decrease of 42 respondents and responses, 72 instead of 114
a decrease of 15 hours burden, 25 instead of 40
a decrease of $555 personnel costs, $925 instead of $1,480
a decrease of 134 miscellaneous costs, $95 instead of $229
Application to transfer crab IFQ
an increase of $2 miscellaneous costs, $30 instead of $28
Application to transfer crab IPQ
an increase of $3 miscellaneous costs, $66 instead of $63
Application to transfer cooperative IFQ
an increase of $780 personnel costs, $2,405 instead of $1,625
Application for Converted CPO QS and CPO IFQ
an increase of $24 personnel costs, $74 instead of $50
Application for Eligibility to Receive Crab QS/IFQ or PQS/IPQ by transfer
an increase of 2,713 responses, 2,728 instead of 15
an increase of 5,426 hours burden, 5,456 instead of 30 hr
an increase of $200,762 personnel costs, $201,572 instead of $1,110
an increase of $7,436 miscellaneous costs, $7,460 instead of $24
Letter of Appeal, any Application
a decrease of 3 respondents and responses, 1 instead of 4
a decrease of 12 hours burden, 4 instead of 16
a decrease of $444 personnel costs, $148 instead of $592
a decrease of $5 miscellaneous costs, $2 instead of $7
Net adjustments: Increase of 4,146 responses, increase of 5,855 hours and increase of $10,824 miscellaneous costs.
$48,946
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Patsy Bearden 907 586-7008
No
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.
Annual application for crab IFQ permit
0514 rev (BE98) 010416.ss.docx
Annual application for crab IFQ permit