The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act both authorizes and requires the collection of cost recovery fees for Limited Access Privilege (LAP) programs and CDQ programs. Alaska currently has three cost recovery programs in place for LAP program fisheries off Alaska's coast - Halibut and Sablefish IFQ Program, Rockfish Program, and the Crab Rationalization Program. With this action, additional cost recovery fees would be collected from the American Fisheries Act cooperatives, the Aleut Corporation, Amendment 80 cooperatives, and six Western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) groups. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) proposes three methods for collecting and aggregating volume and value data to calculate standard prices:
(1) Implement data collection using two new volume and value reports to calculate standard prices for all fishery species other than halibut and pollock; (2) Use data already collected under the IFQ Buyer Report to calculate standard prices for halibut; and (3) Use data already collected under the Commercial Operator's Annual Report (COAR) to calculate standard prices for pollock. For vessels that qualify, this action would allow small catcher/processors to forgo full observer coverage and operate with less expensive partial observer coverage, should they choose to do so. The catcher/processors eligible for partial coverage under this action are engaged
primarily in the hook-and-line and Pacific cod and sablefish fisheries.
US Code:
16 USC 1801
Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
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.