Northeast Region Observer Providers Requirements

This request is for an extension and revison to a currently approved information collection. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) has the responsibility for the conservation and management of marine fishery resources. Much of this responsibility has been delegated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Under this stewardship role, the Secretary was given certain regulatory authorities to ensure the most beneficial uses of these resources. One of the regulatory steps taken to carry out the conservation and management objectives is to collect data from users of the resource. Previously, vessels either called or email to notify NMFS of an upcoming scallop trip. NMFS has added a new method for notification called the Pre-Trip Notification System (PTNS). The integration of the scallop notification requirement into the PTNS helps standardize observer operations between fisheries and modernize reporting systems. The PTNS is a mobile-friendly website that is more sophisticated and flexible than the aging interactive voice response technology. The change to the PTNS does not affect determination of scallop coverage rates or the compensation analysis. There are no changes to the requirements vessels must abide by if selected to carry an observer, such as equal accommodations, a harassment-free environment, and other safety requirements. This change is not expected to impact the burden response time, but NOAA will continue to monitor use of this new tool, and will update the collection if it results in any burden changes at our next renewal. There will still be an email and a phone option for vessels to notify. These requirements allow NMFS/NEFOP to effectively administer the scallop observer program.

The latest form for Northeast Region Observer Providers Requirements expires 2029-02-28 and can be found here.

Observer Deployment Report

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Natural Resources - Conservation, Marine and Land Management