[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 145 (Thursday, July 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41093-41094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19426]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[I.D. 071999B]


American Fisheries Act Reports

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)).

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before September 27, 
1999.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Linda Engelmeier, 
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 
5327, 14th and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington DC 20230 (or via 
Internet at LE[email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument(s) and instructions 
should be directed to Patsy Bearden, NMFS-Alaska Region, PO Box 21668, 
Juneau, AK 99802,(907) 586-7465.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The American Fisheries Act (AFA), signed into law in October 1998, 
established a complex system that allocates the pollock catch in the 
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area to entities composed of 
groups of specific fishing vessels and processors. Under the AFA, 
groups of vessels delivering to a specific shoreside processor may form 
a cooperative and receive a direct allocation of pollock catch to be 
exclusively harvested by that cooperative. At the same time, the AFA 
restricts the ability of pollock fishing vessels and processors from 
expanding their level of participation in other (non-pollock) 
fisheries. To implement the provisions of the AFA, NMFS will need to 
monitor the catch of these various entities, including newly 
established fishery cooperatives, for inseason management of directed 
fisheries and for managing catch limits by AFA-qualified vessels in 
other fisheries. Timely reports will be necessary for NMFS to determine 
catch and bycatch taken by AFA-qualified vessels.
    The new reports proposed by NMFS include a Shoreside Electronic 
Delivery Report that is the equivalent of existing Alaska Department of 
Fish and Game (ADF&G) fish ticket reports. A report would be submitted 
for each delivery on a daily basis. As an alternative to this new 
electronic report, processors would have the option to fax ADF&G fish 
tickets to NMFS. A daily report of pollock catch by vessel also would 
be required from each of up to eight shoreside fishery cooperatives.
    The AFA also lists the 20 catcher/processors and three motherships 
that may participate in the pollock fisheries, and requires that all 
AFA-listed catcher/processors carry two observers and weigh all 
groundfish catch on scales approved by NMFS. The Council has 
recommended that NMFS extend these observer and scale requirements to 
the three AFA-listed motherships. The Council also recommended that 
NMFS require that AFA-listed catcher/processors and motherships provide 
observer sampling stations. These observer coverage, scale, and 
sampling station requirements would be identical to existing 
requirements for catcher/processors participating in the Community 
Development Quota (CDQ) fisheries. Nine of the 23 AFA-listed catcher/
processors and motherships are not currently equipped with NMFS-
approved scales and observer sampling stations and would be required to 
install scales and observer sampling stations to comply with the AFA. 
The other 14 vessels participate in the CDQ fisheries and, as a 
consequence, their facilities already meet the new standards 
established in the AFA. The information collection requirements 
associated with scales and weighing catch at-sea in the CDQ program 
have been approved by the OMB under control number 0648-0330. The 
information collection requirements associated with observer sampling 
stations have been approved under OMB control number 0648-0269. These 
requirements include requesting an annual scale and observer sampling 
station inspection, maintaining scale and observer sampling station 
approval documents on board the vessel, conducting a daily at-sea scale 
test, producing a scale audit trail when requested and producing and 
maintaining printed output from the scale.

II. Method of Collection

    A. Shoreside Electronic Delivery Reports. Shoreside electronic 
delivery reports would be submitted electronically by each shoreside 
processor via modem or Internet connection using software provided by 
NMFS. These daily reports would be in lieu of existing daily production 
logbooks and weekly production reports which currently must be faxed to 
NMFS or submitted electronically.
    B. Shoreside Pollock Catch Report. Each of up to eight shoreside 
catcher vessel cooperatives would be required to submit daily pollock 
catch reports to NMFS over the Internet using a NMFS Home Page 
established for this purpose that will provide a Web-based reporting 
form. As an alternative for cooperatives lacking Internet access, 
reports could be sent to NMFS via fax. The regulations establishing the 
inshore pollock co-op program will require each catcher vessel 
cooperative to appoint a designated representative or cooperative 
manager who will report cooperative activity to NMFS. NMFS anticipates 
that cooperative managers will operate out of shore-based offices and 
will therefore have the capability to report cooperative activity to 
NMFS through normal phone lines and Internet accounts. Consequently, 
this catcher vessel co-op reporting requirement does not contain an at-
sea reporting requirement.
    C. Scale and observer sampling station requirements for AFA-listed 
Catcher/Processors and Motherships. All 23 AFA-listed catcher/
processors and motherships will be required to submit a written request 
for scale and observer sampling station inspection annually. Scales 
must be tested daily

[[Page 41094]]

when in use. Test results are maintained on the vessel and not reported 
to NMFS. The total weight of each haul or set must be printed out daily 
and maintained on board the vessel for inspection by the observer.

III. Data

     OMB Number: None
     Form Number: None
     Type of Review: Regular submission
     Affected public: Business or other for-profit
     Estimated Number of Respondents: 39 (8 shoreside processors, 8 
catcher vessel cooperatives, 20 catcher/processors and 3 motherships)
     Estimated Time Per Response: 30 minutes for a daily catch report 
from a cooperative; 5 minutes for electronically submitting or faxing a 
delivery report or fish ticket; 2 minutes for a scale inspection 
request; 1 minute to retain an annual scale inspection report; 45 
minutes for an at-sea scale test report; 5 minutes per day for a 
printed record of haul weight; 3 minutes to retain a scale audit trail 
print-out; and 2 hours for requesting an observer sampling station 
inspection and maintaining the inspection report.
     Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 7,775
     Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $6,368

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and /or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: July 20, 1999.
Linda Engelmeier,
Departmental Forms Clearance Officer, Office of Chief Information 
Officer.
[FR Doc. 99-19426 Filed 7-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F