[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 6576]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-2728]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Economic 
Surveys for U.S. Commercial Fisheries

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

ACTION: Notice.

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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.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 13, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 7845, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Rita Curtis, (301) 713-2328 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    Economic data for selected United States (U.S.) commercial 
fisheries will be collected for each of the following groups of 
operations: (1) Processors, including onshore plants, floating 
processing plants, mothership vessels, and catcher/processor vessels; 
(2) catcher vessels; and (3) for-hire vessels. The companies associated 
with these groups will be surveyed for expenditure, earnings, effort, 
ownership, and employment data; and basic demographic data on fishing 
and processing crews. These economic data collection programs 
contribute to legally-mandated analyses required under the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MFCMA), the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 
Executive Order 12866 (EO 12866) as well as a variety of state statutes 
including Florida Statute 120.54, Hawaii Revised Statute 201M-2, New 
Jersey Permanent Statutes 52:14B-19 and Oregon Revised Statutes 183.335 
and 183.540.
    In general, questions will be asked concerning ex-vessel and 
wholesale prices and revenue, variable and fixed costs, expenditures, 
effort, ownership, dependence on the fisheries, and fishery employment. 
The data collection efforts will be coordinated to reduce the 
additional burden for those who participate in multiple fisheries. 
Participation in these data collections will be voluntary.
    The data will be used for the following three purposes: (1) To 
monitor the economic performance of these fisheries through primary 
processing; (2) to analyze the economic performance effects of current 
management measures; and (3) to analyze the economic performance 
effects of alternative management measures. The measures of economic 
performance to be supported by this data collection program include the 
following: (1) Contribution to net national benefit; (2) contribution 
to income of groups of participants in the fisheries (i.e., fishermen, 
vessel owners, processing plant employees, and processing plant 
owners); (3) employment; (4) regional economic impacts (income and 
employment); and (5) factor utilizations rates. As required by law, the 
confidentiality of the data will be protected.
    Data collections will focus each year on a different component of 
the U.S. commercial fisheries, with only limited data collected in 
previously surveyed components of these fisheries. The latter will be 
done to update the models that will be used to track economic 
performance and to evaluate the economic effects of alternative 
management actions. This cycle of data collection will facilitate 
economic performance data being available and updated for all the 
components of the U.S. commercial fisheries identified above.

II. Method of Collection

    The surveys will be conducted via mail, telephone and in-person 
interview. The fisherman will be mailed a copy of the survey instrument 
in advance of a telephone or in-person interview.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0369.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,000.
    Estimated Time per Response: 1-2 hours for a response from a 
catcher vessel or for-hire vessel for operating cost, annual cost, 
revenue, effort, employment, ownership, and limited demographic data; 
20-30 minutes per response from a catcher vessel or for-hire vessel for 
operating cost data; 30 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes per response 
from a catcher vessel or for-hire vessel for annual expenditure and 
demographic data; 8 hours for a response from a West Coast or Alaska 
processor, including catcher/processor vessels, mothership vessels, 
floating processing plants, and onshore plants; 1-2 hours for a 
response from an East Coast or Gulf processor.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 7,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

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: February 5, 2009.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. E9-2728 Filed 2-9-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P