[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 117 (Wednesday, June 17, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36566-36567]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13029]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Alaska Region Scale & Catch Weighing Requirements

AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before August 17, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0330 in the subject line of your 
comments. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise 
sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Gabrielle Aberle, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 36567]]

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), Alaska Regional 
Office, is requesting extension of the currently approved information 
collection for Alaska Region Scale & Catch Weighing Requirements.
    The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 
U.S.C. 1801 et seq. (Magnuson-Stevens Act) authorizes the North Pacific 
Fishery Management Council to prepare and amend fishery management 
plans for any fishery in waters under its jurisdiction.
    The At-Sea Scales Program was developed in response to the need for 
catch accounting methods that were more precise and verifiable at the 
level of the individual haul and less dependent on estimates generated 
by at-sea observers. This was necessary due to the implementation of 
large-scale catch share programs that required NMFS to provide 
verifiable and defensible estimates of quota harvest. Scale and catch-
weighing monitoring is required for Western Alaska Community 
Development Quota Program (CDQ) catcher/processors (C/Ps), American 
Fisheries Act (AFA) C/Ps, AFA motherships, AFA shoreside processors and 
stationary floating processors, Central Gulf of Alaska Rockfish Program 
trawl C/Ps, non-AFA trawl C/Ps participating in Bering Sea and Aleutian 
Islands (BSAI) trawl fisheries, and longline C/Ps participating in BSAI 
Pacific cod fisheries. Scale and catch weighing requirements are 
located at 50 CFR parts 679 and 680.
    NMFS has identified three primary objectives for monitoring catch 
to ensure independent and verifiable data is available for fisheries 
management. First, monitoring methods must ensure all catch delivered 
to a processor is weighed and identified to species and provide a 
verifiable record of the weight and species composition of each 
delivery. Second, all catch must be weighed using NMFS-approved scales 
to determine the weight of the catch and provide a record of that 
weight. Third, monitoring systems, such as video, must be in place to 
ensure that all catch is accounted for.
    Shoreside processors participating in catch share programs have 
many of the same catch accounting and monitoring goals, but two 
differences require unique monitoring tools to obtain precise and 
verifiable catch amounts for quota management. First, shoreside 
processors vary more in size, facilities, and layout than do catcher/
processors or motherships. Second, the State of Alaska is responsible 
for approving scales used for trade by shoreside processors and has 
developed an effective program for their inspection and approval.
    Because of the wide variations in factory layout, a performance-
based catch monitoring system is more appropriate for shoreside 
processors than a type approval process used for at-sea scales. CMCPs 
(Catch Monitoring and Control Plans) and CMPs (Crab Monitoring Plans) 
are submitted by the representative from the shoreside processor and 
approved by NMFS. CMCPs and CMPs detail a series of performance based 
standards set out in regulation that ensure that all delivered catch 
can be effectively monitored by NMFS-authorized personnel, that NMFS-
authorized personnel can effectively conduct their monitoring duties, 
and that all catch is accurately sorted and weighed by species.
    Vessels that participate in halibut deck sorting are required to 
comply with additional monitoring and equipment requirements such as 
the installation of an observer sampling station on deck and video 
monitoring requirements. These additional measures are necessary to 
ensure accurate accounting of halibut sorted on the deck of 
participating vessels.

II. Method of Collection

    Respondents have a choice of either electronic or paper forms. 
Methods of submittal include email, online, mail, and fax. Daily flow 
scale and hopper scale tests are reported using an electronic logbook. 
Printed reports are generated automatically by software. Video 
monitoring systems record and store video data automatically.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0330.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 94.
    Estimated Time per Response:
    Scale Type Evaluation: 50 hours.
    Installation & Maintenance: At-Sea Scales (Maintenance only)--1 
minute; Video Monitoring Systems (non-halibut deck sorting)--1 minute; 
Video Monitoring Systems (halibut--initial year)--12 hours; Observer 
Deck Sampling Stations (initial year)--12 hours; annual renewal--1 
minute;
    Inspection Request: 8 minutes.
    Daily Scale Test: Notify Observer of Tests--2 minutes; Record of 
Flow Scale Test--30 minutes; Record of Hopper Scale Test--15 minutes.
    Printed Report--Flow Scale: Catch & Cumulative Weight, Audit Trail, 
Calibration Log, and Fault Log--1 minute each.
    Printed Report--Hopper Scale: Catch Weight and Audit Trail--1 
minute each.
    Video Monitoring: 2 hours.
    Notification of Pacific Cod Monitoring Option: 10 minutes.
    Catch Monitoring and Control Plan (CMCP): Annual Submission--40 
hours; CMCP Addendum--8 hours; Printed Record from Scale--1 minute; 
Notify Observer--1 minute.
    Crab Monitoring Plan (CMP): Annual Submission--16 hours; CMP 
Addendum--8 hours; Printed Records from Scale--1 minute.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 10,086 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $812,371 in recordkeeping 
and reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory; Required to Obtain or Retain 
Benefits.
    Legal Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone 
number, email address, or other personal identifying information in 
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including 
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available 
at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your 
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot 
guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Chief Information 
Officer, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2020-13029 Filed 6-16-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P