[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37877-37878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-13530]


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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 Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS)

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 24, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at [email protected]. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0515 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: 

I. Abstract

    The National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), Alaska Regional 
Office, is requesting extension of a currently approved information 
collection for the Alaska Interagency Electronic Reporting System 
(IERS).
    IERS is a fisheries data collection system that enables the 
management of commercial fisheries off Alaska and is supported through 
a partnership among the NMFS Alaska Regional Office, the Alaska 
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the International Pacific 
Halibut Commission (IPHC). IERS provides the Alaska fishing industry 
with a consolidated, electronic means of reporting commercial fish and 
shellfish information to multiple management agencies through a single 
reporting system. The recordkeeping and reporting requirements for IERS 
are located at 50 CFR 679.5.
    Users enter information into IERS using three main components, 
depending on their internet access and transmission capability:
     eLandings provides web-based access for shoreside and 
stationary floating processors to submit landings and production 
information and also by some catcher/processors and motherships who 
have access to the internet to submit their data.
     seaLandings is a fishery harvest reporting software 
program that functions without constant internet connectivity and is 
installed on computer workstations. The seaLandings interface targets 
at-sea vessels with limited access to the web (typically for catcher/
processors and motherships which report at sea). Landings, production, 
and eLog information can be sent from seaLandings via direct 
transmission (a report file is zipped up and sent over the internet and 
processed behind the scenes) or via email.
     tLandings is a USB-installed program that tender vessels 
with no web access can use to enter landings information.
    Through IERS, NMFS collects information on landings, production, 
and effort for groundfish and crab species to support the agency's 
management responsibilities. IERS has four main information 
collections: Registration, landing reports, production reports, and 
electronic logbooks. Landing reports document the harvest of fish and 
shellfish that is sold, discarded, or retained by the fisherman. 
Production reports provide information on the amount of processed 
product that is generated by processors. Logbooks provide information 
about where and when fishing effort occurs. NMFS uses information 
collected in IERS for in-season and inter-season management decisions 
that affect the fishery resources and the fishing industry that uses 
those resources.
    Information collected through the IERS promotes the goals and 
objectives of fishery management plans, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 
Conservation and Management Act, and other applicable laws. Collecting 
information from fishery participants is necessary for successful 
management of groundfish, crab, Pacific halibut, and salmon resources.
    Compared with paper forms and conventional logbooks, IERS is a more 
convenient, accurate, and timely

[[Page 37878]]

method of fisheries reporting. Benefits of IERS include improved data 
quality, automated processing of data, improved process for correcting 
or updating information, availability of more timely data for fishery 
managers, and reduction of duplicative reporting of similar information 
to multiple agencies. Additionally, IERS provides continuous online 
access to individual accounts for participants.
    This renewal will incorporate the change request associated with 
the rule for Amendment 121 to Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of 
the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area and Amendment 110 
to Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (RIN 
0648-BJ49). The proposed rule published in the Federal Register on 
April 23, 2020 (85 FR 22703). Publication of the final rule is expected 
later this year prior to approval of the renewal of this information 
collection. The rule reclassifies sculpins as a non-target ecosystem 
component (EC) species and makes minor revisions to the information 
collection requirements to clarify the location of the species code for 
sculpins in the tables to 50 CFR part 679 to note that sculpins should 
be reported as non-target EC species rather than target species.

II. Method of Collection

    The eLandings registration, landing reports, production reports, 
and electronic logbooks are submitted via the internet. For catcher/
processors and motherships that do not have reliable internet service, 
seaLandings can be used to generate report files for submitting via 
email. Tender vessels that do not have access to email or the internet 
can enter the information electronically on a USB drive that is later 
uploaded to eLandings over the internet. eLandings registration and the 
out-of-state landing report may be submitted by fax.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0515.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension of a current 
information collection).
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 206.
    Estimated Time per Response: eLandings registration, 15 minutes; 
electronic logbooks, 15 minutes; shoreside processor production report, 
10 minutes; at-sea processor production report, 20 minutes; mothership 
landing report, 10 minutes; out-of-state landing report, 20 minutes; 
shoreside processor and catcher processor, landing reports, 30 minutes 
each; registered buyer and registered crab receiver landing reports, 60 
minutes each.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 22,850 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $5,639 in recordkeeping/
reporting costs.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.
    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. 2020-13530 Filed 6-23-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P