Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the
Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) has responsibility for the
conservation and management of marine fishery resources off the
coast of the United States. The majority of this responsibility has
been delegated to the Councils and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administrations National Marine Fisheries Service
(NOAA Fisheries Service). The general category scallop fishery in
NOAA Fisheries Services Northeast Region (NERO) is currently an
open access fishery that allows any vessel to apply for, and be
issued, a general category permit. The general category permit was
created in 1994 under Amendment 4 to the FMP to allow vessels
fishing in non-scallop fisheries to catch scallops as incidental
catch, and for a small-scale scallop fishery to continue outside of
the large scale limited access scallop fishery. Over time,
participation in the general category fishery has increased. In
1994, there were 1,992 general category permits issued. By 2005
that number had increased to 2,950. In January of 2006, the Council
began the development of Amendment 11 to evaluate alternatives for
a limited access program for the general category fishery to
improve resource conservation, minimize the potential for excess
harvesting capacity in the fishery, and provide a platform to
promote long-term economic stability for harvesters, processors,
and fishing communities. Amendment 11 was adopted by the Council on
June 20, 2007. This amendment is designed to meet all the
requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act, as well as other applicable laws. The requirements
under Amendment 11 to the FMP includes collection information that
is already accounted for under the Northeast Region Logbook Family
of Forms (OMB Control No. 0648-0212) and the Atlantic Sea Scallop
Amendment 10 Data Collection (OMB Control No. 0648-0491). Amendment
11 contains the following provisions that would increase the annual
budget for the Atlantic Sea Scallop Amendment 10 Data Collection
(OMB Control No. 0648-0491): 1. Three new limited access general
category scallop permit categories: limited access general category
(LAGC), incidental catch general category (ICGC), and Northern Gulf
of Maine general category (NGOM); 2. Vessel monitoring system (VMS)
reporting requirements for all general category vessels; 3. LAGC
and NGOM VMS pre-landing notification requirements; 4. State waters
exemption program VMS enrollment requirements; 5. A LAGC individual
fishing quota (IFQ) temporary transfer and permanent transfer
program; 6. A LAGC IFQ cost recovery program; and 7. A new general
category sector program.
PL:
Pub.L. 109 - 479 104 Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management Reuthorization Act of 2006
Due to this emendment, burden
and cost will be added for permit applications and renewal, VMS
installation and reporting, cost recovery submission, quota
transfer requests, sector proposals and operation plans and other
related information collections. Responses would increase from
236,219 by approximately 42,154 to 278,373; hours, from 7,949 by
3,739 to 11,688, and cost, from $1,445,823 by $43,232 to
$1,489,055.
$67,519
No
No
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Uncollected
Ryan Silva 978 281-9326
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.