Alaska Marine Mammal Observer program

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT: Information collected through the Alaska
Marine Mammal Observer Program will be used to: (1) monitor bycatch in commercial fisheries;
(2) understand the population status and trends of protected species, as well as the interactions
between them and fisheries; and (3) ensure that the observer programs can safely and efficiently
collect the information required for the previous two uses. In particular, the observer program
provides information that is used in analyses that support the conservation and management of
living marine resources and that are required under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), Executive Order 12866 (EO 12866), and other applicable law.
Most of the information collected by observers is obtained through “direct observation by an
employee or agent of the sponsoring agency or through non-standardized oral communication in
connection with such direct observations". Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA)
regulations at 5 C.F.R. 1320.3(h)(3), facts or opinions obtained through such observations and
communications are not considered to be "information" subject to the PRA. The public reporting
burden for responding to the questions that observers ask and that are subject to the PRA is
estimated to average 15 minutes per trip, including the time for hearing and understanding the
questions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing
this burden, to: National Marine Fisheries Service, Protected Resources Division, 709 W 9th
Street, PO Box 21668, Juneau, Alaska 99802. Providing the requested information is mandatory
under regulations at 50 C.F.R. 600.746 for the safety questions and at 50 C.F.R. Part 229,
Subpart A for the other questions. All information collected by observers will be kept
confidential as required under Section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act (18 U.S.C. 1881a(b)) and regulations at 50 C.F.R. Part 600, Subpart E and
as required under the Section 118(d)(8) of the MMPA (16 U.S.C. 1387(d)(8)) and regulations at
50 C.F.R. Part 229, Subpart A. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a
collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.
OMB Control No. 0648-xxxx
Expires xx/xx/2012