0393_ss_070113 rev

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

ALASKA AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT (AFA): PERMITS

OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0393

This request is for revision and extension of this information collection. The revision consists of removal of notary signature requirement for two of the forms.

INTRODUCTION

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Region manages the United States (U.S.) groundfish fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) under the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (FMP) under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) and other applicable laws. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council prepared, and NMFS approved, the FMP. Regulations implementing the FMP appear at 50 CFR part 679.

On October 21, 1998, the President signed The American Fisheries Act (AFA). With respect to the fisheries off Alaska, the AFA affected the management programs of the pollock fishery of the BSAI and to a lesser extent the other groundfish fisheries of the BSAI: the groundfish fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska, the king and Tanner crab fisheries of the BSAI, and the scallop fishery off Alaska. NMFS incorporated the relevant provisions of the AFA into the FMP and established a comprehensive management program to implement the AFA.

JUSTIFICATION

The set of AFA permits for participants in the BSAI pollock fishery, with some exceptions, had a one-time application deadline of December 1, 2000. Applications for AFA vessel or processor permits are not accepted after this date, and any vessels or processors for which an application had not been received by this date are permanently ineligible to receive AFA permits.

With exceptions noted below, all participants in the AFA pollock fishery are already permitted and the permits are issued with an indefinite expiration date. The permanent AFA permits are: AFA catcher vessel, AFA catcher/processor, AFA mothership, and AFA inshore processor. The permit exceptions are issued annually -- the inshore vessel cooperative permit and inshore vessel contract fishing permit. In addition, the AFA vessel replacement application may be submitted to NMFS at any time.

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary.

NMFS and the Council developed regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and AFA to govern commercial fishing for BSAI pollock according to the requirements of the AFA. These regulations are necessary to achieve the AFA’s objective of decapitalization and rationalization of the BSAI pollock fishery.

2. Explain how, by whom, how frequently, and for what purpose the information will be used. If the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support information that will be disseminated to the public, then explain how the collection complies with all applicable Information Quality Guidelines.

Any vessel used to engage in directed fishing for a non-western Alaska community development quota (CDQ) allocation of pollock in the Bering Sea and any shoreside processor, stationary floating processor, or mothership that receives pollock harvested in a non-CDQ directed pollock fishery in the Bering Sea must have a valid AFA permit onboard the vessel or at the facility location at all times while non-CDQ pollock is being harvested or processed. In addition, the owner of any vessel that is a member of a pollock cooperative in the Bering Sea must also have a valid AFA permit for every vessel that is a member of the cooperative, regardless of whether or not the vessel actually engages in directed fishing for pollock in the Bering Sea.

a. Application for AFA Permit for Replacement Vessel

In the event of the actual total loss or constructive total loss of an AFA catcher vessel, AFA mothership, or AFA catcher/processor, the owner of such vessel may replace the vessel with a replacement vessel.

Applications to replace lost or destroyed AFA vessels may be submitted to NMFS Restricted Access Management Program (RAM) at any time. A constructive total loss is a loss of such significance that the property is beyond economical repair (cost of restoring it exceeds its insured value).

The replacement vessel will be eligible in the same manner as the original vessel after submission and approval of an application for an AFA replacement vessel. However, if the replacement vessel does not already hold a fishery endorsement from the United States Coast Guard (USCG), that endorsement must be obtained within 36 months of the end of the last year that the vessel fished for or processed pollock in the BSAI.

In 2012 one application was submitted; so far in 2013 there have been 4 remove or replace requests. This is a one-time only submittal; the number used in this analysis is 3.

Application for AFA Permit for Replacement Vessel

Identification and Ownership of Lost AFA Eligible Vessel

Vessel name

Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) vessel registration number

USCG documentation number

AFA permit number

Gross tons

Shaft horsepower

Registered length (feet)

Owner name

Owner business mailing address

Owner business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address

Record the last year in which this vessel harvested or processed pollock in a BSAI directed pollock fishery

Describe how the vessel was lost or destroyed

Attach USCG documentation for this vessel

Identification and ownership of replacement vessel

Vessel name

ADF&G vessel registration number

USCG documentation number

Federal Fisheries Permit number

Gross tons

Net tons (U.S. tons)

Shaft horsepower

Registered length (feet)

Current length overall (feet)

Owner name

Owner business mailing address

Owner business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address

Indicate whether vessel was built in the U.S

Indicate whether the vessel has ever been rebuilt

If YES, whether rebuilt in the United States

Attach USCG documentation for this vessel

Certification of Applicant

Signature and printed name of owner and date of signature

Application for AFA Replacement Vessel Permit, Respondent
Total annual respondents Total annual responses Total burden hours (1.5) Time per response = 30 minutes Total personnel cost Personnel cost per hour = $25/hr x 1 Total miscellaneous cost (1.65) Postage (.45 x 3 = 1.35) Photocopy (2pp x .05 x 3 = 0.30)	3 3 2 hr $50 $2

Application for AFA Replacement Vessel Permit, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Time per response = 1 hr Total personnel cost Personnel cost per hour = $25 Total miscellaneous cost	3 3 hr $75 0

b. Application for AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit

NMFS will issue an AFA inshore cooperative fishing permit to an inshore catcher vessel cooperative formed pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 521 for the purpose of cooperatively managing directed fishing for pollock for processing by an AFA inshore processor. The AFA authorizes the formation of fishery cooperatives in all sectors of the BSAI pollock fishery, grants anti-trust exemptions to cooperatives in the mothership sector, and imposes operational limits on fishery cooperatives in the BSAI pollock fishery. NMFS relies on fishery cooperatives for much of the day-to-day management of fishing activity at the cooperative and individual vessel level.

Fishery cooperatives are formed by groups of vessel owners to provide an alternative to the open access race for fish. Under a fishery cooperative, the members agree to divide up the available quota among the membership in a manner that eliminates a wasteful race for fish and allows participants to maximize productivity.

AFA inshore catcher vessel cooperatives must apply for an AFA permit annually. The application must be received by NMFS by December 1 of the year prior to the year in which the cooperative permit will be in effect. NMFS will issue an AFA inshore cooperative permit upon receipt of a complete application to a cooperative formed pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 521.

The information obtained from an inshore catcher vessel cooperative permit application is used annually to identify the universe of participating vessels and processors in the BSAI pollock fishery prior to the start of each fishing year.

Application for AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative PermitCooperative Contact Information.

Name of cooperative

Name of Co-op representative

Co-op business mailing address (P.O. Box or street, city, state, zip code);

indicate whether permanent or temporary

Co-op business telephone number, Fax number, and E-mail address

Designated Cooperative Processor Information

Name

Physical location of AFA Inshore Processor

Federal processor permit number

Cooperative Contract Information – List of attachments that are included

Vessel Information

Vessel name as displayed in official documentation.

ADF&G Vessel Registration Number

USCG Documentation Number

AFA Permit Number.

Certification of applicant

Signature and printed name of co-op representative and date of signature

For the years 2012 and 2013, the number of cooperatives is seven.

Application for AFA Cooperative Permit, Respondent
Total annual respondents Total annual responses Total burden hours Time per response = 2 hr Total personnel cost Personnel cost per hour = $25/hr x 14 Total miscellaneous cost (17.50) Postage (.45 x 4 = 1.80) Fax ($5 x 3 = 15) Photocopy (2pp x .05 x 7 = 0.70	7 7 14 hr $350 $18

Application for AFA Cooperative Permit, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Time per response = 1 hr Total personnel cost ($25/hr) Personnel cost per hour = $25 Total miscellaneous cost	7 7 $175 0

c. AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification

(title changed from Contract Fishing by Non-Member Vessels)

An AFA inshore cooperative that intends to contract with a vessel that is a member of another AFA inshore cooperative must submit complete information to NMFS, Alaska Region pursuant to 50 CFR part 679.62(c) for each contracted vessel. A separate notification must be submitted for each vessel.

NMFS will notify the parties to the vessel contract when the agency receives the contract fishing notification. NMFS will not make any determinations as to the legality of any contract between or among the parties or its compliance with AFA requirements. There are no permits issued for this AFA contract. NMFS simply sends a letter acknowledging that the coops are contracting.

The information derived from this information will assist cooperatives in understanding how their catch is accounted, and also will alert NMFS inseason management that some vessels might be reporting with an alternative cooperative identification. The inshore vessel contract fishing notification may assume any format, but must contain the following information.

AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification

Vessel information

Vessel name and AFA permit number of the contracted vessel. This AFA catcher vessel must have an

inshore fishing endorsement and be a member of an inshore cooperative

Name and signature of the contract vessel’s owner

Name of the contract vessel’s home cooperative

Name and signature of the home cooperative’s designated representative

A complete harvest schedule that shows how all catch and any overages by the contracted vessel will be allocated between the contracting cooperative(s) and the contract vessel’s home cooperative. In the event that multiple cooperatives are contracting with the same non-member vessel, each harvest schedule submitted must clearly specify how all catch and any overages will be allocated among the various cooperatives with which the vessel is contracted as of the date of submission.

Cooperative information

Name of the AFA inshore cooperative wishing to contract with the vessel

Name and signature of the AFA inshore cooperative’s designated representative

Signatures

The inshore vessel contract fishing application is not valid unless it is signed by:

Contracting cooperative’s designated representative

Contract vessel owner, and

Vessel’s home cooperative designated representative

The number of AFA contracted vessels in 2012 was18.

Vessel Contract Fishing Notification, Respondent
Total respondents Total annual responses Number of responses per respondent = 1 Total burden hours Estimated time per response = 4 hrs Total personnel cost ($25/hr) Total miscellaneous cost ($78.15) Postage (.45 x 3) = $1.35 Fax ($5 x 15) = $75 Photocopy (2pp x .05 x 18) = $1.80		18 18 72 hrs $1800 $78

Vessel Contract Fishing Notification, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours Estimated time per response = 30 minutes Total personnel cost ($25/hr) Total miscellaneous cost		18 9 hrs $225 0

d. Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation

Each year, NMFS will allocate to American Fisheries Act (AFA) sectors a portion of the Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) limit per §679.21(f). An entity representing the catcher/processor sector or the mothership sector may request approval by NMFS to receive transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations on behalf of the members of the sector.

A complete application must include an authorization contract. The authorization contract authorizes the entity to act on behalf of the vessel owner for purposes of receiving and transferring Chinook salmon PSC allocations and authorizes the entity to be responsible for receiving legal papers on behalf of the vessel owners in the sector. This authorization to represent the sector members is needed under both the 60,000 and the 47,591 PSC limit. An authorization contract must contain the following information:

♦ Documentation that all vessel owners party to the contract agree that the entity, the entity’s representative, and the entity’s agent for service of process named in this application represent them for purposes of receiving transferable allocations of Chinook salmon Prohibited Species Catch (PSC).

♦ A statement that the entity’s representative and agent for service of process are authorized to act on behalf of the vessel owners party to the contract and are responsible to comply with all applicable requirements of this part.

♦ Certification that the application includes signatures and printed names and date of signature for the owners of each of the AFA permitted vessels identified in the

application. The names of the vessel owners signing the contract must be the same as the names of on the USCG vessel documentation.

An initial or amended application and contract must be received by NMFS no later than 5 pm Alaska time on October 1 of the year prior to the fishing year for which the Chinook salmon PSC allocations are effective. Once submitted, the authorization contract attached to the application is valid until amended or revoked by the parties to the contract.

Additions or deletions to the vessels represented by the entity may be done once per year for subsequent years by submitting an amended contract and revised vessel information by December 1, unless additions or deletions are as a result of a replacement vessel. An amendment to the contract related to a replacement vessel may be made at any time upon submission of an amended application and a copy of the AFA permit issued under § 679.4 for the replacement vessel.

Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation

Contact information.

Name and NMFS person ID of entity

Name of entity’s representative

Name of agent for service of process (if different from representative)

Permanent business mailing address

Temporary business mailing address (if applicable)

Business telephone number, business fax number, and business e-mail address of the entity’s representative

Affirmation – check box

Certification.

Signature and printed name of entity’s representative and date signed

Signature and printed name of agent for service of process, and date signed (if different from representative)

Vessel identification

Vessel name

ADF&G vessel registration number

Federal Fisheries Permit number

Attach Authorization Contract

Approval as an Entity Eligible to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation, Respondent
Estimated number of respondents 1 mothership entity 1 catcher/processor entity Total annual responses 1 response per year Total burden hours = 8 hrs Total personnel cost ($25/hr) Total miscellaneous cost ($3.20) Mail (1.35 x 2) = $2.70 Photocopy (5 pp x 0.05 x 2) = $0.50	2 2 16 hrs $400 $3

Approval as an Entity Eligible to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations, Federal Government
Total annual responses Total burden hours = 2 hrs Total personnel cost ($25/hr) Total miscellaneous cost	2 4 $100 0

e. Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations

NMFS will process a request for transfer of Chinook salmon PSC provided that a paper or electronic application is completed, with all information fields accurately filled in. Application forms are available on the NMFS Alaska Region Web site (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/).

Potential Number of Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations

Entities That Could Receive Transferable Allocations
	Catcher/ Processor Sector	Mothership Sector	Inshore Co-Ops	CDQ	Total Transferable
A Season	1	1	7	6	15
B Season	1	1	7	6	15
Annual total	2	2	14	12	30

Including the catcher/processor and mothership sectors, there would be a maximum of 15 different Chinook salmon PSC accounts each season. Separate allocations would be made for the A season and the B season for a total of up to 30 transferable PSC allocation accounts each year. This number of transferable PSC accounts could exist under either the 60,000 Chinook salmon PSC limit or the 47,591 Chinook salmon PSC limit.

The entity receiving a transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation from NMFS would be authorized:

♦ to transfer all or a portion of the entity’s salmon PSC allocation to another entity or

♦ to receive a transfer from another entity (authorized to sign transfer request forms), and

be responsible for any penalties assessed for exceeding the entity’s salmon PSC allocation.

A transfer is a voluntary request to NMFS. A transfer is initiated by the transferor moving a specific amount of a Chinook salmon PSC allocation from his or her account to another entity’s account. NMFS will review the transferor’s catch account to ensure sufficient Chinook salmon is available to transfer. If enough Chinook salmon are in the account, NMFS will make that transfer effective immediately. Transfers to eligible entities may occur at any time in a season but transfers cannot be made between the B and A seasons.

Upon receipt of an approved transfer request, NMFS will issue Bering Sea Chinook salmon prohibited species catch (PSC) allocations to the catcher/processor sector entity, the mothership sector entity, inshore cooperatives, and CDQ groups. NMFS will issue separate PSC allocations for the A season and the B season. PSC remaining from the A season could be used in the B season (“rollover”).

Transferees may receive transfers of PSC to cover overages (post-delivery transfers). NMFS will evaluate overages of Chinook salmon PSC on June 25 for the A season and on December 1 for the B season.

This would provide entities 15 days after the end of the A season and 30 days after the end of the B season to obtain post delivery transfers to reduce or eliminate any overages. NMFS would allow 30 days after the end of the B season for post delivery transfers because pollock fishing will cease for the remainder of the year on November 1. If, after NMFS allows for post-delivery transfers to cover an overage, an entity exceeded its Chinook salmon PSC allocation, the entity would be subject to an enforcement action for violating NMFS regulations.

Requests for transfers may be submitted to NMFS either electronically or non-electronically. The form is available on the NMFS Alaska Region website (http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/).

Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations

Non-Electronic

Identification of transferor

Name and NMFS person ID

Permanent (and temporary, if applicable) Business Mailing Address

Business Telephone No., Business Fax No, and Business E-mail address:

Identification of transferee

Name and NMFS person ID

Permanent (and temporary, if applicable) Business Mailing Address

Business Telephone No., Business Fax No, and Business E-mail address:

Chinook Salmon PSC transferred

Number of Chinook salmon

Date of Transfer

Check whether A Season or B Season

Electronic

Identification of transferor

Transferor selects the transferee.

NMFS person ID, password and Transfer

Chinook PSC Amount Transferred

Number of Chinook PSC

Date of Transfer

Whether A Season or B Season

Identification of Transferee.

Transferee accepts transfer

NMFS person ID, password, and Transfer Key

Transfer Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation, Respondents
Total number of respondents (per season) 1 Catcher/processor sector 1 Mothership sector 7 Inshore cooperatives 6 CDQs Total number of responses = 2 Two seasons -- A season and B season Total time burden ($7.50) Time per response = 15 minutes Total personnel cost ($25/hr) Total miscellaneous cost ($17.15) Fax ($5 x 3) = $15 Mail ($0.45 x 2) = $0.90 Online ($0.05 x 25) = $1.25	15 30 8 hrs $200 $17

Transfer Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation, Federal Government
Total number of responses Total time burden Time per response = 30 minutes Total personnel cost ($25/hr) Total miscellaneous cost	30 15 hrs $375 0

It is anticipated that the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support publicly disseminated information. NOAA Fisheries will retain control over the information and safeguard it from improper access, modification, and destruction, consistent with NOAA standards for confidentiality, privacy, and electronic information. See response to Question 10 of this Supporting Statement for more information on confidentiality and privacy. The information collection is designed to yield data that meet all applicable information quality guidelines. Prior to dissemination, the information will be subjected to quality control measures and a pre-dissemination review pursuant to Section 515 of Public Law 106-554.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological techniques or other forms of information technology.

The applications for AFA Inshore Cooperative Permit and AFA Replacement Vessel Permit are available on the NMFS Alaska Region Home Page at http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov. The applications are fillable onscreen and may be printed and submitted by mail, or fax. The AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification does not have a form. Future plans of the NMFS Alaska Region are to allow completion of applications online through the Internet.

The Application for Transfer of Chinook PSC allocation may be submitted online at this Web site. The Application for Eligibility to Receive Transferable PSC has an attachment with original signatures and must be mailed to the Regional Administrator, NMFS, P.O. Box 21668,

Juneau, AK 99802, or sent by courier to the Office of the Regional Administrator, 709 West 9th St., Juneau, AK 99801.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication.

No duplication exists with other information collections.

5. If the collection of information involves small businesses or other small entities, describe the methods used to minimize burden.

The AFA Program consists of western Alaska Community Development Quota (CDQ) organizations and Alaskan communities that are home to the shorebased processors (which are small entities) and inshore processors, motherships, catcher/processors, and cooperatives (which are large entities).

The proposed action applies only to those entities that participate in the directed pollock trawl fishery in the Bering Sea. The only small entities that are directly regulated by this action are the six western Alaska CDQ organizations, and the impact is not significant.

6. Describe the consequences to the Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently.

If this collection were not conducted or conducted less frequently, the consequences would be that the program would be jeopardized and NMFS could not fulfill the intent of the AFA. With regard to commercial fishing vessels operating in the directed BSAI pollock fishery, the AFA established the legal basis for achieving the objective of reducing excessive fishing capacity and management regulatory conditions that could contribute to the creation of an environment capable of fostering operational inefficiencies in this fishery (Division C, Title II of P.L.

105-277) including limiting entry into the fishery, cooperative formation, allocations of pollock, and development of sideboard measures.

The purpose of the proposed action is to minimize Chinook salmon PSC to the extent practicable while achieving optimum yield from the pollock fishery. The proposed action is necessary to ensure long-term conservation and abundance of salmon, maintain a healthy marine ecosystem, provide maximum benefit to fishermen and communities that depend on salmon and pollock, and comply with the Magnuson–Stevens Act. If the information were not collected annually, NMFS would be unable to achieve these goals.

Mitigation of potential adverse impacts to non-AFA fishermen and processors is also mandated by the AFA. The intent of this action is to provide permits for an AFA Program in the BSAI.

7. Explain any special circumstances that require the collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.

No special circumstances exist.

8. Provide information on the PRA Federal Register Notice that solicited public comments on the information collection prior to this submission. Summarize the public comments received in response to that notice and describe the actions taken by the agency in response to those comments. Describe the efforts to consult with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the availability of data, frequency of collection, the clarity of instructions and recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting format (if any), and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported.

A Federal Register Notice published on March 12, 2013 (78 FR 15705) solicited public comments. No comments were received.

On May 20, 2013, the Program Administrator of Restricted Access Management (RAM) provided a list of three AFA inshore cooperative managers for solicitation of comments as required by OMB for information collection extension; these managers interact regularly with RAM regarding AFA cooperative permits, AFA vessel contracts, and AFA vessel permits.

Each company was contacted by telephone or e-mail to notify them that NMFS AKR had developed a brief questionnaire regarding the AFA permits information collection and would appreciate their participation. Each agreed to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire is provided in the Appendix.

Responses to the questionnaire from three different companies are summarized below:

AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit – Annual -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/afa/afacoop.pdf
1. Is the information requested on the permit application easily available?	COMMENTS		YES	NO	No Comment
	As we have been putting the applications together the same way every year, and the information required does not change from year to year unless the vessels in our inshore Cooperative change. We usually just need to fill out and sign a new application, which only takes a few minutes		111
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?	Possibly		11		1
	The applications are pretty easy and convenient to put together as is, but they do require a lot of paper. If online submission would decrease paper use and mailing fees, it would be convenient
3. Is our estimate of 2 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information? IF NO, how long does it take to complete a permit application?			111
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?	We have been putting the applications together the same way every year, and have never had any problems filling out the application		11
5. Do you think that re-applying each year for the permit is necessary?	I think the application only needs to be re-applied for if the membership changes. This is a very infrequent occurrence.		1	11
	Yes, Coop members may change from year to year
6. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the permit application	Either online or email submission of applications would be a more convenient and cost-effective method of submitting applications than the current mail or fax method, not just for this permit but for all RAM permits that require paper or faxed applications		1		11

AFA Vessel Contract Fishing Notification – Annual -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/afa/afafishcontract.pdf
1. Is the information requested on the permit application easily available?	COMMENTS		YES	NO	No Comment
	Unless a form has been developed for this recently, we have adopted our own format for submitting this information. The information needed is not hard to find, however, a more universal process for doing this would be helpful.		11	1
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?	It would be nice to have this all done online much like we can transfer crab in the Crab Rat program		111
3. Is our estimate of 4 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information? IF NO, how long does it take to complete an application?	A lot of time is taken up tracking down signatures from the vessel owner and both Coop reps. This was the same bottleneck we saw with crab transfers until it went web based and now signatures are no longer needed.		111
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?			11		1
5. Do you think that re-applying each year for the permit is necessary?	We don’t require a contract fishing notification each year, and each one is different, so I think this has to be on an as-needed basis. In our experience, this contract has not been effective for an entire year.		1	11
	The contract fishing should be for the calendar year only. Contracted vessels often change from year to year.
6. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the permit application					111

AFA Application For Replacement Vessel – As necessary -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/afa/afacvrplfrm.pdf		NOT APPLICABLE. We have not yet had to complete an Application for an Replacement Vessel 11
1. Is the information requested on the permit application easily available?	COMMENTS		YES	NO	No Comment
			1
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?			1
3. Is our estimate of 1 hour long enough for you to collect and record the information? If NO, how long does it take to complete an application?			1
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?			1
5. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the permit application					1

Application For Transfer Of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation – Seasonal -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/bycatch/salmon/chinook/forms/psc_transfer.pdf		NOT APPLICABLE. We have not yet had a need to request a transfer of Chinook salmon 11
1. Is the information requested on the permit application easily available?	COMMENTS		YES	NO	No Comment
			1
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?			1
3. Is our estimate of 8 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information? IF NO, how long does it take to complete an application?			1
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?			1
5. Do you think that re-applying each season for the permit is necessary?				1
6. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the permit application					1

Application For Approval As An Entity To Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation – Seasonal -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/bycatch/salmon/chinook/forms/psc_eligibility.pdf		NOT APPLICABLE 11
1. Is the information requested on the permit application easily available?	COMMENTS		YES	NO	No Comment
				1
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?			1
3. Is our estimate of 8 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information? IF NO, how long does it take to complete an application?			1
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?			1
5. Do you think that re-applying each season for the permit is necessary?				1
6. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the permit application					1

Responses to the suggestions for increased online forms were that NOAA does plan for all forms to be submittable online, and each year, more forms have this capability.

9. Explain any decisions to provide payments or gifts to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payment or gift is provided under this program.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy.

As stated on the forms, the information collected is confidential under section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. It is also confidential under NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics.

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private.

This collection of information does not include questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide an estimate in hours of the burden of the collection of information.

Estimated total unique respondents: 27 (7 cooperatives, 18 contracted vessels, 2 eligible sectors for salmon PSC transfer), decreased from 61. Estimated total responses: 60, decreased from 76. Estimated total burden: 112 hr, decreased from 181 hr. Estimated total personnel costs: $ 1,900, decreased from $ 4,575.

13. Provide an estimate of the total annual cost burden to the respondents or record-keepers resulting from the collection (excluding the value of the burden hours in Question 12 above).

Estimated total miscellaneous costs: $ 118, decreased from $ 124.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government.

Estimated total burden: 31, decreased from 39 hr. Estimated total personnel cost: $775, decreased from $820.

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments.

Program Changes:

Application for Replacement Vessel and Application for Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit: removal of notary requirement, resulting in decreases of $4 and $27.

Adjustments : Some adjustments are due to increased postage to $ 0.45 per unit. Photocopy costs are reduced from 0.10 to 0.05 because cost per single copy has decreased.

Application for Replacement Vessel is adjusted to increase the number of respondents.

an increase of 2 respondents and responses, 3 instead of 1

an increase of 1 hour, 2 instead of 1

a decrease of $4 miscellaneous cost, $2 instead of $6

Application for Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit is adjusted to decrease the number of respondents and to correct the miscellaneous cost.

a decrease of 1 respondent and response, 7 instead of 8

a decrease of 2 hours burden, 14 instead of 16 hours

a decrease of $27 miscellaneous cost, $18 instead of $45

Application for Vessel Contract is adjusted to decrease the number of respondents and to correct the miscellaneous cost.

a decrease of 17 respondents and responses, 18 instead of 35

a decrease of 68 hours burden, 72 instead of 140 hours

an increase of $10 miscellaneous cost, $78 instead of $68

a decrease of $1,700 personnel costs, $1,800 instead of $3,500

Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation is adjusted to account for the few respondents that do not submit online.

an increase of $15, $17 instead of $2.

16. For collections whose results will be published, outline the plans for tabulation and publication.

The information collected will not be published.

17. If seeking approval to not display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection, explain the reasons why display would be inappropriate.

Not Applicable.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

Not Applicable.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.

APPENDIX

QUESTIONS FOR 0648-0393 COLLECTION – AFA PERMITS

To satisfy the paperwork requirements of the Office of Management and Burden (OMB). NMFS Alaska Region is seeking your opinion on the American Fisheries Act (AFA) permit collection, OMB Control Number 0648-0393. The AFA Permits collection includes permit applications, Bering Sea Chinook allocation transfers, and a vessel contract fishing notification.

Please provide a copy of these questions to all persons at your organization that work with your AFA permits and submit their responses to NMFS.

If a certain form or permit does not apply to your organization, check N/A, and go to the next form. If you do have a certain permit, mark YES. Within each form, please make a check mark to indicate your answer and write a brief response under Comments.

Please call or email your responses to Patsy A. Bearden at 907-586-7008, or email patsy.bearden@noaa.gov no later than Wednesday, May 22, 2013, or if you have any questions.

AFA INSHORE CATCHER VESSEL COOPERATIVE PERMIT – annual -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/afa/afacoop.pdf
[__] YES, I have this permit [__] Not applicable
1. Is the information requested on the coop permit application easily available?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
3. Is our estimate of 2 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
IF NO, how long does it take to complete a coop permit application?
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?	[__] YES
COMMENTS:	[__] NO
	[__] NO COMMENT
5. Do you think that re-applying each year for the coop permit is necessary?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
6. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the AFA coop permit application	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:

AFA VESSEL CONTRACT FISHING NOTIFICATION – annual -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/afa/afafishcontract.pdf
[__] YES, I submit this notification [__] Not applicable
1. Is the information requested on the contract fishing notification easily available?	[__] YES
COMMENTS:	[__] NO
	[__] NO COMMENT
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online notification?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
3. Is our estimate of 4 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
IF NO, how long does it take to complete a contract fishing notification?
4. Are the instructions for the notification clear and understandable?	[__] YES
COMMENTS:	[__] NO
	[__] NO COMMENT
5. Do you think that re-applying each year for the contract fishing notification is necessary?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
6. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the contract notification.	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:

AFA APPLICATION FOR REPLACEMENT VESSEL – as necessary -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/ram/afa/afacvrplfrm.pdf
[__] YES, I have this permit [__] Not applicable
1. Is the information requested on the replacement vessel application easily available?	[__] YES
COMMENTS:	[__] NO
	[__] NO COMMENT
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
3. Is our estimate of 1 hour long enough for you to collect and record the information?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
IF NO, how long does it take to complete a coop permit application?
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?	[__] YES
COMMENTS:	[__] NO
	[__] NO COMMENT
5. Provide any additional comments on any aspect of the AFA replacement vessel application	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:

APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER OF BERING SEA CHINOOK SALMON PSC ALLOCATION – seasonal -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/bycatch/salmon/chinook/forms/psc_transfer.pdf
[__] YES, I have this permit [__] Not applicable
1. Is the information requested on the Chinook salmon PSC transfer application easily available?	[__] YES
COMMENTS:	[__] NO
	[__] NO COMMENT
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
3. Is our estimate of 8 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
IF NO, how long does it take to complete a coop permit application?
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?	[__] YES
COMMENTS:	[__] NO
	[__] NO COMMENT
5. Do you think that re-applying each season for the permit is necessary?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
6. Provide additional comments on any aspect of the Chinook salmon PSC transfer application	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:

APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL AS AN ENTITY TO RECEIVE TRANSFERABLE CHINOOK SALMON PSC ALLOCATION – seasonal -- http://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/sustainablefisheries/bycatch/salmon/chinook/forms/psc_eligibility.pdf
[__] YES, I have this permit [__] Not applicable
1. Is the information requested on the Chinook Salmon PSC entity approval application easily available?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
2. Would it be less expensive or take less time to complete an online application?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
3. Is our estimate of 8 hours long enough for you to collect and record the information?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
IF NO, how long does it take to complete a coop permit application?
4. Are the instructions for the application clear and understandable?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
5. Do you think that re-applying each season for the permit is necessary?	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:
6. Provide additional comments on any aspect of the Chinook PSC entity approval application	[__] YES [__] NO [__] NO COMMENT
COMMENTS:

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