The National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) requires vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and declaration
reports to participate in the commercial sectors of the Pacific
Coast groundfish fishery. These requirements allow NMFS to monitor
vessel compliance with closed areas. The declaration reports also
allow NMFS to determine which fishery a vessel is participating in
to determine which regulations apply during a specific fishing
trip. Under the action to revise and eliminate regulations
governing the use of groundfish bottom and midwater trawl gear for
the West Coast Trawl Rationalization Program (0648-BH74), vessels
will only be able to declare one type of trawl gear at a time.
However, because the revised regulations under this action would
allow vessels to carry and fish multiple types of groundfish trawl
gear (groundfish bottom trawl and midwater trawl only) on the same
trip, these vessels need to be able to make a new declaration to
the new gear without having to return to port to do so. Under the
new regulations, vessels be allowed to make the declarations from
sea. Vessels would still need to make a declaration any time they
switched to a gear other than the one that had been declared, but
they would not be required to return to port to make the new
declaration. The numbers of declarations required would not change
under this request. The revised declaration requirement is not
expected to make significant changes in burden or cost.
PL:
Pub.L. 94 - 265 303 Name of Law: Magnson-Stevens Fishery
Management and Conservation Act
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.