0648-0393 Supporting Statement Part A

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Alaska American Fisheries Act (AFA) Permits

OMB Control No. 0648-0393

This request is for extension of this information collection.

INTRODUCTION

National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region (NMFS) manages the 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 (BSAI 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 BSAI FMP. Regulations implementing the FMP appear at 50 CFR part 679.

The American Fisheries Act (AFA) was signed into law in October 1998. The purpose of the AFA was to tighten U.S. ownership standards that had been exploited under the Anti-reflagging Act, and to provide the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI) pollock fleet the opportunity to conduct their fishery in a more rational manner while protecting non-AFA participants in the other fisheries. The AFA established sector allocations in the BSAI pollock fishery, determined eligible vessels and processors, allowed the formation of cooperatives, set limits on the participation of AFA vessels in other fisheries, and imposed special catch weighing and monitoring requirements on AFA vessels.

NMFS incorporated the relevant provisions of the AFA into the BSAI FMP and established a comprehensive management program to implement the AFA.

A. JUSTIFICATION

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Cite all applicable authorities for this information collection.

The original AFA is available on the NMFS Alaska Region Website.¹ The original AFA had two subtitles. Subtitle I generally pertained to the issuance of Federal fishery endorsements. Subtitle II pertained to the management of the Bering Sea pollock fishery. Subtitle II made significant changes in the management of the Bering Sea pollock fishery. The United States Coast Guard (USCG), in conjunction with the Maritime Administration, implemented Subtitle I, and NMFS implemented Subtitle II.

The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (Coast Guard Act) amended the provisions of the original AFA that pertain to the issuance of Federal fishery endorsements and amended provisions that pertain to the management of the Bering Sea pollock fishery. The AFA amendments allow AFA rebuilt and replacement vessels to receive a Federal fishery endorsement, even if the vessel did not have a Federal fishery endorsement as of September 25, 1997. Thus, an AFA rebuilt and AFA replacement vessel may receive a Federal fishery endorsement even if the vessel exceeds the statutory thresholds for length, weight, and horsepower: 165 feet registered length, 750 gross registered tons, or 3,000 shaft horsepower. In addition, the Coast Guard Act allows the rebuilding, replacement, and removal of AFA vessels to improve the safety and efficiency of the AFA fleet.

Any vessel used to engage in directed fishing for a non-western Alaska community development quota (non-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 on board the vessel or at the facility location at all times while non-CDQ pollock is being harvested or processed.

Permanent AFA permits (AFA catcher vessel, AFA catcher/processor, AFA mothership, and AFA inshore processor) for the BSAI pollock fishery had a one-time application deadline of December 1, 2000, and were issued with an indefinite expiration date. Therefore, except for participants that require annual or replacement permits, all AFA entities required to have a permit are already permitted.

This information collection contains five components necessary to manage the Bering Sea pollock fishery under the AFA.

Component	50 CFR
Application for AFA Permit: Rebuilt, Replaced, or Removed Vessel	§ 679.4(l)(7)
Application for American Fisheries Act Inshore Cooperative Permit	§ 679.4(l)(6)
AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification	§ 679.62(c)
Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation	§ 679.21(f)(8)
Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations	§ 679.21(f)(9)

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.

The following table summarizes how, by whom, and how frequently each of the components of this collection are submitted.

Component1	How is the information submitted?2	Who Submits the Information?	How frequently is the information submitted?
Application for AFA Permit: Rebuilt, Replaced, or Removed Vessel	Mail (RAM), fax, delivery	Vessel owner	When a vessel is rebuilt, replaced, or removed from the fishery.
Application for American Fisheries Act Inshore Cooperative Permit	Mail (RAM), fax, delivery	AFA cooperative representatives	Annually to renew permit and as needed to add or remove cooperative member vessels from permit
AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification	Mail (RAM), fax, delivery	AFA cooperative representatives	As needed when contracting with a non-member vessel
Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation	Mail (SF), fax, eFISH	AFA mothership sector representative; AFA catcher/processor representative	Once, then as needed to amend or revoke.
Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations	Mail (SF), fax, eFISH	AFA sector representatives, AFA cooperative representatives, CDQ group representatives	As needed when transferring all or a portion of the entity’s Chinook salmon PSC allocation. To date, no applications have been submitted as the Chinook salmon PSC limits have not been reached.

¹ Forms are available as fillable pdfs on the NMFS Alaska Region website.

² Mail (RAM): NMFS Alaska Region, Restricted Access Management, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668

Mail (SF): NMFS Alaska Region, Sustainable Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668

Delivery: 709 West 9^th Street, Room 713, Juneau, AK, 99801

Fax: (907) 586-7354

eFISH: https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login

The following addresses the purpose for which the information is collected and some additional information about how the information is collected.

American Fisheries Act (AFA) Permit: Rebuilt, Replacement, or Removed Vessel Application

Vessel owners submit the American Fisheries Act (AFA) Permit: Rebuilt, Replacement, or Removed Vessel Application to NMFS for the following purposes:

• Notify NMFS that an AFA vessel has been rebuilt;

• Request an AFA permit for a replacement catcher vessel, catcher/processor; or mothership; or

• Request removal of an AFA catcher vessel that is a member of an inshore cooperative and assignment of the catch history of that vessel to other vessel or vessels in the same inshore cooperative.

In order to improve vessel safety and operational efficiency (including fuel efficiency), the owner of an AFA vessel may rebuild or replace that vessel with a vessel documented with a fishery endorsement under section 12113 of Title 46 of the U.S. Code.

Applications to replace lost or destroyed AFA vessels may be submitted to NMFS Restricted Management Program (RAM) at any time. 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. 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). This is a one-time only submittal.

The owner of an AFA catcher vessel that is a member of an inshore cooperative may remove that vessel from the Bering Sea directed pollock fishery. If the owner applies to do that, the owner must direct NMFS to assign the pollock catch history of the vessel being removed to other vessel or vessels in the cooperative of the removed vessel. The catcher vessel(s) receiving the pollock catch history of the removed vessel must remain in the fishery cooperative for at least one year after the date on which NMFS approves the application for removal of the catcher vessel.

The following deadlines apply for the application:

• Rebuild an AFA vessel: The owner shall notify NMFS and provide USCG documentation for the rebuilt vessel within 30 days of the issuance of the documentation.

• Total or constructive loss of an AFA vessel: The owner of the AFA vessel shall notify NMFS in writing within 120 days of the date of the vessel loss.

• Lost vessel: The AFA permit on the lost vessel shall remain valid from the date of the vessel loss until three years from December 31 of the year of the vessel loss, unless the AFA permit on the lost vessel is revoked before that date because the lost vessel was replaced or removed.

An AFA rebuilt or replacement vessel shall be eligible to participate in fisheries in the EEZ off Alaska and subject to the same restrictions and limitations as the original vessel. However, if the replacement vessel does not already hold a USCG fishery endorsement, 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.

An AFA vessel that is rebuilt or replaced after October 15, 2010, is exempt from the maximum length overall (MLOA) on a License Limitation Program ( LLP) groundfish license with a Bering Sea and/or Aleutian Islands area endorsement when the vessel is fishing pursuant to that license, whether the vessel before rebuilding or replacement was exempt.

Application for AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit

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. Seven inshore cooperatives currently exist: Akutan Catcher Vessel Association, Arctic Enterprise Association, Northern Victor Fleet Cooperative, Peter Pan Fleet Cooperative, Unalaska Cooperative, UniSea Fleet Cooperative, and Westward Fleet Cooperative.

NMFS uses the information obtained from the Application for AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit to identify the universe of participating vessels and processors in the BSAI pollock fishery prior to start of each fishing year.

Each AFA inshore catcher vessel cooperative representative submits this application annually to obtain an AFA Inshore Catcher Vessel Cooperative Permit and identify the vessels and processors that will be participating in the BSAI pollock fishery prior to the start of each fishing year.

A cooperative representative also uses this application to add or subtract a catcher vessel to or from an inshore cooperative fishing permit prior to the application deadline. Upon approval, NMFS will issue an amended cooperative fishing permit.

NMFS must receive the application 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.

AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification

Previously, the inshore vessel contract fishing notification could assume any format, but with this renewal, a new form has been added. The form helps ensure complete information is submitted to NMFS. No change was made to the information collected.

An AFA inshore cooperative that intends to contract with a vessel that is a member of another AFA inshore cooperative must submit the AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification form to NMFS, Alaska Region for each contracted vessel. A separate form must be submitted for each cooperative for which the vessel harvests.

The information derived from this notification will help cooperatives understand how their catch is accounted, and also will alert NMFS inseason management that some vessels might be reporting with an alternative cooperative identification.

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.

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

Each year, NMFS will allocate to AFA sectors a portion of the Chinook salmon PSC limit per §679.21(f).

The Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation is submitted by an entity representing the catcher/processor sector or the mothership sector to request approval to receive transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocations on behalf of members of the sector. Once approved, an entity is not required to reapply for or renew its status. This application is also used by the entities to submit updated contact and other information related to the entity and its members.

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 Chinook salmon PSC limit.

Once submitted, the authorization contract attached to the application is valid until amended or revoked by the parties to the contract.

The initial or amended application and contract must be received by NMFS no later than 1700 hours A.l.t. on October 1 of the year prior to the fishing year for which the Chinook salmon PSC allocations are effective.

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 Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations

The Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations is submitted by an authorized representative of the catcher/processor sector, the mothership sector, an inshore cooperative, or a CDQ group to transfer Chinook salmon PSC allocations to another entity’s account.

An entity receiving a transferable Chinook salmon PSC allocation from NMFS would be authorized to—

• 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.

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 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 PSC transfers 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.

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 could 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. However, to date the Chinook salmon PSC limits have not been reached; therefore, no transfer applications have been submitted. For purposes of this analysis, 5 respondents is used in the tables in questions 12 and 13.

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.

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 are available on the NMFS Alaska website.² The applications are fillable onscreen and may be printed and submitted by mail or fax.

The Application for Transfer of Chinook PSC Allocation and the Application for Approval as an Entity Eligibility to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation may be submitted online using eFISH, the NMFS-approved electronic reporting system.³

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 CDQ groups are considered small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act because they are non-profit corporations. NMFS attempts to minimize the burden of this collection on all respondents by collecting only information necessary to manage the AFA Program. All of the applications are available online as fillable pdfs. Two applications are also able to be submitted online through eFISH, which is the preferred and most cost effective method for the CDQ groups to submit information to NMFS. Allowing the back-up method of submitting a form by fax or mail provides options in the case of internet outages or other operational difficulties. A toll-free phone number is available for participants to contact NMFS staff for help or information with the applications.

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 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.

Additionally, instruments in this collection are associated with minimizing Chinook salmon PSC to the extent practicable while achieving optimum yield from the pollock fishery. This 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, NMFS would be unable to achieve these goals.

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 October 4, 2019 (84 FR 53106) solicited public comments. The comment period ended December 3, 2019. No comments were received.

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.

All information collections by NMFS, Alaska Region, are protected under confidentiality provisions of section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act as amended in 2006 (16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.) and under NOAA Administrative Order 216-100, which sets forth procedures to protect confidentiality of fishery statistics. The System of Records Notice that covers this information collection is COMMERCE/NOAA-19, Permits and Registrations for United States Federally Regulated Fisheries. An amended Privacy Act system of records notice was published in the Federal Register on August 7, 2015 (80 FR 47457), and became effective September 15, 2015 (80 FR 55327).

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.

Information Collection	Type of Respondent (Occupational Title)	# of Respondents (a)	Annual # of Responses / Respondent (b)	Total # of Annual Responses (c) = (a) x (b)	Burden Hrs / Response (d)	Total Annual Burden Hrs (e) = (c) x (d)	Mean Hourly Wage Rate (for Type of Respondent) (f)	Total Annual Wage Burden Costs (g) = (e) x (f)
Application for AFA Permit: Rebuilt, Replaced, or Removed Vessel	Vessel owner	12	1	12	1	12	$23.84†	$286
Application for American Fisheries Act Inshore Cooperative Permit	AFA cooperative representatives	21	1	21	2	42	$75	$3,150
AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification	AFA cooperative representatives	44	1	44	4	176	$75	$13,200
Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation	AFA mothership sector representative; AFA catcher/processor representative	2	1	2	8	16	$75	$1,200
Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations	AFA sector representatives, AFA cooperative representatives, CDQ group representatives	5	1	5	1	5	$75	$375
Totals				84		251		$18,211

^†Mean hourly wage. Occupation Code 45-0000 (Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations), Sector 11 (Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting). May 2018 Occupational Employment Statistics Research Estimates, Alaska.

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).

Information Collection	# of Respondents (a)	Annual # of Responses / Respondent (b)	Total # of Annual Responses (c) = (a) x (b)	Cost Burden / Respondent* (h)	Total Annual Cost Burden (i)=(c) x (h)
Application for AFA Permit: Rebuilt, Replaced, or Removed Vessel	12	1	12	Operating costs - $5	$60
Application for American Fisheries Act Inshore Cooperative Permit	21	1	21	Operating costs - $5	$105
AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification	44	1	44	Operating costs - $5	$220
Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation	2	1	2	Operating costs - $5	$10
Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations	5	1	5	Operating costs - $5	$25
TOTALS			84		$420

*Operating costs include postage, fax, and internet.

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

Cost Descriptions	Grade/Step	Loaded Salary /Cost	% of Effort	Fringe (if Applicable)	Total Cost to Government
Federal Oversight	ZS-IV	$105,619	5%		$5,281
	ZA-IV	$186,046	2%		$3,721
Contractor Cost		–	–	–	$0
Travel					$0
Other Costs					$0
TOTAL					$9,002

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

The following tables show the changes and in the number of respondents, responses, time estimates, labor costs, and miscellaneous costs; and explains the reasons for these changes.

Information Collection	Respondents		Responses		Burden Hours		Reason for change or adjustment
	Current Renewal / Revision	Previous Renewal / Revision	Current Renewal / Revision	Previous Renewal / Revision	Current Renewal / Revision	Previous Renewal / Revision
Application for AFA Permit: Rebuilt, Replaced, or Removed Vessel	12	3	12	3	12	3	Increased number of estimated respondents and responses based on the most recently available data
Application for American Fisheries Act Inshore Cooperative Permit	21	7	21	7	42	14	Increased number of estimated respondents and responses based on the most recently available data
AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification	44	18	44	18	176	72	Increased the number of estimated respondents and responses based on the most recently available data.
Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation	2	2	2	2	16	16	No change
Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations	5	15	5	30	5	30	Decreased number of estimated respondents and responses based on the most recently available data.
Total for Collection	27*	27	84	60	251	135 hrs

* Unique respondents. Some participants in the AFA Program submit more than one instrument in this information collection. Therefore, the number of unique respondents is used to show the estimated number of individual participants who are expected to annually submit information during the renewal period for this information collection. The estimated number of unique respondents consists of 7 inshore cooperatives; 1 catcher/processor sector representative; 1 mothership sector representative; 6 CDQ groups; and 12 potential rebuild, replace, remove vessel owners.

Information Collection	Labor Costs		Miscellaneous Costs		Reason for change or adjustment
	Current	Previous	Current	Previous
Application for AFA Permit: Rebuilt, Replaced, or Removed Vessel	286	111	60	7	Updated labor and operating costs
Application for American Fisheries Act Inshore Cooperative Permit	3,150	518	105	20	Updated labor and operating costs
AFA Inshore Vessel Contract Fishing Notification	13,200	2,664	220	93	Updated labor and operating costs
Application for Approval as an Entity to Receive Transferable Chinook Salmon PSC Allocation	1,200	592	10	7	Updated labor and operating costs
Application for Transfer of Bering Sea Chinook Salmon PSC Allocations	375	1,110	25	19	Updated labor and operating costs
Total for Collection	$18,211	$4,995	$420	$146

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

Information from this collection may be provided to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council or the public with appropriate application of confidentiality requirements. NMFS posts some information on the AFA from this collection on the NMFS Alaska Region permits and licenses web page,⁴ including lists by year of AFA catcher/processors, catcher vessels, inshore cooperatives, inshore cooperative member vessels, inshore processors, and motherships.

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.

The expiration date will be displayed for this information collection.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement.

There are no exceptions for compliance with provisions in the certification statement.

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS

This collection does not employ statistical methods.

1 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/rules-and-regulations/regulations-acts-treaties-and-agreements-federal-fisheries-alaska

2 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/american-fisheries-act-afa-pollock-applications-and-forms

3 https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/webapps/efish/login

4 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/commercial-fishing/permits-and-licenses-issued-alaska#american-fisheries-act

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