0648-0515 Supporting Statement A_BL69

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Alaska Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS)

OMB Control No. 0648-0515

Abstract

This is a resubmission, with the final rule, of a request by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Alaska Regional Office, for extension and revision of this currently approved information collection.

This collection contains landing reports, production reports, and logbooks submitted through IERS, which provides the Alaska fishing industry with a consolidated, electronic means of reporting commercial fish and shellfish information to multiple management agencies through a single reporting system.

Landing reports document the harvest of fish and shellfish that is sold, discarded, or retained by fishermen. Production reports provide information on the amount of processed product generated by processors. Logbooks provide information about where and when fishing effort occurs.

NMFS uses this information for inseason and inter-season management decisions that affect the fishery resources and the fishing industry that uses those resources. Collecting this information is necessary to promote successful management of groundfish, crab, Pacific halibut, and salmon resources.

Benefits of the IERS include improved data quality, automated data processing, improved process for correcting or updating information, availability of more timely data for fishery managers, reduction of duplicative reporting of similar information to multiple agencies, and continuous online access to individual accounts for participants.

This collection is revised due to the rule (RIN 0648-BL69) to revise monitoring requirements for pot gear catcher/processors in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands groundfish fisheries. This rule is necessary to address management challenges through improved observer data collection. This collection is revised because one of the rule’s monitoring options requires use of the catcher/processor electronic logbook.

Justification

1. Explain the circumstances that make the collection of information necessary. Identify any legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. Attach a copy of the appropriate section of each statute and regulation mandating or authorizing the collection of information.

NMFS, Alaska Region, manages the groundfish and crab fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI) and the groundfish fisheries of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) under fishery management plans (FMPs) for the respective areas. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council prepared, and NMFS approved, the FMPs under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq. Regulations implementing the FMPs appear at 50 CFR parts 679 and 680.

Collecting reliable data is essential to the effective conservation, management, and scientific understanding of the fishery resources. NMFS requires vessels and processors participating in federally managed groundfish and crab fisheries off Alaska to provide information on catch, production, effort, and other information necessary for conservation and management of the fisheries.

The IERS is a fisheries data collection system that enables the management of commercial fisheries off Alaska and is supported through a partnership among NMFS, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the International Pacific Halibut Commission. The IERS provides the Alaska fishing industry with a consolidated, electronic means of reporting commercial fish and shellfish information to multiple management agencies. The agencies worked together to implement a system that enables the seafood industry to report landings, production, and effort to fishery management agencies through a single application. The recordkeeping and reporting requirements for the IERS are located at 50 CFR 679.5.

Compared with paper forms and conventional logbooks, the IERS is a more convenient, accurate, and timely method of fisheries reporting. Benefits of the IERS include improved data quality, automated processing of data, improved process for correcting or updating information, availability of more timely data for fishery managers, and reduction of duplicative reporting of similar information to multiple agencies. (For more information on the goals of the IERS and progress achieving those goals, see A Review of the Alaska Interagency Electronic Reporting System [IERS] with an Emphasis on Costs and Benefits to Stakeholders.¹)

Additionally, the IERS provides continuous online access to individual accounts by participants. These provisions make recordkeeping and reporting requirements less burdensome by allowing participants to more efficiently monitor their accounts and fishing activities.

Revision Due to Associated Rule (RIN 0648-BL69)

This information collection is revised due to the final rule to revise the monitoring requirements for pot gear catcher/processors participating in BSAI groundfish fisheries (RIN 0648-BL69).

NMFS proposes improvements to existing data collected by observers deployed by the North Pacific Observer Program (Observer Program) for management of the BSAI pot catcher/processor sector. The BSAI pot catcher/processor fleet is managed in part under the License Limitation Program (LLP), which requires an LLP license endorsed for the directed fishing of groundfish in the BSAI (see OMB Control No 0648-0334). The pot catcher/processor fleet targets primarily Pacific cod using pot gear with single lines. The BSAI pot catcher/processor fleet is relatively small, and seasons in the BSAI are often short, lasting approximately one to two weeks during the A season (beginning January 1) and the B season (beginning September 1) in recent years. The fast pace of fishing with single pot gear, high sampling workload, and the need for close communication between the captain and observer make this fleet one of the most difficult fisheries for the Observer Program to sample. This fleet is separate from catcher/processors using pot gear for the groundfish Community Development Quota (CDQ) Program (63 FR 30381; June 4, 1998), and this action will not change the groundfish CDQ regulations.

This rule is necessary to address management challenges through improved observer data collection. Observer data is NMFS’s preferred source of information for estimating catch and discards in the BSAI pot catcher/processor fishery. Observer data is used by NMFS for inseason management in near real time, making it imperative this data is as complete and accurate as possible. Currently, NMFS’s management of the BSAI pot catcher/processor fishery is difficult due to a high rate of observer data loss, either by deletion by the Observer Program due to flawed data collection or by observers failing to collect data in the first place.

Accurate observer haul estimates are important to the fleet, as well as NMFS. Participants in the BSAI pot catcher/processor fishery have expressed concern with observer haul estimates compared to vessel production weights. Precise haul estimates are important to the fleet for catch accounting during their short seasons. NMFS has received feedback and inquiries from several active vessels about adding observer coverage, workstations, and scales to address concerns about extrapolated estimates. Since at least 2014, where deletion of observer data has occurred in the fishery due to data collection errors, it has resulted in substantial changes to the estimates of catch and bycatch.

This action provides three voluntary options for pot catcher/processors to install equipment or operational requirements that may further improve the precision of observer data. Specifying the requirements of the voluntary options through regulations provides NMFS the authority to enforce the monitoring standards needed to ensure the quality of data collected. Although some substantial costs to participants may be associated with installing the equipment for these monitoring options, these options, and therefore costs, are voluntary. Some vessels expected to participate already have this equipment installed because it is required for other fisheries in which they participate.

This information collection is revised to include regulations that require use of an electronic logbook as a component of one of the voluntary monitoring options. The voluntary option will allow a motion-compensated, NMFS-approved scale to measure the total catch of Pacific cod, in conjunction with a motion compensated platform scale for testing, electronic logbook, and video monitoring. Use of a NMFS-approved scale to measure total catch of Pacific cod simplifies observer data collection of Pacific cod total haul weights on pot CPs and improves precision of catch estimates. With proper maintenance and testing, these types of haul-level measurements exclude the uncertainty involved from estimating total catch using a randomized sample approach.

If a vessel operator chooses to install a NMFS-approved scale, regulations will apply that are necessary for the proper maintenance and inspection of the scale, which will allow the at-sea scale weights to be used for catch accounting. Vessel operators will be required to maintain the scales within the scale requirements at § 679.28(b) to ensure data quality. These requirements include daily testing by the vessel operator in the presence of an observer for each calendar day the scale is used at sea. Vessels operators must record the test results through an electronic logbook.

Six BSAI pot catcher/processors are directly regulated by this rule. NMFS expects only one vessel to choose the voluntary option that includes the electronic logbook requirement. This vessel already submits the electronic logbook due to its participation in another fishery. Therefore, this vessel was already included in the number of respondents and responses and the burden for this collection (0648-0515), and no changes to the respondents, responses, or burden was needed due to the rule.

This rule also affects two other information collections (OMB Control Numbers 0648-0318 and -0330). NMFS is submitting separate requests for the revisions to those collections.

2. Indicate how, by whom, and for what purpose the information is to be used. Except for a new collection, indicate the actual use the agency has made of the information received from the current collection.

All U.S. vessels harvesting fish in the EEZ and processors receiving EEZ fish are required to hold a Federal permit and thus comply with recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Information is entered into the IERS by participants of the commercial fishing industry, who are collectively referred to as the “Users” of the system. A User, for purposes of the IERS, means an individual representative of a Registered Buyer; a Registered Crab Receiver; a mothership or catcher/processor that is required to have a Federal Fisheries Permit (FFP) under § 679.4; a shoreside processor or stationary floating processor (SFP) and mothership that receives groundfish from vessels issued an FFP under § 679.4; any shoreside processor or SFP that is required to have a Federal Processor Permit (FPP) under § 679.4; and their designee(s).

Users enter information into the IERS using three main components, depending on their internet access and transmission capability (see https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries/electronic-reporting for more information):

• eLandings provides web-based access for shoreside and stationary floating processors to submit landings and production information. eLandings is also used by some catcher/processors and motherships who have access to the internet to submit their data.

• seaLandings is a fishery harvest reporting software program that functions without constant Internet connectivity and is installed on computer workstations. The seaLandings interface targets at-sea vessels with limited access to the web (typically for catcher/processors and motherships that report at sea). Landings, production, and eLog information can be sent from seaLandings via direct transmission (a report file is zipped up and sent over the Internet and processed behind the scenes) or via email. The file is attached to an email that is sent to the email server, elecrep@noaa.gov.

• tLandings is a USB-installed program that tenders with no web access can use to enter landings information.

There are four types of collections through the IERS: 1) registration; 2) landing reports;

3) production reports; and 4) electronic logbooks (eLogs). In some cases there are several types of forms within a collection; for example, there are two types of production reports: shoreside production report and at-sea production report.

Table 1 and the following sections provide more information on the collections and the associated forms.

Table 1. Information Requirements and Needs and Uses of Information Collected

Item #	Requirement	Statute	Regulation 50 CFR	From whom will the information be collected?	Submission Method	How frequently will the information be collected?	Needs and Uses	Will the information be shared with any other organizations inside or outside the Department of Commerce or the government?
1 Registration	eLandings Registration	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(2)	New eLandings Users	Electronic and either mail, fax, or delivery	Once, prior to using the eLandings system	Used by the public to request authorization to use eLandings, create a unique User ID, and obtain a password. Used by NMFS to identify the participant and authorize the participant to use eLandings.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division.
2 Landing Reports (LR)	Shoreside Processors LR (non IFQ)	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(5)	The manager of a shoreside processor, SFP, or community quota entity floating processor that receives groundfish from a catcher vessel issued an FFP under § 679.4 and that is required to have an FPP under § 679.4(f)	Electronic	By 1200 hours, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), of the day following completion of the delivery	Used by the manager of a processor to report groundfish deliveries. Used by NMFS to identify the fishery participants, monitor the deliveries of fish to processing facilities, as well as discard and disposition of species, and for management of groundfish and shellfish fisheries.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division.
	Registered Buyer LR for IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper back up)	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(7)	A person who is issued a Registered Buyer permit under § 679.4(d)(3) and who receives individual fishing quota (IFQ) halibut or IFQ sablefish from an IFQ permit holder or who receives community development quota (CDQ) halibut.	Electronic and paper backup	Within six hours after all IFQ halibut, CDQ halibut, and IFQ sablefish are offloaded.	Used by registered buyers to report halibut and sablefish IFQ landings. Used by NMFS to identify the fishery participants, monitor the deliveries of fish to processing facilities, as well as discard and disposition of species, and for management of groundfish and shellfish fisheries.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division and the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
	Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) LR for IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper backup)	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(8)	A person who is issued an RCR permit under § 680.4(i) and who receives IFQ crab from a crab IFQ permit holder or crab IFQ hired master.	Electronic and paper backup	Within 6 hours after all crab is offloaded from the harvesting vessel.	Used by registered crab receivers to report crab IFQ landings. Used by NMFS to identify the fishery participants, monitor the deliveries of fish to processing facilities, as well as discard and disposition of species, and for management of groundfish and shellfish fisheries.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division.
	Out-of-State LR	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(5) and (e)(7)	Non-Alaska shoreside processors that receive groundfish harvested in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, or the Gulf of Alaska from catcher vessels.	Fax	By 1200 hours, A.l.t., of the day following the delivery.	Used by a shoreside processor or registered buyer located outside Alaska to report groundfish, IFQ halibut, IFQ sablefish, and CDQ halibut. Used by NMFS to identify the fishery participants, monitor the deliveries of fish to processing facilities, as well as discard and disposition of species, and for management of groundfish and shellfish fisheries.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division and the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
	Mothership LR	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(6)	The operator of a mothership that is issued an FFP under § 679.4(b) that receives groundfish from a catcher vessel required to have an FFP under § 679.4	Electronic	By 2400 hours, A.l.t., of the day following the delivery.	Used by the operator of a mothership to report deliveries from a catcher vessel. Used by NMFS to identify the fishery participants, monitor the deliveries of fish to processing facilities, as well as discard and disposition of species, and for management of groundfish and shellfish fisheries.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division.
	Catcher/Processor LR	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(13)	The operator of a catcher/processor in the partial observer coverage category under § 679.51(a)(3) must submit a catcher/processor landing report to NMFS for each fishing trip.	Electronic	By 2400 hours A.l.t., on the day after the end of the fishing trip.	Used by operator of a catcher/processor to report landings for each fishing trip conducted while it is in the Observer Program partial coverage category. Used by NMFS to link catch data with observer data, to determine how to appropriately assign at-sea discard rates and prohibited species catch rates to unobserved catcher/processors in the Observer Program partial coverage category, and to monitor compliance with Observer Program requirements.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division.
	Tender LR	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(14)	The operator of a tender vessel taking delivery of groundfish that is required to be reported to NMFS on a landing report and the User at the shoreside facility that receives the transferred fish.	Electronic	By 1200 hours, A.l.t., of the day following completion of the delivery.	Used by the operator of a tender vessel to report taking a delivery of groundfish. Used by NMFS to identify the fishery participants, monitor the deliveries of fish to processing facilities, as well as discard and disposition of species, and for management of groundfish and shellfish fisheries.	Yes – it will be shared with State of Alaska Commercial Fisheries Division.
3 Production Reports	Shoreside Processor PR	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(9)	The manager of a shoreside processor or stationary floating processor that is required to have an FPP under § 679.4(f)	Electronic	By 1200 hours A.l.t., each day to record the previous day’s production	Used by the manager of the processor to document the previous day’s groundfish production. Used by NMFS to identify the participant, monitor the discards and disposition of the product, and monitor the product leaving the facility.	No – the information is not shared.
	At-Sea PR	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(e)(10)	The operator of a catcher/processor or mothership that is issued an FFP under § 679.4 and that harvests groundfish	Electronic	By 2400 hours A.l.t., each day to record the previous day’s production	Used by operator of a catcher/processor or mothership to document the previous day’s groundfish production. Used by NMFS to identify the participant, monitor the discards and disposition of the product, and monitor the product leaving the facility.	No – the information is not shared.
4 Electronic Logbooks (eLog)	Catcher Vessel eLog	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§§ 679.5(f)(1)(i) and (f)(1)(iii)	The operator of a catcher vessel using longline and pot gear or trawl gear	Electronic	By 2400 hours A.l.t., each day to record the previous day’s hauls	Used by operator of catcher vessels to report fishing effort, fishing location, and discarded catch. Used by NMFS to provide data about where and when groundfish fishing effort occurs and record discard information of prohibited species.	No – the information is not shared.
	Catcher/Processor eLog	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§§ 679.5(c)(3), (c)(4), (f)(1)(ii), and (f)(1)(iv)	The operator of a catcher/processor using longline and pot gear or trawl gear	Electronic	By 2400 hours A.l.t., each day to record the previous day’s hauls	Used by operator of a catcher/processor to report fishing effort, fishing location, and record and report the results and timing of daily flowscale tests to NMFS. Used by NMFS to provide data about where and when groundfish fishing effort occurs, track results and timing of flow scale tests, and record discard information of prohibited species.	No – the information is not shared.
	Mothership eLog	16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.	§ 679.5(f)(1)(v)	The operator of a mothership receiving groundfish	Electronic	By 2400 hours A.l.t., each day to record the previous day’s hauls	Used by operator of a mothership to report groundfish delivery information and record and report the results and timing of daily flowscale tests to NMFS. Used by NMFS to provide data about where and when groundfish deliveries to a mothership occur, and to track results and timing of flow scale tests.	No – the information is not shared.

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 (the Information Quality Act), which requires NMFS to ensure the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information it publicly disseminates. Public dissemination of data collected by this information collection is governed by NOAA's information quality guidelines, which were issued on October 30, 2014. It is anticipated that the information collected will be disseminated to the public or used to support publicly disseminated information. NOAA 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.

Changes to this Collection Since the Last Extension

No changes have been made to this collection since the last extension. The last extension was approved in 2020 with terms of clearance that requested NMFS to work to get a check box option implemented on the Shoreside Production Report before the next approval to make it easier to file on days where there is no production. Due to staffing shortages and higher priority projects, the agency has not yet developed a check-box option.

eLandings Registration [No Change]

Before using the IERS, a User must request authorization to use the system, create a unique User ID, and obtain a password. This information is necessary for NMFS to identify the participant and to provide authorization for the participant to use eLandings.

The registration is completed online at the eLandings registration page: https://elandings.alaska.gov/elandings/Register. The User must enter the following information:

• Operation type

• Operation name

• ADF&G processor code

• Federal permit numbers:

  • If a shoreside processor or SFP, enter FPP number

  • If a catcher vessel, catcher/processor, or mothership, enter FFP number

  • If a Registered Buyer, enter the Registered Buyer permit number

  • If a Registered Crab Receiver, enter the RCR permit number

• Port code

• Vessel ADF&G vessel registration number (if applicable)

• Primary User:

  • If user is already registered, enter User ID and password.

  • Otherwise, enter all data including User ID and password, and a new user ID will be created:

    • User ID

    • Password

    • Confirm Password

    • Company name

    • User name

    • City and state

    • Business telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address

    • Security question

    • The answer to the security question

Entering information in the eLandings registration form generates an Operation Authorization Form that needs to be printed, signed, and submitted to NMFS to enable the operation. The User’s signature on the registration form means that the User agrees to the following terms:

• Use eLandings access privileges only for submitting legitimate fishery landing reports, production reports, and eLogs;

• Safeguard the User ID and password to prevent their use by unauthorized persons; and

• Ensure that the User is authorized to submit landing reports, production reports, and eLogs for the permit number(s) listed.

The User must submit the signed original Operation Authorization Form by one of the following methods:

• Mail to NMFS Sustainable Fisheries Division eLandings Registration, P. O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802-1668.

• Email to elandings@alaska.gov.

• Fax to (907) 586-7131 Attn: eLandings Registration.

• Deliver to NMFS Sustainable Fisheries office at 709 W. 9th Street, Suite 401, Juneau, AK 99801.

Upon receipt of the registration information, NMFS verifies that all of the required information is provided in the correct format. NMFS will email confirmation to indicate that the User is registered, authorized to use eLandings, and that the User ID and User’s account are enabled.

This process is completed once for each new operation. Once registered, the User is not required to register again unless ownership changes. New ownership requires a new Federal permit and ADF&G processor code.

Landing Reports [No Change]

Information collected on landing reports is needed to identify the fishery participants, to monitor the deliveries of fish to the fish processing facilities, as well as record discard and disposition of species, and for management of groundfish and shellfish fisheries. There are seven types of landing report forms that are required of Users in particular situations and guided by different data entry time limits. The following sections provide more information on the landing reports, and Table 2 summarizes the type of information that is collected on each of the landing report forms. Once data are entered and submitted, Users receive a printed fish ticket and/or an IFQ landing report as a receipt.

i. Shoreside Processor Landing Report (non-IFQ)

Shoreside Processor Landing Reports are required in groundfish fisheries per 50 CFR 679.5(e)(5). NMFS requires all shoreside or stationary floating processors that hold an FPP to use eLandings or other NMFS-approved software to submit landing reports for all groundfish species.

Users must submit shoreside processor landing reports for each groundfish delivery from a specific vessel by 1200 hours A.l.t., of the day following completion of the delivery. If the landed scale weight is not available by this deadline, the user must transmit an estimated weight for each species by 1200 hours, A.l.t., of the day following completion of the delivery and must submit a revised landing report with the landed scale weight for each species by 1200 hours, A.l.t., of the third day following completion of the delivery.

ii. Registered Buyer Landing Report for IFQ/CDQ

Registered Buyer Landing Reports are required for each halibut and sablefish IFQ landing per 50 CFR 679.5(e)(7). Registered Buyers submit landing reports for IFQ species online using eLandings or eFISH. If the eLandings or eFISH systems and/or the Internet are unavailable, Registered Buyers must complete the Manual Landing Report form. The Manual Landing Report for Halibut & Sablefish IFQ/CDQ is available on the NMFS Alaska Region website. The Manual Landing Report must be used until network connections are restored. When the network is restored, the User must enter this same information into eLandings.

Registered Buyer Landing reports must be submitted within six hours after all IFQ halibut, CDQ halibut, and IFQ sablefish are offloaded from a specific vessel and prior to shipment or transfer of said fish from the landing site.

iii. Registered Crab Receiver Landing Report for IFQ/CDQ

NMFS requires all Registered Crab Receivers to use eLandings or other NMFS-approved software to submit Registered Crab Receiver Landing Reports for each crab IFQ landing per 50 CFR 679.5(e)(8). If the eLandings system and/or the Internet is unavailable, Registered Crab Receivers must complete a manual landing report. The Crab Manual Landing Report form is available on the NMFS Alaska Region website. The manual landing report must be used until network connections are restored. When the network is restored, the User must enter this same information into eLandings.

Registered Crab Receiver Landing reports must be submitted within six hours after all crab is offloaded from the vessel.

iv. Out of State Landing Report

If a shoreside processor or Registered Buyer is not located in Alaska, the manager or permit holder must complete and submit to NMFS an Out-of-State Landing Report for each shipment of groundfish, halibut, or sablefish. The Registered Buyer or manager of a shoreside processor must enter information from a specific vessel by noon of the day following completion of the delivery and submit the completed Out-of-State Landing Report to NMFS by fax to 907-586-7131.

The Out-of-state Landing Report form is available on the NMFS Alaska region website.

v. Mothership Landing Report

NMFS requires all motherships that hold an FFP to submit mothership landing reports per 50 CFR 679.5(e)(6). A mothership landing report must be submitted by 2400 hours, A.l.t., of the day following the delivery from the catcher vessel.

vi. Catcher/Processor Landing Report

The operator of a catcher/processor placed in the Observer Program partial coverage category must submit a catcher/processor landing report to NMFS for each fishing trip conducted while that catcher/processor is in the partial coverage category. A catcher/processor landing report can be generated in eLandings or seaLandings through a feature called the consolidated report that merges all of the information from the At-sea Production Reports for the period the vessel operator defines as the fishing trip.

NMFS uses information from the catcher/processor landing report to link catch data with observer data, to determine how to appropriately assign at-sea discard rates and prohibited species catch rates to unobserved catcher/processors in the partial coverage category, and to monitor compliance with the requirement for catcher/processors placed in the partial coverage category to log all fishing trips in the Observer Declare and Deploy System (ODDS) (see OMB Control No. 0648-0318).

The operator of a catcher/processor placed in the partial observer coverage category must submit a catcher/processor landing report to NMFS by 2400 hours, A.l.t., on the day after the end of the fishing trip. For purposes of the catcher/processor landing report, fishing trip means the period of time that begins when the vessel departs a port to harvest fish until the vessel returns to port and offloads all processed product.

vii. Tender Landing Report

The operator of a tender vessel taking a delivery of groundfish that is required to be reported to NMFS on a landing report under 50 CFR 679.5(e)(5), must submit a tender landing report per 50 CFR 679.5(e)(14). The operator must use tLandings to enter information about each landing of groundfish to a tender. The tLandings application is used locally on the tender and was developed for tender vessels without web access. Tender Landing Reports are created electronically and stored on a USB drive. The tLandings application creates a printable fish ticket, which is printed onboard the tender vessel and signed by the delivering catcher vessel operator.

Once the tender trip is completed, the USB drive is provided to the processor for upload into the eLandings database and submission to NMFS. The tender vessel operator must make the USB drive containing the tender landing report information available to the processor upon commencement or offload of groundfish from the tender vessel to the processor. The processors must upload the tLandings information by 1200 hours, A.l.t., of the day following the completion of the tender offload.

Table 2. Data fields completed on Landing Reports. A check-mark (✔) indicates that the field is submitted by the user on the form.

Data Field	Landing Report (LR) Type
	Shoreside Processor LR	Registered Buyer LR	Registered Crab Receiver LR	Out-of-State LR	Mothership LR	Catcher/ Processor LR	Tender LR
ADF&G vessel number	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
ADF&G vessel gear code	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Crew size	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Number of observers onboard	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Date fishing began, Days fished, Date of landing	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Number of observers onboard	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Date fishing began, Days fished, Date of landing	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
ODDS trip number (if applicable)	✔	✔				✔	✔
Port of landing	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Discard report	✔	✔			✔	✔	✔
IFQ reported manually (if applicable)		✔
ADF&G Processor code	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Federal Processor Permit	✔			✔	✔	✔
Registered buyer permit		✔		✔
Registered Crab Receiver			✔
CFEC permit(s)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Partial delivery (if applicable)			✔
NMFS ID & IFQ/CDQ permits		✔	✔
Management program and ID number (if applicable)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
ADF&G statistical area(s) fished	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Itemized catch information (species, weights, conditions and disposition codes)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
IFQ report		✔	✔			✔

Production Reports [No Change]

Information collected on a production report is necessary for NMFS to identify the participant, to monitor the discards and disposition product, and to monitor the product leaving the facility.

i. Shoreside processor or SFP Production Report

Shoreside Processor Production Reports are required in groundfish fisheries per 50 CFR 679.5(e)(9). NMFS requires all shoreside and stationary floating processors holding an FPP to submit production reports by 1200 hours, A.l.t, each day to document the previous day’s production.

The User must enter the following information on a Shoreside Processor Production Report:

• Automatic information for eLandings production report

  • User name

  • Company name

  • email address

  • Telephone number

  • FPP number

  • ADF&G processor code

• Production information

  • Reporting date

  • Number of observers onsite

• Area of harvest (GOA or BSAI)

  • Product description -- Product by species code, product type, and product code

  • Product weight – actual scale weight (to the nearest pound)

  • Whether no production or no deliveries for the day

ii. At-sea production reports (for catcher/processors and motherships)

At-sea Production Reports are required in groundfish fisheries per 50 CFR 679.5(e)(10). NMFS requires all FPP-holding catcher/processors and motherships to submit production reports by 2400 hours, A.l.t, each day to document the previous day’s production.

The User must enter the following information on an At-Sea Production Report:

• Automatic information for eLandings/seaLandings production report

  • User name

  • Company name

  • email address

  • Telephone number

  • FFP number and vessel name

  • ADF&G vessel number

• Production information

  • Reporting date (mm/dd/yyyy)

  • At-Sea Port Code

  • Federal Permit Number

  • Crew size (including operator)

  • Management program

  • Gear type of harvester

  • Federal reporting area of harvest

  • ADF&G statistical area

  • If harvest with trawl gear, whether C. Opilio Bycatch Limitation Zone (COBLZ) or Red King Crab Savings Area (RKCSA)

  • Product by species code, product type, and product code

  • Product weight (to nearest 0.001 mt)

  • Whether no production for the day

• Discard or disposition information

  • Record discard disposition that occurred Prior to, during, or after production

  • Species code and disposition code

  • Discard weight of groundfish and prohibited species catch (PSC) herring (to nearest 0.001 mt)

  • Discard number of PSC Pacific salmon, steelhead trout, Pacific halibut, king crab, and Tanner crab)

Electronic logbooks (eLogs) [Revised – Catcher/Processor eLog]

Electronic logbooks (eLogs) are required for groundfish. Information collected on a logbook is necessary to provide data about where and when fishing effort occurs, track results and timing of flow scale tests, as well as record discard information of prohibited species.

i. Catcher vessel eLog

Catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 ft length overall are required to submit fisheries information to NMFS through use of a paper Daily Fishing Logbook (see OMB Control No. 0648-0213). NMFS offers optional use of the eLog for trawl, longline, and pot gear catcher vessels through seaLandings or a NMFS-approved electronic logbook software application. If the catcher vessels use the eLog, the operator is not required to record and submit fisheries information on the paper Daily Fishing Logbook. Use of the eLog increases the speed and accuracy of data transmission to NMFS and assists in providing more accurate quota monitoring. Some basic hardware requirements need to be met, such as having a laptop or personal computer on the vessel with a current Windows Operating system, and a printer to print daily copies of the eLog.

The operator must account for each day of the fishing year, January 1 through December 31, in the eLog and indicate whether the vessel was active or inactive during that period.

ii. Catcher/processor eLog

Revision: The final rule adds a regulation at § 679.101(c)(3)(i)(C) that requires use of an electronic logbook as a component of the voluntary monitoring option to install a motion-compensated, NMFS-approved scale to measure the total catch of Pacific cod. Vessel operators will be required to maintain the scales within the scale requirements at § 679.28(b) to ensure data quality. These requirements include daily testing by the vessel operator in the presence of an observer for each calendar day the scale is used at sea. Vessels operators will be required to record the test results through an electronic logbook. Information from all scale tests, including failed tests, must be reported in the electronic logbook within 24 hours of the testing. This allows NMFS staff to continuously monitor daily tests by vessels at sea and to work with vessel crew to ensure that any bias in the daily tests is discovered and corrected quickly. This action does not change the number of respondents, responses, or burden. At this time, NMFS expects only one vessel to choose the voluntary option that includes the electronic logbook requirement. That vessel currently submits this catcher/processor electronic logbook due to its participation in another fishery and was already included in the annual respondents, responses, and burden in the tables in questions #12 and #13 below. Therefore, no changes to the respondents, responses, or burden for the catcher/processor electronic logbook was needed due to this rule. See the section “Revisions Due to the Rule (RIN 0648-BL69)” under Question #1 above for more information on this revision.

The operator of the following specified groundfish catcher/processors must record all the fields listed in Table 3 on catcher/processor eLogs:

• An American Fisheries Act (AFA) catcher/processor

• Any catcher/processor harvesting pollock in a Western Alaska CDQ fishery

• Any trawl catcher/processor participating in the rockfish fishery

• A hook-and-line catcher/processor named on an LLP license with a Pacific cod catcher/processor hook-and-line endorsement for the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, or both the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and direct harvesting Pacific cod

In addition, any catcher/processor that is required to weigh catch on a NMFS-approved scale must use a NMFS-approved eLog to record and report the results and timing of daily flowscale tests to NMFS. This allows NMFS staff to continuously monitor daily flowscale tests by vessels when they are at sea and to work with vessel crew to ensure that any bias in the daily tests is discovered and corrected quickly. Allowing NMFS to identify potential scale problems during, rather than after a fishing year, results in more effective analysis of overall trends in scale testing. The respondent must first manually enter the daily flow scale test information onto the paper Record of Daily Scale Tests form (see OMB Control No. 0648-0330). Then the following information from all scale tests, including failed tests, must be reported in the eLog within 24 hours of the testing:

• Time of test

• Flow scale weight (kg)

• Platform scale weight (kg)

• Percent error (the software does the math)

• Observer present

• Comments (optional)

Table 3. Data fields completed on catcher vessel and catcher/processor eLogs. A check-mark

(✔) indicates that the field is submitted by the user on the form.

Data Field	Electronic Logbook Type
	Catcher Vessel		Catcher/Processor
	Longline	Trawl	Longline	Trawl
Page number	✔	✔	✔	✔
Printed name and signature of operator	✔	✔	✔	✔
ADF&G vessel registration number	✔	✔	✔	✔
FFP number	✔	✔	✔	✔
Federal Crab vessel permit number (if longline)	✔		✔
IFQ permit number and Operator name	✔		✔
CDQ permit number and group number	✔		✔
Gear type	✔	✔	✔	✔
Gear details (including skate length, book size, hook spacing)	✔		✔
Dates of inactivity	✔	✔	✔	✔
Dates of activity	✔	✔	✔	✔
Whether harvest occurred in COBLZ or RKCSA (if applicable)		✔		✔
Federal reporting area of catch	✔	✔	✔	✔
Management program	✔	✔	✔	✔
Management program ID (if applicable)	✔	✔	✔	✔
Number of observers onboard	✔	✔	✔	✔
Name and cruise number of observer	✔	✔	✔	✔
Crew size	✔	✔	✔	✔
Set number	✔	✔	✔	✔
Date set, time set	✔		✔
Date retrieved, time retrieved	✔		✔
Begin latitude and longitude of set	✔		✔
Begin and end buoy or bag number (not required)	✔		✔
End latitude and longitude of set	✔		✔
Begin and end depth of gear	✔		✔
Number of skates or pots set and lost	✔		✔
Target species code	✔	✔	✔	✔
CDQ/IFQ halibut & IFQ sablefish weight in pounds	✔		✔
IFQ sablefish condition code	✔		✔
Hail weight	✔	✔	✔	✔
Bird avoidance gear	✔		✔
CR crab	✔		✔
Flow scale weight			✔
Haul number		✔		✔
Time of gear deployment		✔		✔
Date hauled, time hauled		✔		✔
Begin latitude and longitude of haul		✔		✔
Average sea depth		✔		✔
Average gear depth		✔		✔
Date and time of haul retrieval		✔		✔
End latitude and longitude of haul		✔		✔
Check mark if moved to avoid Chinook salmon bycatch (If applicable)		✔		✔
IRIU and prohibited species catch	✔	✔	✔	✔

iii. Mothership eLog

The operator of a mothership that is required to have an FFP under § 679.4(b) must use a NMFS-approved mothership eLog to record and report the following information:

• Page number

• Printed name and signature of operator

• Vessel information

  • Name of mothership

  • FFP or FPP number

  • ADF&G processor code

• Date

• Crew size

• Gear type

• Federal reporting areas

• COBLZ or RKCSA area

• Number of Observers onboard

• Name of observer

• Observer cruise number

• Management program

• Delivery information

  • Type of delivery (CV or TV)

  • Non-Submittal of discard report

  • Name of vessel

  • ADF&G vessel registration number

  • Receipt time

  • Beginning position of receipt of fish (lat/long coordinates)

  • Hail weight

  • IR/IU species

  • ADF&G fish ticket number

In addition, motherships must use a NMFS-approved eLog to daily record and report the results and timing of daily flowscale tests to NMFS. The respondent must enter the information from all scale tests, including failed tests, within 24 hours of the testing using the eLog.

3. Describe whether, and to what extent, the collection of information involves the use of automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic submission of responses, and the basis for the decision for adopting this means of collection. Also, describe any consideration of using information technology to reduce burden.

This collection is estimated to be 99 percent electronic. The eLandings registration, landing reports, production reports, and eLogs are submitted online through eLandings, the interagency electronic reporting system for commercial fishery landings in Alaska, at https://elandings.alaska.gov/. Catcher/processors and motherships that do not have reliable Internet service, can use a desktop client application (seaLandings) to generate report files for submitting by email. Tender vessels that do not have access to email or the Internet can enter the information electronically on a USB drive that is later uploaded to eLandings over the Internet.

4. Describe efforts to identify duplication. Show specifically why any similar information already available cannot be used or modified for use for the purposes described in Question 2

The IERS provides the Alaska fishing industry with a consolidated means of reporting commercial fish and shellfish information to NMFS, ADF&G, and the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). A result of the IERS has been to reduce or eliminate duplicative reporting of the same information to multiple agencies. Prior to the IERS, there were State and Federal requirements to report the same information, and each agency had their own data collection systems. The IERS provides a single data entry point that allows the data to be entered once and then ADF&G, NMFS, and IPHC can all access the reports and extract the data necessary to meet their management mandates.

Catcher vessels greater than or equal to 60 ft length overall are required to submit fisheries information to NMFS using a paper Daily Fishing Logbook (see OMB Control No. 0648-0213). Under this IERS collection, NMFS offers optional use of the eLog; if the operator completes an eLog, they are not required to complete the paper Daily Fishing Logbook.

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

The six catcher/processors in the BSAI groundfish fisheries using pot gear that are directly regulated by this rule (RIN 0648-BL69) are not considered small entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

This information collection impacts small entities but does not impose a significant effect on them. NMFS attempts to minimize the burden of this collection on all respondents. NMFS, in cooperation with ADF&G and IPHC, provides resources to reduce the impact of this collection:

• Multiple NMFS and ADF&G staff dedicated to IERS User support are available to answer questions via email and telephone. A centralized support email address ensures that an agency response can occur quickly.

• In addition to agency support staff, two Help Desk phone numbers are staffed outside of business hours. One is available 24/7 and provides first-level support. A second is available 6 a.m. to midnight daily that provides targeted assistance for Registered Crab Receiver, Registered Buyer, and Manual Landing Reports to support the short submission time requirements for these reports.

• An online User’s Manual provides comprehensive step-by-step instructions for Users to follow when reporting and submitting information in the IERS.

• IERS training events are held every year in several locations throughout Alaska and in Seattle to provide Users with information about the application and to provide an opportunity for hands-on practice.

• Users can access a Training instance of the IERS application along with published training scenarios so they can practice using the software at any time.

• The agencies supporting the IERS send regular email notifications and newsletters to share information on new features, regulatory changes, upcoming training events, and tips and tricks.

6. Describe the consequence to Federal program or policy activities if the collection is not conducted or is conducted less frequently, as well as any technical or legal obstacles to reducing burden.

Through IERS, NMFS collects information on landings, production, and effort for groundfish and crab species. This information collection is necessary to improve recordkeeping and reporting efficiency for vessels and processors, and to improve the quality of data obtained by NMFS, ADF&G, and IPHC for fishery management purposes. Advances in technology, public expectations, Congress’s mandate in the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, and Administration policy all require that agencies of the United States government move expeditiously to adopt electronic processes. If this collection were not conducted, the quality of NMFS fishery data would be greatly reduced and negatively impact NMFS management of fisheries.

7. Explain any special circumstances that would cause an information collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with OMB guidelines.

Other than the eLandings registration, the collections in this package may require respondents to report information to the agency more often than quarterly. Landing reports, production reports, and electronic logbooks must be submitted by the required time following harvest or production, which could result in information being submitted more often than quarterly. NMFS uses this information for inseason and inter-season management decisions and is necessary to monitor and manage the fisheries.

8. If applicable, provide a copy and identify the date and page number of publications in the Federal Register of the agency's notice, required by 5 CFR 1320.8 (d), soliciting comments on the information collection prior to submission to OMB. Summarize public comments received in response to that notice and describe actions taken by the agency in response to these comments. Specifically address comments received on cost and hour burden.

A proposed rule (RIN 0648-BL69) soliciting public comments published on July 6, 2023 (88 FR 43072). The comment period ended August 7, 2023. In addition to publishing the proposed rule, NMFS contacted stakeholders 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; and on the data elements to be recorded, disclosed, or reported. No comments were received from the stakeholders or the proposed rule that specifically addressed this information collection. One comment was received on the rule. The commenter stated this action is needed to address known catch accounting issues in the fishery and strongly supports these changes.

9. Explain any decision to provide any payment or gift to respondents, other than remuneration of contractors or grantees.

No payment or gift to respondents is provided under this program.

10. Describe any assurance of confidentiality provided to respondents and the basis for the assurance in statute, regulation, or agency policy. If the collection requires a systems of records notice (SORN) or privacy impact assessment (PIA), those should be cited and described here.

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 Notices (SORNs) that cover this information collection is COMMERCE/NOAA-6, Fishermen's Statistical Data.

The Privacy Impact Assessment that covers this information collection is NOAA NMFS Alaska Region Local Area Network (NOAA4700).

11. Provide additional justification for any questions of a sensitive nature, such as sexual behavior or attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly considered private. This justification should include the reasons why the agency considers the questions necessary, the specific uses to be made of the information, the explanation to be given to persons from whom the information is requested, and any steps to be taken to obtain their consent.

This information collection does not involve information of a sensitive nature.

12. Provide estimates of the hour burden of the collection of information.

NMFS expects only one vessel to choose the voluntary option that includes the electronic logbook requirement. This vessel already submits the catcher/processor electronic logbook due to its participation in another fishery. As this vessel was already included in the annual respondents, responses, and burden in the table below, no changes were made to these numbers because of this rule.

The number of respondents and responses was updated to reflect recent fishery participation levels. The hourly wage rate was updated to use the most current rate available (May 2022) from the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and to improve consistency in the rates used for the same respondent types in NMFS AKR information collections. The estimate of $22.52 is the BLS mean hourly wage for Alaska for Occupation Code 45-0000 (Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ak.htm#:~:text=1.5%25-,45%2D0000,5.7%25,-45%2D1011).

Information Collection		Type of Respondent (e.g., Occupational Title)	# of Respondents/ Year (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)	Hourly Wage Rate (for Type of Respondent) (f)	Total Annual Wage Burden Costs (g) = (e) x (f)
1. Registration	eLandings Registration	Office staff at seafood processing company	15	1	15	15 min.	3.8	$22.52	86
2. Landing Reports (LRs)	Shoreside Processors LR (non IFQ)	Office staff at seafood processing company	53	Annual averages are calculated for these reports instead of average per entity.	6,249	30 min.	3,124.5	$22.52	70,364
	Registered Buyer LR for IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper back up)	Office staff at seafood processing company	98		3,899	Electronic: 1 hr. Paper: 1 hr.	3,899.0	$22.52	87,805
	Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) LR for IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper backup)	Office staff at seafood processing company	32		818	Electronic: 1 hr. Paper: 1 hr.	818.0	$22.52	18,421
	Out-of-State LR	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	1		22	20 min.	7.3	$22.52	164
	Mothership LR	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	13		4,112	10 min.	685.3	$22.52	15,433
	Catcher/Processor LR	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	2		22	30 min.	11.0	$22.52	248
	Tender LR	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	30		680	35 min.	396.7	$22.52	8,934
3. Production Reports (PRs)	Shoreside Processor PR	Office staff at seafood processing company	47		5,403	10 min.	900.5	$22.52	20,279
	At-Sea PR	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	68		13,853	20 min.	4,617.7	$22.52	103,991
4. Electronic Logbooks (eLogs)	Catcher Vessel eLog	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	9	244	2,196	15 min.	549.0	$22.52	12,363
	Catcher/Processor eLog	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	51	146	7,443	15 min.	1,860.8	$22.52	41,905
	Mothership eLog	Fishing Vessel Owner/Operator	10	70	699	15 min.	174.8	$22.52	3,936
					45,411		17,048		$383,929

13. Provide an estimate for the total annual cost burden to respondents or record keepers resulting from the collection of information. (Do not include the cost of any hour burden already reflected on the burden worksheet).

The public completes an electronic form in the IERS and then prints a copy of the report. In some cases, three copies need to be printed as a receipt for the shoreside processor, the fishermen, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. For Registered Buyer and Registered Crab Receiver Landing reports, there is also an IFQ Receipt that is printed.

Information Collection		# of Respondents/year (a)	Annual # of Responses / Respondent (b)	Total # of Annual Responses (c) = (a) x (b)	Cost Burden / Response (h)	Total Annual Cost Burden (i) = (c) x (h)
1. Registration	eLandings Registration	15	1	15	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10 Postage: 0.58	$10
2. Landing Reports (LRs)	Shoreside Processors LR (non IFQ)	53	Annual averages are calculated for these reports instead of average per entity.	6,249	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 3 copies = 0.30	$1,875
	Registered Buyer LR IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper back up)	98		3,899	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 6 copies = 0.60	$2,339
	Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) LR for IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper backup)	32		818	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 6 copies = 0.60	$491
	Out-of-State LR	1		22	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$2
	Mothership LR	13		4,112	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$411
	Catcher/Processor LR	2		22	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$2
	Tender LR	30		680	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 3 copy = 0.30	$204
3. Production Reports (PRs)	Shoreside Processor PR	47		5,403	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$540
	At-Sea PR	68		13,853	Print paper copy of report: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$1,385
4. Electronic Logbooks (eLogs)	Catcher Vessel eLog	9	244	2,196	Photocopy: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$220
	Catcher/Processor eLog	51	146	7,443	Photocopy: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$744
	Mothership eLog	10	70	699	Photocopy: 0.10 x 1 copy = 0.10	$70
TOTALS		176*		45,411		$8,293

* Unique Respondents. Some respondents submit more than one type of collection instrument in this information collection. Therefore, the number of unique respondents is used to show the estimated annual number of separate participants who are expected to submit information during the 3-year renewal period of this information collection.

14. Provide estimates of annualized cost to the Federal government. Also, provide a description of the method used to estimate cost, which should include quantification of hours, operational expenses (such as equipment, overhead, printing, and support staff), and any other expense that would not have been incurred without this collection of information.

The agency costs for the IERS are not solely borne by the Federal Government and instead are divided among the three partner agencies that support the IERS: NMFS, ADF&G, and IPHC. Agency costs include salaries and benefits for employees and contractors that provide help-desk support, user support, and training; application development; system architecture; and project management. Other agency costs include server hosting and software licenses. The NMFS-portion of the estimated costs for IERS are provided in the table below. The total estimated cost to NMFS is $1,420,950.

The Magnuson-Stevens Act authorizes and requires the collection of cost recovery fees for the CDQ Program and limited access privilege programs. Limited access privilege programs are those that allocate a percentage of the total allowable catch of a fishery for exclusive use by a person. Cost recovery fees recover the actual costs directly related to the management, data collection, and enforcement of the programs. The IERS supports data collection under the CDQ and other limited access programs including IFQ, crab IFQ, Amendment 80, and American Fisheries Act. Thus NMFS recovers costs associated with the IERS under cost recovery programs associated with these management programs. The NMFS-portion of the total estimated agency cost of the IERS minus the funds recovered through cost recovery is $655,940.

Cost Descriptions	Grade/Step1	Loaded Salary/Cost 2	% of Effort	Fringe (if Applicable)	Total Cost to Government
Federal Oversight - Program Manager	ZP-0401-4	$259,245	100		$259,245
Agency project coordination, training, user support	ZP-0401-2	$140,104	50		$70,052
Agency Technical Lead	ZP-2210-3	$184,495	50		$92,248
Agency Application Programmer	ZP-2210-3	$184,495	50		$92,248
Contractor Cost for user support, software testing, and application development		—	—	—	$ 850
Travel					—
Other Costs: Server hosting, software licenses, and Technical Training					$ 57
TOTAL				—	$ 1,420,950

¹ The grade and step are from the Department of Commerce Alternative Personnel System (CAPS) 2023 pay tables (https://www.commerce.gov/hr/practitioners/caps/pay-administration). The general schedule grade equivalent for CAPS is included in parentheses.

² Salaries based on the capped out salary of an FTE Step 3. Fully loaded salary costs include 52% of the salary to account for benefits and other overhead costs (e.g., $121,378 * 1.52 = $184,495 loaded salary).

15. Explain the reasons for any program changes or adjustments reported in ROCIS.

The final rule (RIN 0648-BL69) adds regulatory requirements for voluntary monitoring options for BSAI pot catcher/processors. NMFS expects only one vessel to choose the voluntary monitoring option that includes the electronic logbook requirement. This vessel already submits the catcher/processor electronic logbook due to its participation in another fishery. Therefore, this vessel was already included in the number of respondents and responses and the burden for this collection, and no change to the numbers was made because of this rule (no program changes).

The respondents and responses have been adjusted to reflect the most current data available. Any changes to these numbers have affected the total burden hours and costs of those collection instruments. Any additional information on the adjustments is noted in the tables.

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
1. Registration	eLandings Registration	15	34	15	34	4	9	Decrease in the number of respondents
	Total	229	249	15,802	17,961	8,942	10,300
2. Landing Reports (LRs)	Shoreside Processors LR (non IFQ)	53	53	6,249	7,858	3,124.5	3,929.0	Decrease in the number of responses. Frequency of response is based on number of fishery landings, and there has been decrease in fishing effort since the previous renewal.
	Registered Buyer LR IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper back up)	98	109	3,899	4,437	3,899.0	4,437.0	Decrease in the number of respondents and responses. Frequency of response is based on number of fishery landings, and there has been decrease in fishing effort since the previous renewal.
	Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) LR for IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper backup)	32	32	818	745	818.0	745.0	Decrease in the number of responses. Frequency of response is based on number of fishery landings, and there has been decrease in fishing effort since the previous renewal.
	Out-of-State LR	1	2	22	20	7.3	6.7	Small change in number of respondents and responses.
	Mothership LR	13	12	4,112	4,019	685.3	669.8	Small change in number of respondents and responses.
	Catcher/Processor LR	2	4	22	26	11.0	13.0	Small change in number of respondents and responses.
	Tender LR	30	37	680	856	396.7	499.3	Decrease in the number of respondents and responses. Frequency of response is based on number of fishery landings, and there has been decrease in fishing effort since the previous renewal.
	Total	115	120	19,256	21,169	5,519	6,102
3. Production Reports (PRs)	Shoreside Processor PR	47	47	5,403	5,727	900.5	954.5	Decrease in the number of responses. Frequency of response is based on number of fishery landings, and there has been decrease in fishing effort since the previous renewal.
	At-Sea PR	68	73	13,853	15,442	4617.7	5,147.3	Decrease in the number of respondents and responses. Frequency of response is based on number of fishery landings, and there has been decrease in fishing effort since the previous renewal.
	Total	70	92	10,338	15,442	2.585	3.861
4. Electronic Logbook (eLogbook)	Catcher Vessel eLog	9	10	2,196	1,750	549.0	437.5	Decrease in number of respondents and responses.
	Catcher/Processor eLog	51	68	7,443	12,852	1,860.8	3,213.0	Decrease in number of respondents and responses.
	Mothership eLog	10	14	699	840	174.8	210.0	Decrease in number of respondents and responses.
Total for Collection		176*	206*	45,411	54,606	17,050	20,272
Difference		-30 (adjustment)		- 9,195 (adjustment)		-3,222 (adjustment)

* Unique Respondents. Some respondents submit more than one type of collection instrument in this information collection. Therefore, the number of unique respondents is used to show the estimated annual number of separate participants who are expected to submit information during the 3-year renewal period of this information collection.

Information Collection		Labor Costs		Miscellaneous Costs		Reason for change or adjustment
		Current	Previous	Current	Previous
1. Registration	eLandings Registration	86	315	10	22.10	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available. Misc. costs: Adjusted to account for increase in 1st class postage to $0.58.
	Total	189,119	381,094	5,324	6,130
2. Landing Reports (LRs)	Shoreside Processors LR (non IFQ)	70,364	145,373	1,875	2,357.40	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Registered Buyer LR IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper back up)	87,805	164,169	2,339	2,662.20	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Registered Crab Receiver (RCR) LR for IFQ/CDQ and Manual LR (paper backup)	18,421	27,565	491	447.00	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Out-of-State LR	164	247	2	2.00	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Mothership LR	15,433	24,784	411	401.90	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Catcher/Processor LR	248	481	2	2.60	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Tender LR	8,934	18,475	204	256.80	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Total	116,710	225,768	1,925	2,117
3. Production Reports (PRs)	Shoreside Processor PR	20,279	35,317	540	572.70	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	At-Sea PR	103,991	190,451	1,385	1,544.20	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Total	54,664	142,839	1,034	1,544
4. Electronic Logbooks (eLogs)	Catcher Vessel eLog	12,363	16,188	220	175.00	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Catcher/Processor eLog	41,905	118,881	744	1,285.20	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
	Mothership eLog	3,936	7,770	70	84.00	Labor costs: Updated to use most current BLS wage rate available.
Total for Collection		$383,929	$750,015	$8,293	$9,813
Difference		-$366,086 (adjustment)		- $1,520 (adjustment)

16. For collections of information whose results will be published, outline plans for tabulation and publication. Address any complex analytical techniques that will be used. Provide the time schedule for the entire project, including beginning and ending dates of the collection of information, completion of report, publication dates, and other actions.

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 that display would be inappropriate.

The agency plans to display the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection on all instruments.

18. Explain each exception to the certification statement identified in “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions."

The agency certifies compliance with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

1 Northern Economics, Inc. A Review of the Alaska Interagency Electronic Reporting System (IERS) with an Emphasis on Costs and Benefits to Stakeholders. Prepared for NMFS Alaska Regional Office and Alaska Department of Fish and Game. September 7, 2015. https://elandings.atlassian.net/wiki/download/attachments/74809357/IERSReviewNEIFinal.pdf?api=v2

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