Justification for Change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Alaska Region Crab Permits

OMB Control No. 0648-0514

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requests OMB merge the 0648-0820 temporary information collection into approved information collection 0648-0514, Alaska Region Crab Permits. Due to the concurrent timing of the rulemaking for 0648-BM81 and the renewal of information collection 0648-0514, Alaska Region Crab Permits, a temporary collection was created for the rule-related collection. This request seeks to merge the new temporary collection (0648-0820) with 0648-0514 now that all actions have been resolved.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) promulgated a rule (0648-BM81) in early 2024 to implement Amendments 54 and 55 to the Fishery Management Plan for Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands King and Tanner Crabs. Due to the rule, the Application for Annual Crab Individual Fishing Quota Permit (approved under OMB Control Number 0648-0514) was revised to add an option for holders of catcher vessel crew quota share or catcher/processor crew quota share to request reissuance of previously revoked catcher vessel crew quota share or catcher/processor crew quota share. This rule does not change the respondents, responses, burden hours, or burden cost for this application.

Notice was provided to the public in both the proposed rule (89 FR 16510) and final rule (89 FR 47872) of the creation of a temporary collection for the amendment to the Application for Annual Crab Individual Fishing Quota Permit that would be merged into 0648-0514 upon resolution of the extension to 0648-0514 and the approval of the final rule package in 0648-0820. The merging of these collections does not change the number of respondents, responses, burden hours or burden cost for the collection.

There are no other changes to 0648-0514. Upon approval by OMB of this change request, a discontinuation request will be submitted for information collection 0648-0820.