Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska Cooperatives in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, 5945-5946 [2010-2503]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 24 (Friday, February 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5945-5946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-2503]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Alaska 
Cooperatives in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 5946]]

SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before April 6, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Diana Hynek, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6625, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at dHynek@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Patsy A. Bearden, at (907) 586-7008 or 
patsy.bearden@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The American Fisheries Act (AFA) was signed into law in October of 
1998. The AFA established an allocation program for the pollock fishery 
of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI). The AFA 
established a limited access program for the inshore sector of the BSAI 
pollock fishery that is based on the formation of fishery cooperatives 
around each inshore pollock processor. Implementing regulations are 
found at 50 CFR part 679, subpart F.
    The original purposes of the AFA were to tighten United States 
ownership standards that had been exploited under the Anti-reflagging 
Act, to provide Alaska's BSAI pollock fleet the opportunity to conduct 
their fishery in a more rational manner, and to protect non-AFA 
participants in other fisheries. In addition, a voluntary civil 
agreement among pollock cooperatives, Western Alaska Community 
Development Quota (CDQ) groups, and western Alaska subsistence salmon 
user groups is intended to coordinate the pollock fishery in a manner 
that reduces incidental catch rates of salmon.
    Reduced bycatch, higher utilization rates, increased economic 
returns, and improved safety are among the direct benefits of the AFA. 
The flexibility provided by cooperatives and by individual vessel 
allocations of pollock and other species has allowed the BSAI pollock 
fleet to spread their fishing effort in time and space. The cooperative 
management structure has shifted more of the monitoring and enforcement 
burden to the cooperatives and their members, allowing NMFS to manage 
the fishery more precisely. The AFA cooperative annual reports are 
required to provide information about how the cooperative allocated 
pollock, other groundfish species, and prohibited species among the 
vessels in the cooperative; the catch of these species by area for each 
vessel in the cooperative; information about how the cooperative 
monitored fishing by its members; and a description of any actions 
taken by the cooperative to penalize vessels that exceeded the catch 
and bycatch allocations made to the vessel by the cooperative.

II. Method of Collection

    For those items not connected with a scale, respondents have a 
choice of either electronic or paper forms. Methods of submittal 
include e-mail of electronic forms, and mail and facsimile transmission 
of paper forms.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0401.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 11.
    Estimated Time per Response: 12 hours for AFA Annual Report; 30 
minutes for Nonmember vessel contract fishing application; 5 minutes 
for Inshore catcher vessel cooperative pollock catch report; 5 minutes 
for Agent for service of process; 40 hours for Salmon Bycatch Reduction 
Inter-Cooperative Agreement (ICA); and 4 hours for ICA appeals.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 470.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $225.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

    Dated: February 2, 2010.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2010-2503 Filed 2-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P