Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Economic Surveys for U.S. Commercial Fisheries, 51762 [2012-21029]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 166 (Monday, August 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 51762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21029]



[[Page 51762]]

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Economic 
Surveys for U.S. Commercial Fisheries

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

ACTION: Notice.

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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 October 26, 
2012.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet 
at JJessup@doc.gov).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Eric Thunberg, (508) 495-2272 or Eric.Thunberg@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract

    This request is for an extension and revision of a currently 
approved generic collection.
    Economic data for selected United States (U.S.) commercial 
fisheries will be collected for each of the following groups of 
operations, based on pre-approved questions: (1) Processors, including 
onshore plants, floating processing plants, mothership vessels, and 
catcher/processor vessels; (2) first receivers of fish, including 
dealers, wholesalers, and auctions; (3) catcher vessels; and (4) for-
hire vessels. Companies associated with these groups will be surveyed 
for expenditure, earnings, effort, ownership, and employment data; and 
basic demographic data on fishing and processing crews. These economic 
data collection programs contribute to legally mandated analyses 
required under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management 
Act (MFCMA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 (EO 
12866 and EO 13563) as well as a variety of state statutes including 
Florida Statute 120.54, Hawaii Revised Statute 201M-2, New Jersey 
Permanent Statutes 52:14B-19 and Oregon Revised Statutes 183.335 and 
183.540.
    In general, questions will be asked concerning ex-vessel and 
wholesale prices and revenue, variable and fixed costs, expenditures, 
effort, ownership, dependence on the fisheries, and fishery employment. 
The data collection efforts will be coordinated to reduce the 
additional burden for those who participate in multiple fisheries. 
Participation in these data collections will be voluntary.
    Program change: We are adding questions for first receivers to this 
collection.
    The data will be used for the following three purposes: (1) To 
monitor the economic performance of these fisheries through primary 
processing; (2) to analyze the economic performance effects of current 
management measures; and (3) to analyze the economic performance 
effects of alternative management measures. The measures of economic 
performance to be supported by this data collection program include the 
following: (1) contribution to net national benefit; (2) contribution 
to income of groups of participants in the fisheries (i.e., fishermen, 
vessel owners, processing plant employees, and processing plant 
owners); (3) employment; (4) regional economic impacts (income and 
employment); and (5) factor utilizations rates. As required by law, the 
confidentiality of the data will be protected.
    Data collections will focus each year on a different component of 
the U.S. commercial fisheries, with only limited data collected in 
previously surveyed components of these fisheries. The latter will be 
done to update the models that will be used to track economic 
performance and to evaluate the economic effects of alternative 
management actions. This cycle of data collection will facilitate 
economic performance data being available and updated for all the 
components of the U.S. commercial fisheries identified above.

II. Method of Collection

    The surveys will be conducted via mail, phone and in-person 
interview. In general, respondents will be mailed a copy of the survey 
instrument in advance of a phone or in-person interview. Where 
feasible, survey respondents will be provided with the option to 
respond to a survey on-line or other electronic medium.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0369.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission (extension and revision of a 
currently approved collection).
    Affected Public: Business or other for-profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 7,000.
    Estimated Time Per Response: 1-2 hours for a response from a 
catcher vessel or for-hire vessel for operating cost, annual cost, 
revenue, effort, employment, ownership, and limited demographic data; 
20-30 minutes per response from a catcher vessel or for-hire vessel for 
operating cost data; 30 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes per response 
from a catcher vessel or for-hire vessel for annual expenditure and 
demographic data; 8 hours for a response from a West Coast or Alaska 
processor, including catcher/processor vessels, mothership vessels, 
floating processing plants, and onshore plants; 1-2 hours for a 
response from an East Coast or Gulf processor.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 7,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

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: August 22, 2012.
Gwellnar Banks,
Management Analyst, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2012-21029 Filed 8-24-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P