[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]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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