View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

OMB Control No: 0648-0364	ICR Reference No: 201406-0648-011
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201206-0648-010
Agency/Subagency: DOC/NOAA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Gear-Marking Requirements for Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 06/27/2014
	Date Received in OIRA: 06/27/2014
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	06/30/2017	08/31/2015	08/31/2015
Responses	393,295	0	122,848
Time Burden (Hours)	32,775	0	10,235
Cost Burden (Dollars)	21,631	0	6,755

Abstract: Gear-marking requirements assist National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in obtaining detailed information about which fisheries or specific parts of fishing gear are responsible for the incidental mortality and serious injury of right, humpback, and fin whales. Generally, only a portion of gear is recovered from an entangled whale and it is almost impossible to link that portion of gear to a particular fishery. Therefore, requiring fishermen to mark surface buoys and the buoy line provides NMFS with an additional source of information, which could then be used to determine the gear responsible for and the location of the entanglement event. The following fisheries are affected by this information collection: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic lobster trap/pot fisheries; Atlantic blue crab trap/pot fisheries; Atlantic mixed species trap/pot fisheries targeting crab (red, Jonah, and rock), hagfish, finfish (black sea bass, scup, tautog, cod, haddock, pollock, redfish, and white hake), conch/whelk, and shrimp; Northeast anchored gillnet; Northeast drift gillnet; Mid-Atlantic gillnet; Southeast Atlantic gillnet; and Southeastern United States Atlantic shark gillnet. The final rule will affect the number and size of markings. Only those fishing in waters regulated by the ALWTRP will be required to gear mark. This is a change from the first submission that required gear marking in those areas and areas exempt from the ALWTRP requirements.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 31 Name of Law: Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
0648-BC90	Final or interim final rulemaking	79 FR 36586	06/27/2014

Federal Register Notices & Comments
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 1

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Gear-Marking Requirements for Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion
Annual Number of Responses	393,295	122,848	270,447
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	32,775	10,235	22,540
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	21,631	6,755	14,876

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Changing Regulations

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: The proposed gear marking scheme would maintain the current color combinations but increase the size and frequency of the mark. The new mark must equal 12" in length and buoy lines must be marked three times (top, middle, bottom). Affected vessels would increase by 264. The annual responses and burden for the preferred alternative, including proposed closures and exemptions, would increase by 270,447, the hours by 22,540 and the annual cost by $14,876.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $0

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: Kate Swails 978 282-8481

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion