View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

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View ICR - OIRA Conclusion

OMB Control No: 0648-0593	ICR Reference No: 202011-0648-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202006-0648-003
Agency/Subagency: DOC/NOAA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: NMFS Observer Programs' Information That Can Be Gathered Only Through Questions
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: 01/14/2021
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 12/10/2020
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	01/31/2024	36 Months From Approved	01/31/2021
Responses	13,935	0	19,606
Time Burden (Hours)	18,436	0	28,419
Cost Burden (Dollars)	1,050	0	1,152

Abstract: This request is for an extension and revision to an existing information collection (OMB Control No. 0648-0593): Observer Programs’ Information That Can Be Gathered Only through Questions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) deploys fishery observers on United States (U.S.) fishing vessels and to fish processing plants in order to collect biological and economic data and to monitor industry regulatory compliance. Under an OMB approved information collection observers collect information from fishing vessel captains/crew or fish processing plant managers/staff prior to deployment. This information is used to assess whether the vessel or plan satisfies applicable safety requirements. In June 2020, NMFS received emergency approval from OMB to add six questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the above mentioned information collection. The added safety questions are necessary to ensure that an observer can be safely deployed on a specific fishing vessel or stationed at a specific processing plant and work safely once assigned to a specific vessel or plant. With this renewal request NMFS would like to update the six questions to also include other communicable diseases, and make four other minor changes to this collection. This will allow observer programs flexibility when other communicable diseases arise in the United States. Additional revisions include: The expansion of observers to include an additional fishery. The Southeast region will begin sending observers out on Southeast reef fish fishery trips and thus needs to add this fishery to this collection. A combination of two programs previously listed as separate; the Gulf of Mexico reef fish and shrimp program and grouper snapper program. The West Coast Groundfish Observer Program (WCGOP) would like to start collecting the names of crew members within their observer logbooks. The data will be recorded on paper, scanned in, and stored according to vessel name. This information will only be accessed if there is an enforcement issue. Also within the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program: They have introduced a new phone app that captains are using to declare upcoming fishing trips and NMFS is using to let them know if they have been selected for observer coverage. Finally, some forms have been removed from this control number as they are completed based upon direct observation by an employee or agent of the sponsoring agency and are therefore exempt from the PRA requirements. A list of all forms, included and removed, is uploaded as a Supplemental Document.

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	13,935	19,606	-5,671
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	18,436	28,419	-9,983
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	1,050	1,152	-102

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

Burden Increase Due to:

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

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: Number of observed vessels and expected number of observed trips have been updated based on 2019 data. In addition, 5 minutes was added to the response time for each planned observer trip, with the exception of Alaskan trips for which only 1 minute was added. Alaska has their own COVID-19 requirements specific for fishing boats that answers most of the questions the observers are planning to ask, reducing the response time for those observed trips. A new collection (Southeast Reef Fish Programs) was added to the collection.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $55,911,949

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? Yes Part B of Supporting Statement

Does this ICR request any personally identifiable information (see OMB Circular No. A-130 for an explanation of this term)? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

Does this ICR include a form that requires a Privacy Act Statement (see 5 U.S.C. §552a(e)(3))? Please consult with your agency's privacy program when making this determination. Yes

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? Yes

Agency Contact: Wendy Morrison 301 427-8564 wendy.morrison@noaa.gov