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OMB Control No: 0648-0445	ICR Reference No: 202402-0648-005
Status: Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 202008-0648-006
Agency/Subagency: DOC/NOAA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: NMFS Alaska Region Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Program
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 06/21/2024
	Date Received in OIRA: 02/20/2024
Terms of Clearance: None

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	06/30/2027	36 Months From Approved	06/30/2024
Responses	758	0	611
Time Burden (Hours)	3,098	0	2,476
Cost Burden (Dollars)	973,324	0	812,668

Abstract: This is a resubmission, with the final rule, of a request by the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS), Alaska Regional Office, for extension and revision of this currently approved information collection for the NMFS Alaska Region Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) Program. NMFS requires owners and operators of selected vessels participating in federally managed groundfish and crab fisheries off Alaska to obtain, install, and maintain an operational, NMFS-approved VMS. Tracking vessel location using VMS is required to monitor compliance with area-specific catch allocations, monitor compliance with requirements to redeploy or remove fishing gear from commercial fishing grounds, and monitor compliance with complicated time and area closures in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands to protect Steller sea lion or essential fish habitat. This information collection is revised due to the final rule (RIN 0648-BM42) to implement Amendment 16 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ Off Alaska. Amendment 16 and the rule establish Federal fishery management for all salmon fishing that occurs in the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which includes commercial drift gillnet and recreational salmon fishery sectors. This collection is revised to include vessels commercially fishing for salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area that will be required to install and maintain an operational VMS. This increases the number of respondents for this collection.This rule will also add a new information collection for the Cook Inlet EEZ commercial salmon fishery under new OMB control number 0648-0818. NMFS is submitting a separate request for the new collection. No changes were made to the requirements in this collection from the proposed rule to the final rule.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 773-773k Name of Law: Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982
PL: Pub.L. 94 - 265 303 Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: US Code: 50 USC 679.115 Name of Law: Magnuson Stevens Act

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
0648-BM42	Final or interim final rulemaking	89 FR 34718	04/30/2024

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	88 FR 72314	10/19/2023
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? Yes

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	758	611	688	-541
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	3,098	2,476	2,790	-2,168
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	973,324	812,668	827,424	-666,768

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: This collection is revised because the rule (RIN 0648-BM42) requires vessels commercially fishing for salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area to install and maintain an operational VMS. NMFS estimates 100 vessels will install a VMS due to this rule, which increases the number of respondents for this collection. The respondents have also been updated to reflect current participation in the federally managed fisheries off Alaska that require a VMS.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $23,406

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

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. No

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. 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? No

Agency Contact: Gabrielle Aberle 907 586-7356

View ICR - OIRA Conclusion