View Information Collection Request (ICR) Package

View ICR - Agency Submission

Comment Period Closed - Comments are accepted for the first 30 days of OIRA's review. See FAQ page for more information.

OMB Control No: 0648-0785	ICR Reference No: 202509-0648-003
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202210-0648-001
Agency/Subagency: DOC/NOAA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: West Coast Region Groundfish Trawl Fishery Electronic Monitoring Program
Type of Information Collection: Extension without change of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular	Date Submitted to OIRA: 12/12/2025

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	02/28/2026
Responses	8,636	11,316
Time Burden (Hours)	3,651	5,123
Cost Burden (Dollars)	711,242	1,722,070

Abstract: This is a request for the renewal of an approved information collection. Under the authority of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.), the Pacific coast groundfish fishery is managed under the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) by the National Marine Fisheries Service West Coast Region. One sector of the groundfish fishery has limited entry permits endorsed for trawl gear and is managed under a catch share program. The catch share program implemented requirements for 100- percent observer coverage at-sea and dockside to ensure full accountability for catch of allocated species and a level playing field for all participants. To provide a cost-effective alternative to human observer coverage, vessels may choose to use electronic monitoring (EM). EM uses video cameras and integrated sensors (e.g., GPS, motion sensor, hydraulic pressure sensor) to passively monitor fishing activity at-sea. The video and sensor data can be reviewed after the trip by an analyst onshore to collect information about location and amount of catch and fishing effort. EM has the potential to reduce monitoring costs because it does not require deploying a person on the vessel and the logistical and travel expenses that generates. This information collection includes a permit application and associated documents for EM service provider companies, a permit application and associated documents for vessels participating in EM, and a logbook and video hard drive submissions for participating vessels. The information is used to allow vessels to utilize EM in lieu of the 100% human observer requirement and for fishery catch accounting to occur according to regulations in place at 50 CFR 660 subpart J.

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	8,636	11,316	-2,680
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	3,651	5,123	-1,472
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	711,242	1,722,070	-1,010,828

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: The number of respondents has decreased in most instances due to fewer entrants into the program. Burden hours have been updated to be consistent with the current data. This is a result of having a better understanding of burden response times based on respondent feedback since implementation of the program. Additionally, burden response time has been inconsistently calculated, with some collections using minutes versus other collections using fractions of an hour. All collections have been updated to use fractions of an hour. Finally, some information collections (ICs) in ROCIS are made up of several rows. Previous Supporting Statements did not accurately account for the multiple rows that made up a single IC. This Supporting Statement has shaded those rows that make up a single IC, and the proper total for that single IC has been shown above the shaded rows.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $88,740

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. 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? No

Agency Contact: Melissa Hooper 206 526-4357