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OMB Control No: 0648-0673	ICR Reference No: 202608-0648-006
Status: Received in OIRA	Previous ICR Reference No: 202309-0648-001
Agency/Subagency: DOC/NOAA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: American Lobster - Annual Trap Transfer 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: 09/15/2026

	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	36 Months From Approved	11/30/2026
Responses	77	102
Time Burden (Hours)	13	17
Cost Burden (Dollars)	378	496

Abstract: This request is for an extension of a currently approved information collection. The American lobster resource and fishery are cooperatively managed by the states and NMFS under the authority of the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act, according to the framework established by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) in Amendment 3 of its Interstate Fishery Management Plan (ISFMP). This collection of information is in response to several addenda to Amendment 3 of the ISFMP that work to reduce trap fishing effort through limited entry fishing and trap allocation limit reductions. The Trap Transfer Program is intended to foster economic flexibility for the lobster industry while reducing fishing effort on the American lobster resource. The regulations implementing the FMP in the EEZ are specified at 50 CFR part 697. This collection of information is being conducted to help mitigate the economic burden of scheduled trap allocation reductions in Lobster Conservation Management Areas 2 and 3 on Federal lobster permit holders through the Annual Lobster Trap Transfer Program, which allows all qualified Federal lobster permit holders to buy and sell trap allocation from Areas 2, 3, or Outer Cape Cod. NMFS collects application forms from Lobster permit holders who wish to transfer trap allocation from these areas during a 2-month period (from August 1 through September 30) each year. The revised allocations resulting from the transfers become effective for each participating lobster permit at the start of the following Federal lobster fishing year, on May 1. Both the seller and buyer of the traps are required to sign the application form, date the document, and clearly show that the seller has sufficient allocation to transfer and that the buyer has sufficient room under the applicable trap cap.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 16 USC 5101-5109 Name of Law: Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Management Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	91 FR 35465	06/11/2026
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	91 FR 57318	09/09/2026
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Lobster Trap Allocation Transfer Application	N/A

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Request	Previously Approved	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	77	102	-25
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	13	17	-4
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	378	496	-118

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 participants to decrease over time as fishermen stabilize their businesses and available traps become scarce.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $1,447

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: Matthew Rigdon 978 281-9336 matthew.rigdon@noaa.gov

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