West Coast Region Groundfish
Trawl Fishery Electronic Monitoring Program
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
12/12/2025
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
12/31/2025
8,636
11,316
3,651
5,123
711,242
1,722,070
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.
US Code:
16 USC 1801 et seq Name of Law: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
Conservation & Management Reauthorization Act
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.
$88,740
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Melissa Hooper 206
526-4357
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
EM Service Provider - EM System Certification Form
0648-0785 30-Day 90 FR 57732 2025-1212.pdf
0648-0785 Supporting Statement A FINAL.docx
Vessel Owner - Self-Enforcing Agreement