Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Cook Inlet EEZ Commercial Salmon Fishery

Issuing agencies

Abstract

The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 213 (Thursday, November 5, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69823-69825]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-22643]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Cook Inlet EEZ Commercial Salmon Fishery

AGENCY: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Information Collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before January 4, 2027.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments to 
Adrienne Thomas, NOAA PRA Officer, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d59b9a9494fb85879495bbbab4b4fbb2baa3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d43424c4c235d5f4c4d63626c6c236a627b">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>. Please 
reference OMB Control Number 0648-0818 in the subject line of your 
comments. All comments received are part of the public record and will 
generally be posted on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> without change. Do 
not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or 
protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Allyson Olds, Technical Editor, Alaska Region Sustainable Fisheries 
Division, P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99801, (907) 586-7228, and 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a6b6666737965642465666e794a64656b6b246d657c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="47262b2b3e34282969282b2334072928262669202831">[email&#160;protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    This is a request for renewal of an approved information 
collection. This request is by the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS), Alaska Regional Office, for the renewal of the Cook Inlet 
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) Commercial Salmon Fishery information 
collection. NMFS manages U.S. salmon fisheries off Alaska under the 
Fishery Management Plan for the Salmon Fisheries in the EEZ Off Alaska 
(Salmon FMP). NMFS developed the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone 
(EEZ) Commercial Salmon Fishery provisions under section 304(c)(1)(A) 
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), 
and these information collection requirements are necessary under 
regulations specified at 50 CFR part 679, subpart J.
    This collection contains the applications and processes used by 
harvesters, processors, and other entities receiving deliveries of Cook 
Inlet EEZ salmon to apply for and manage their permits; provide catch, 
landings, and processing data; and mark drift gillnet buoys. The data 
is used to ensure that the fishery participants adhere to harvesting, 
processing, and other requirements necessary to manage the Cook Inlet 
EEZ commercial salmon fishery. This information collection includes 
recordkeeping, reporting, and compliance requirements necessary for the 
management and monitoring of the Cook Inlet EEZ Area salmon fishery, 
including the following:
    <bullet> Application For Salmon Federal Fisheries Permit (SFFP);
    <bullet> Application For Salmon Federal Processor Permit (SFPP);
    <bullet> Application for Registered Salmon Receiver Permit (RSRP);
    <bullet> Salmon eLandings Processor Registration;
    <bullet> Salmon Receiver Landing Report;
    <bullet> Catcher Vessel Daily Fishing Logsheet Salmon Gillnet Gear; 
and
    <bullet> Salmon Drift Gillnet Marker Buoys.
    Harvesting vessels are required to have a Salmon Federal Fisheries 
Permit (SFFP) to commercially fish for salmon in the Cook Inlet EEZ 
Area. An SFFP authorizes the vessel to conduct operations in the Cook 
Inlet EEZ Area, subject to all other Federal requirements. The 
Application for Salmon Federal Fisheries Permit is used by the owner or 
authorized representative of a catcher vessel to obtain, renew, amend, 
or surrender an SFFP. NMFS issues an SFFP at no charge after receipt 
and review of a complete SFFP application. The information collected on 
this application includes the type of request; owner identification and 
contact information; vessel information; and signature of the applicant 
or their authorized representative. If completed by an authorized 
representative, authorization must be attached. If ownership has 
changed or if it is an application for a vessel to which an SFFP has 
never been issued, documentation on vessel ownership must be provided.
    Processors that receive and process landings of salmon caught in 
the Cook Inlet EEZ Area by a vessel authorized by an SFFP are required 
to obtain a Salmon Federal Processor Permit (SFPP). This includes any 
person, facility, vessel, or stationary floating processor (SFP) that 
receives, purchases, or arranges to purchase and process unprocessed 
salmon harvested in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, except registered salmon 
receivers. The Application For Salmon Federal Processor Permit is used 
to obtain, renew, amend, or surrender an SFPP. NMFS issues an SFPP at 
no charge after receipt and review of a complete SFFP application. The

[[Page 69824]]

information collected on this application includes the type of request; 
processor identification and contact information; processor ownership 
information; and signature of the applicant or their authorized 
representative. If completed by an authorized representative, 
authorization must be attached. If ownership has changed or if an FPP 
has never been issued for this processor, a copy of the USCG Abstract 
of Title or Certificate of Documentation must be included with this 
application.
    A Registered Salmon Receiver Permit (RSRP) is required for any 
person, other than an SFPP holder, to receive salmon commercially 
harvested in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area from the person(s) who harvested 
the fish. Persons or businesses that receive landings (deliveries) of 
Cook Inlet EEZ salmon from harvesting vessels but do not immediately 
process it, or transport it to another location for processing, are 
required to obtain an RSRP. The Application for Registered Salmon 
Receiver Permit is used by the owner or authorized representative to 
obtain, renew, amend, or surrender an RSRP. NMFS issues an RSRP at no 
charge after receipt and review of a complete RSRP application. The 
information collected on this application includes the type of request; 
applicant identification and contact information; type of salmon 
receiver operation and identification information; and signature of the 
applicant or their authorized representative. If completed by an 
authorized representative, authorization must be attached.
    SFPP and RSRP holders who do not already have access to eLandings 
due to their participation in other fisheries, complete the salmon 
eLandings processor registration before using the eLandings system. 
Registration is necessary to request authorization to use the system, 
create a unique User ID, and obtain a password. The registration is 
completed online at the eLandings registration page: <a href="https://elandings.alaska.gov/web/register.html">https://elandings.alaska.gov/web/register.html</a>. Entering the information 
generates a User Agreement Form that the User must print, sign, and 
submit to NMFS. NMFS emails confirmation that the User is registered, 
authorized to use eLandings, and that the User ID and the User's 
account are enabled. Section 679.115(b)(3) lists the information 
required for the eLandings processor registration. The following type 
of information is collected: type of operation (selected from a 
dropdown list); operation name; ADF&G processor code; Federal permit 
types and numbers; home port code; ADF&G vessel identification number 
(if a tender vessel); vehicle license information (if a vehicle); if a 
buying station, tender vessel, or custom processor, information that 
identifies the associated processor where the processing will take 
place; and identification and contact information for the primary 
eLandings User.
    The manager of a shoreside processor or a registered salmon 
receiver that receives salmon from a vessel issued an SFFP under Sec.  
679.114 and that is required to have an SFPP or RSRP under Sec.  
679.114(c) or (d) is required to use eLandings or other NMFS-approved 
software to submit a daily salmon receiver landing report during the 
fishing year. To manage the fishery successfully and avoid overfishing, 
Federal managers need accurate and rapidly reported catch data from the 
EEZ to deduct salmon catches from the total allowable catch. Section 
679.115(b)(4) lists the fields for the landing report that eLandings 
autofills with information from the processor's or registered salmon 
receiver's eLandings registration record. Section 679.115(b)(5) lists 
the information submitted by the manager of a shoreside processor or a 
registered salmon receiver on the salmon receiver landing report. The 
report collects the following information: processor identification 
information, delivery information, catch information, and discard or 
disposition information.
    The operator of a catcher vessel that is required to have an SFFP 
under Sec.  679.114(b) and that is using gillnet gear to harvest salmon 
in the Cook Inlet EEZ Area, is required to maintain a salmon drift 
gillnet daily fishing log (catcher vessel daily fishing logsheet salmon 
gillnet gear). This logsheet is necessary to collect catch and bycatch 
information. The data provided by the logs satisfies the Magnuson-
Stevens Act Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology requirement (16 
U.S.C. 1853(a)(11)). Information from logs is also used to corroborate 
vessel monitoring system data in the event of a suspected Federal 
fishery violation.
    Drift gillnet gear is required to be marked at both ends with buoys 
(salmon drift gillnet marker buoys) that legibly display the vessel's 
SFFP number. Regulations that fishing gear be marked with 
identification information are essential to facilitate fisheries 
enforcement and actions concerning damage, loss, and civil proceedings. 
The ability to link fishing gear to the vessel owner or operator is 
crucial to enforcement of regulations. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement 
and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) use the identification 
information on fishing gear when issuing violations, prosecutions, and 
other enforcement actions. Buoy marking reduces the costs to NOAA 
Office of Law Enforcement and the USCG for enforcement efforts and 
allows for more effective enforcement of fishing gear regulations. 
Cooperating fishermen also use the gear identification to report 
placement or occurrence in unauthorized areas.
    There have been no changes to this collection except to update 
respondent numbers and labor costs.

II. Method of Collection

    The applications for permits are available as fillable PDFs on the 
NMFS Alaska Region website at <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/alaska-federal-fisheries-permit-and-federal-processor-permit-applications">https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/permit/alaska-federal-fisheries-permit-and-federal-processor-permit-applications</a> and may be downloaded, emailed, printed, faxed, or 
delivered to NMFS. The Salmon eLandings Processor Registration may be 
done electronically online at <a href="https://elandings.alaska.gov/web/register.html">https://elandings.alaska.gov/web/register.html</a> or by mail, fax, or delivery. The Salmon Receiver Landing 
Report may be submitted electronically. The Catcher Vessel Daily 
Fishing Logsheet Salmon Gillnet Gear may be submitted by mail or email.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0648-0818.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission [extension of a current 
information collection].
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit organizations.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 400 unique respondents.
    Estimated Time Per Response: Application for Salmon Federal 
Fisheries Permit (SFFP)--15 min; Application for Salmon Federal 
Processor Permit (SFPP)--25 min; Application for Registered Salmon 
Receiver Permit (RSRP)--20 min; Salmon eLandings Processor 
Registration--15 min; Salmon Receiver Landing Report--10 min; Catcher 
Vessel Daily Fishing Logsheet Salmon Gillnet Gear--15 min; Salmon Drift 
Gillnet Marker Buoys--30 min.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 2,846 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $20,100.
    Respondent's Obligation: Required to Obtain or Retain Benefits, or 
Mandatory.
    Legal Authority: Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).

[[Page 69825]]

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this information collection request. Before including 
your address, phone number, email address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental PRA Compliance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2026-22643 Filed 11-4-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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