1. General Framework and Specialized Approaches to Monitoring U. S
General Framework and Specialized Approaches to Monitoring U.S. Marine Recreational Fisheries
John Foster
Recreational Fisheries Statistics Branch Chief
Science and Technology, NOAA Fisheries
June 20, 2017

2. Marine Recreational Information Program
The state-regional-federal partnership responsible for developing, improving, and implementing surveys that measure how many trips saltwater anglers take, and how many fish they catch.
This vital information – combined with other data, such as commercial catch and biological research – enables scientists and managers to assess and maintain sustainable U.S. fish stocks.
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | NOAA Fisheries | Page 2

3. MRIP Approach 2. Deliberate, well-articulated process
Executive Steering Committee
Operations
Team
Registry
Communications and Education Team
Information Management Team
Transition
1. Stakeholder-inclusive governance and team leadership
2. Deliberate, well-articulated process
3. Regional implementation
Address Fundamental Design Issues
Design, Review, and Certify New Methods
Implement Improvements
Scale Up to Enhance Precision, Timeliness and Coverage

4. Regional Implementation Plans
MRIP’s regional partners develop unique implementation strategies
Identify data collection needs
Selection of preferred survey methods from among MRIP-certified designs
Priorities for improved timeliness, precision, coverage for each region
Special needs (rare event, pulse fisheries, e.g., HMS, snowy grouper)

5. Estimating Recreational Fishing Activity
Data generated by a series of regional surveys

6. Estimating Recreational Fishery Catch

7. Key Points:
MRIP has taken a deliberate approach to addressing the NRC recommendations. First addressing fundamental design issues, second designing, reviewing, and certifying new methods, and third implementing improvements.
This is a continuous process and has been done in close collaboration with regional partners, stakeholders, and external statistical experts.
Additional Notes:
The MRIP Process is as follows:
1) Evaluating Methods
Current methods, even those that have been implemented, can benefit from improvements to make sure that in a changing management environment, the best available science is used. Teams of scientists, statisticians, state partners, fishermen, and other stakeholders evaluate existing programs, making recommendations for new data collection designs and improvements to current designs.
2) Developing and Testing Improved Methods
Recommendations for new methods and improvements to current methods are tested and peer-reviewed through the MRIP process to ensure the results meet the highest possible scientific standards. Methods are approved by MRIP, before they are approved for implementation by the Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries.
3) Implementing Improved Methods
Implementation of new and improved methods requires careful planning and difficult decisions on how to commit limited resources. MRIP works closely with regional partners to evaluate regional fisheries needs and examine tradeoffs among precision, timeliness, coverage, and more. Further, certain types of data collection options (e.g., for-hire trip reporting of catch and effort or a census of private boat landings of a species) require regulatory and enforcement components for implementation that must be considered. MRIP's role in the implementation of improved methods is to ensure that the result balances regional data collection needs and overall data quality for managing the Nation's fisheries.

8. Large Pelagics Survey (LPS)

9. Overview of the LPS
Specialized survey program for estimating catch and effort of highly migratory species (HMS)
Atlantic bluefin tuna highest priority species
Seasonal and geographically limited to U.S. recreational Atlantic HMS fishery along mid- and North Atlantic coasts
Current design uses complemented surveys approach to estimating total catch and effort

10. Current Large Pelagics Survey Complemented Telephone/Access Design
Large Pelagics Telephone Survey (LPTS)
Large Pelagics Intercept Survey (LPIS)
Large Pelagics Trips by Boats
with HMS Permit
Adj. Ratio Accounting for LP Trips by Boats without Permit
Total LP Boat Trips
Mean Catch per LP Boat Trip
LPTS is made up of 2 separate surveys:
LPTS add-on
LPTS private
They both have their own adjustment factors
Total Catch

11. LPTS Design for For-Hire Boats
Integrated with the For-Hire Survey
Sampling frame
Weekly survey with simple random sampling of boats
Contacts made with designated boat representatives
Data collected for each reported trip targeting large pelagic species
Sampling Frame
Boats with Charter/Headboat category HMS permit included in FHS list frame
Frame sorted to separate boats with HMS permit from those without the permit
Data collected for each reported trip
Number of anglers who fished
Primary area of fishing, water temperature, depth, etc.
Catch of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna by size class
Catch of subset of other Highly Migratory Species not frequently encountered in dockside survey
Monthly estimates of charter boat fishing trips for large pelagic species
Reporting is mandatory

12. LPTS Design for Private Boats
Separate telephone survey
Sampling frame
Bi-weekly survey with simple random sampling of boats
Contacts made with designated boat representatives
Data collected for each reported trip targeting large pelagic species
Sampling Frame
Boats with Angling category or General category HMS permit
Frame sorted to separate boats by permit type
Data collected for each reported trip
Number of anglers who fished
Primary area of fishing, water temperature, depth, etc.
Catch of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna by size class
Catch of subset of other Highly Migratory Species not frequently encountered in dockside survey
Monthly estimates of private boat fishing trips for large pelagic species
Reporting is mandatory

13. Fishing Effort Adjustments Correction of LPTS Undercoverage Error
LPTS trips adjusted to account for trips on out-of-frame boats
Large Pelagics Intercept Survey
Collects catch data for intercepted LP boat trips
Identifies boat on which angler fished
Is it in LPTS sampling frame?
Estimates
Mean catch per LP boat trip
Proportion of LP trips made on boats in LPTS frame

14. Large Pelagics Intercept Survey
Access point survey with multi-stage cluster sampling
Sampling frame
Sampling assignments
Estimates mean catch per LP boat trip by species and Atlantic bluefin tuna size class
Sampling Frame
PSU is site/day
Only sites with expected fishing for large pelagic species
Sites clustered prior to PPS sampling
Sites weighted by estimated number of LP boat trips
Sampling assignments
Site cluster and initial site assigned
Sampler can move from site to site within cluster
Since Required to canvas all sites within the assignment
Time interval not fixed – most active time of day
Assignment duration can vary
Large pelagics boat trips intercepted
Boat level interviews (captain/crew)

15. LPS Next Steps Completion of LPS re-estimation and re-design
Ad hoc MRIP Regional Implementation Team preparing an MRIP Regional Implementation Plan for Atlantic HMS.
Plan will identify implementation needs and priorities, potentially including:
Completion of LPS re-estimation and re-design
Expansion of Atlantic HMS recreational data collections
Consideration of additional improvements
Re-estimation and re-design:
incorporate non-response weights
improve data collection on trips originating from private access sites
and optimize sample sizes to improve PSE’s on rare event species
Expansion of data collections
through the rest of the Atlantic HMS region (NC-TX)
either through an expanded LPS or
addition of an offshore stratum to MRIP
Consideration of additional improvements that address:
for-hire electronic logbooks;
targeted improvements in shark data collection
expand tournament data collection to all HMS
expansion of catch card programs
pilot projects in the Caribbean
Also under consideration for the HMS Regional Implementation Plan
Option to find a way to combine surveys and, where needed, fine tune our sampling to get better estimates of offshore catch

16. Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Supplemental Surveys

17. Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Supplemental Surveys
Alabama “Snapper Check” – mandatory reporting program with validation methods
Florida “Gulf Reef Fish Survey” – specialized survey program with separate intercept and mail surveys
Mississippi “Tails ‘N Scales” – mandatory reporting program with validation methods
Alabama “Snapper Check”
Participants required to get permit and report all catch
Variety of electronic and paper methods for reporting
Field validation methods to correct for inaccurate or underreporting
Florida “Gulf Reef Fish Survey”
Endorsement for saltwater license required to fish for select reef fish species
Dockside intercept survey of offshore sites to estimate mean catch for red snapper trips
Off-site survey mail of license holders with endorsement to estimate total red snapper fishing trips
Mississippi “Tails ‘N Scales”
Mandatory reporting program for all catch of red snapper
Validation program to correct for inaccurate or underreporting

18. Supplemental Red Snapper
Surveys Timeline

19. Questions?