Marine Recreational Information ProgramFisheries Data Collection for Sustainable RecreationalFisheries WorkshopMonmouth UniversityGordon C. ColvinNOAA Fisheries ServiceJune 15, 2009

2

Why Rec Fishing Matters, and To Whom By the Numbers

100 million

Up to 24.7 million

$82.3 billion

534,000

anglers

trips

in sales

jobs

874 K anglers5.4 M trips

1.199 M anglers7.3 M trips

348 K anglers1.2 M trips

taking

generating

creating

3

Why Rec Fishing MattersPercentage of Catch

4

How Catch and Effort Data are Used

Stock Assessments• Removals from stock• Size and age composition of population• Abundance (CPUE)

Fishery Management• Allocation• Set and track quotas/ACLs• Set size limits; seasons; catch limits

Economic Assessment• Determine economic impact of regulations

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Concerns about the Quality ofCurrent Recreational Data

What We Heard From Recreational Stakeholders, States, & Councils:

Lack of confidence, trust in estimates of catch and effort

Estimates are not sufficientlyprecise for current managementneeds

Estimates are not sufficientlytimely for current managementdecisions

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NRC Recommendations

Re-design current survey programs to improve: • Sampling and estimation procedures,• Applicability to various kinds of management decisions• Usefulness for social and economic analyses

Improve communications, outreach, and education.• Advise, inform, and educate• Institutionalize outreach and communication• Engage angler associations as partners

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NRC Recommendations

Establish comprehensive, universal angler list frame with national coverage to support future telephone surveys of recreational fishing effort.

Treat For-Hire sector as “commercial”, establish mandatory requirements for timely reporting, and conduct sampling to verify self-reported data.

Achieve much greater degree of standardization among state and federal surveys.

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NRC Recommendations

Analyze potential biases within current sampling and estimation designs: address possible undercoverage bias (CHTS; night fishing; private access fishing; discards)

Consult with expert statisticians to develop improved designs based on current sampling theory

Add expertise/personnel needed to continually evaluate and improve survey design and execution

Provide ongoing technical evaluation and modification to meet emerging management needs.

9

Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization

Improve “quality and accuracy” of MRFSS data

Implement NCR recommendations to the extent feasible

Develop National Saltwater Angler Registry

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Where We Are Now

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Where We Are Heading

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Marine Recreational Information Program

MRIP will enhance accountability, timeliness, and decision-making ability

It will not be a silver bullet solution to all fisheries management issues

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MRIP: National Standards, Regional Implementation

National Standards MRIP will develop enhanced survey design,

implementation and management methodologies, and adopt standards and best practices

MRIP will establish national goals, strategies and an implementation program for outreach to build stakeholder awareness and support for the program

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MRIP: National Standards, Regional Implementation

Regional Implementation Regional data collection and data use partners will:

• Evaluate data needs and apply MRIP solutions• Determine how best to administer and govern regional surveys

– Basic survey design– Coverage beyond minimum– Spatial resolution below state level– Length of waves/timeliness of estimates– For-hire logbooks or survey– Supplemental surveys (e.g. for infrequently-caught spp.)– Biological sampling– Regional outreach needs

• Resolve currently unresolved issues• Determine available funding support levels and apply funding to regional

priorities• Ensure consistency with MRIP national standards and best practices

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FundingFY ’09 Final

$6.2 Million• Current annual MRIP budget in FY ’09

• $3.5 Million– FY ’08 MRIP funding (new)

• $2.7 Million– FY ’09 MRIP funding (new)

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FundingFY ’10 Proposed

$8.7 Million• President’s FY ’10 Request

• $6.2 Million– MRIP funding from FY ‘09

• $2.5 Million– FY ’10 new MRIP funding for support to states for registry

implementation

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Implementation Approach

MRIP PRIORITY PHASE

Evaluation of current sampling and estimation methods. EVALUATIONEVALUATION

Improving sampling and estimation designs for future surveys.Pilot testing of new sampling and estimation methods.Phased implementation of new survey methods.Benchmarking new survey methods against old survey methods.

INNOVATIONINNOVATION

Meeting customer needs for precision and resolution. ACTIVATIONACTIVATION

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Tracking Our Progress

Project Updates to be issued quarterly • Reports progress on current pilot projects by Work

Groups/Teams• Identifies upcoming activities and projects in

development

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MRIP Work Groups

Design and Analysis Work Group Data Management and Standards Work Group Highly Migratory Species Work Group For-Hire Work Group National Saltwater Angler Registry Team Communication and Education Team

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MRIP In Action:Review of For-Hire Recreational Surveys

First step• Comprehensive documentation & description of survey

methods for all for-hire surveys Next

• Expert consultant review and evaluation of for-hire survey methods---completed March 2009.

Goal• to provide MRIP with the precise actions that must be

undertaken to ensure that the future systems of collecting for-hire data provide accurate, precise and unbiased data that is most useful for management needs (which specifically includes catch estimation needs and stock assessment needs).

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MRIP In Action:Review of For-Hire Recreational Surveys

Findings and recommendations• Best practice methods, including:

• Complete list of for-hire vessels

• Logbooks: recommended but also requires validation; completeness; enforcement; affordability; timeliness

• Complete list of landing sites

• Probability-based selection of sampling units

• Critiques and recommended improvements for existing surveys

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Next Steps: 2009 Projects

Develop survey design for mandatory logbook-based pilot projects

Test overall feasibility of implementing logbook programs

Develop and pilot test validation methods Develop and pilot test electronic reporting and data

entry methods

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Connecting Data and Management: ACLs & Accountability

ABC may not exceed OFL. The distance between OFL and ABC depends on how scientific uncertainty is accounted for in the ABC control rule. Recommend: OFL > ABC in most cases

The ACL may not exceed the ABC. • ABC is one of the “fishing level

recommendations” under MSA § 302(h)(6).

Cat

ch i

n T

on

s o

f a

Sto

ck

Incr

easi

ng

Year 1

Corresponds with MSY

Annual Catch Limit

Acceptable Biological Catch

Overfishing Limit

Annual Catch Target

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Accountability Measures (AMs):

AMs should prevent the ACL from being exceeded. If a fishery does not have very good inseason controls, then ACTs are recommended in the system of AMs so that the ACL is not exceeded.

Types of AMs:• ACTs• Inseason measures to prevent reaching the ACL• AMs to address an overage of the ACL

– Operational factors leading to an overage– Mitigate biological harm to the stock, if any

Cat

ch i

n T

on

s o

f a

Sto

ck

Incr

easi

ng

Year 1

ACL

ABCOFL

ACT

AMs triggered

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Guiding Principle

Ongoing conversation with anglers, scientists, and policy-makers about

sustainability and a bright future for fishing

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MRIP Timeline

2006 2007 20092008 2010 2011

Organizational structure, work groups, and decision-making process created

Organizational structure, work groups, and decision-making process created

Scientific recommendations and Congressional mandates issued

Scientific recommendations and Congressional mandates issued

Research needs and priorities identified

Research needs and priorities identified

Research and pilot projects begin

Research and pilot projects begin Draft

implementation strategy released for public comment and review

Draft implementation strategy released for public comment and review

Implement results from research projects … phasing in new Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP)

Implement results from research projects … phasing in new Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP)

National Saltwater Angler Registry takes effect for fishermen in non-exempt states

National Saltwater Angler Registry takes effect for fishermen in non-exempt states

National Saltwater Angler Registry rule issued

National Saltwater Angler Registry rule issued

Single Species

Management EcosystemStewardship

Stakeholder implementation workshops begin

Stakeholder implementation workshops begin

Round 2 projects approved

Round 2 projects approved

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