Mr. Colvin briefed the Council on a recent review of marine recreational fishing statistical survey methods conducted by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies, with a focus on NMFS's Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey (MRFSS).  The NRC was engaged by NMFS to conduct this assessment due to the high level of dissatisfaction with the marine recreational fishing data collected by NMFS in the past.  A panel of experts created by NRC was asked to review the methods used to collect and analyze recreational marine fisheries data for application to fisheries management which includes MRFSS, for hire surveys, Gulf Coast surveys (addresses party and charter boat industries), large pelagic surveys, highly migratory fish surveys and some of the state surveys.

A summary of the panel's findings, conclusions and recommendations has recently been made public.  Mr. Colvin said there were points to emphasize:

1. Although the panel was very concerned about biases in the MRFSS data and program, they did not recommend abandonment of the basic MRFFS approach.  They did not recommend the institution of some entirely new census based or other alternatives to collecting recreational fishing catch and effort data.  The panel seemed to accept the premise that an estimate needed to be based on surveys, including both sample frames (telephone surveys & intercept surveys.)  The panel did, however, feel that the NMFS survey approaches need to be reworked from the ground up.  While they were critical of certain aspects of MRFFS, they were not critical of the basic approach it employs.
   
   
2. The panel was explicit in expressing its concerns regarding the telephone effort part of the MRFSS survey (households being randomly dialed, cell-phones, complete inefficiency.)  The panel recommended a nationwide, universal registry of saltwater anglers from which samples will be drawn for telephone surveys.  This reinforces what the Bush Administration proposed in its Magnusson-Stevens Act reauthorization package in terms of a universal, salt-water fishing registry.

The effort to remake MRFSS will take approximately 3-5 years.  Councilor Davi questioned whether or not each state will be responsible for developing its own recreational data collection system.  Mr. Colvin responded that the panel was focused mainly on the big picture.  However, it did feel that individual states surveys were just as problematic as the national MRFSS survey.

Mr. John Schoenig brought up the fact that recently New York State had been looking into a marine recreational fishing license. He asked whether, if New York did indeed have such a license, would some of the license revenues be used by DEC to supplement the data that MRFFS collects in New York.  He thought this would be a good idea. Mr. Colvin replied that the NRC panel wasn’t as concerned about having a saltwater license as it was about obtaining some sort of database on marine recreational fishermen.  He referred back to the Bush Administration's proposal for a registry of saltwater anglers.  If a state had a marine recreational fishing license program that recovered equivalent information in terms of contact information on marine anglers, that could be substituted for federal registration. 

Readers interested in seeing the full NRAC can find on the following web page:  http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11616.html.

 

Page last modified Sunday, May 7, 2006 by George E. Carroll