Recreational Fisheries in the U.S.

Recreational Fisheries in the U.S. PDF

Author: Ellen K. Parker

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 151

ISBN-13: 9781634855969

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Recreational fishing is a traditional American pastime integral to social, cultural, and economic life in coastal communities across the nation. This time-honored activity allows millions access to America's great outdoors each year, while generating billions of dollars in economic activity. Traditionally shaped by commercial forces, demographic, market, and ecological shifts are changing the nature of U.S. fisheries. Our nation's expansive coastal and ocean resources face increasing pressure as coastal populations grow, and more people pursue recreational opportunities in ecologically important marine and estuarine areas. The purpose of this book is to provide guidance for Agency consideration in its deliberations pertaining to development and maintenance of enduring and sustainable high quality saltwater recreational fisheries. This policy identifies goals and guiding principles to be integrated into NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) planning, budgeting, decision-making, and activities, and includes examples of implementation concepts and strategies supported by NMFS. Moreover, this book provides a detailed overview of the operating structure of the "average" Northeast for-hire head boat and charter boat, and estimates the economic activity that for-hire businesses contribute to the Northeast's economy as measured by total employment, labor income, and sales. Lastly, this book examines challenges that have been identified with the NMFS' data collection efforts for managing marine recreational fisheries and steps the agency has taken to improve data collection and challenges that remain.

Review of Recreational Fisheries Survey Methods

Review of Recreational Fisheries Survey Methods PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2006-08-13

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 030910193X

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Recreational fishing in the United States is an important social and economic component of many marine fisheries, with an estimated 14 million anglers making almost 82 million fishing trips in 2004. Although each individual angler typically harvests a small number of fish, collectively these sport fisheries can take a significant fraction of the yearly catch-in some cases more than commercial fisheries. For example, in 1999, recreational fishing accounted for 94% of the total catch of spotted sea trout, 76% of striped bass and sheephead, and 60 percent of king mackerel. It is important that systems used to monitor fishing catch are adequate for timely management of recreational fisheries. However, the large number of anglers and access points makes monitoring recreational fishing much more difficult than monitoring commercial fishing. This report reviews the types of survey methods used to estimate catch in recreational fisheries, including state/federal cooperative programs. The report finds that both telephone survey and onsite access components of the current monitoring systems have serious flaws in design or implementation. There are also several areas of miscommunication and mismatched criteria among designers of surveys, data collectors, and recreational fisheries. The report recommends that a comprehensive, universal sampling frame with national coverage should be established, and that improvements should be made in statistical analysis of the data collected and in the ways the data are communicated. A permanent and independent research group should be established and funded to evaluate the statistical design and adequacy of recreational fishery surveys and to guide necessary modifications or new initiatives.