Marine Recreational Information Program

1. Marine Recreational Information Program Fisheries Data Collection for Sustainable Recreational Fisheries Workshop Monmouth University Gordon C. Colvin NOAA Fisheries Service June 15, 2009

2. Why Rec Fishing Matters, and To Whom By the Numbers 874 K anglers 5.4 M trips Up to 24.7 million anglers taking 100 million trips 1.199 M anglers 7.3 M trips generating $82.3 billion in sales creating 348 K anglers 1.2 M trips 534,000 jobs

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

10. Where We Are Now

11. Where We Are Heading

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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

17. Implementation Approach

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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).

21. 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

22. 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

23. Overfishing Limit Catch in Tons of a Stock Acceptable Biological Catch Annual Catch Limit Increasing Annual Catch Target Year 1 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). Corresponds with MSY

24. OFL ABC ACL Catch in Tons of a Stock ACT Increasing Year 1 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 AMs triggered

25. Guiding Principle • Ongoing conversation with anglers, scientists, and policy-makers about sustainability and a bright future for fishing

26. MRIP Timeline Round 2 projects approved National Saltwater Angler Registry rule issued National Saltwater Angler Registry takes effect for fishermen in non-exempt states Scientific recommendations and Congressional mandates issued Research needs and priorities identified Stakeholder implementation workshops begin 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Single Species Management Research and pilot projects begin Ecosystem Stewardship Draft implementation strategy released for public comment and review Implement results from research projects … phasing in new Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Organizational structure, work groups, and decision-making process created

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