USVI Commercial Catch Form Status

1. USVI Commercial Catch FormStatus

2. USVI Commercial Catch Form • Developed as part of the Caribbean Commercial Data Improvement Project • USVI Department of Planning and Natual Resources • PR Department of Natural Resources and Environment • CFMC • NOAA Fisheries • SEFSC • SERO • Constituents – PR and USVI • MRAG

3. USVI Commercial Catch FormDevelopment • Data Improvement Plan Workshops • November 2009 (PR and St. Croix) • January 2010 (St. Thomas) • May 2010 (PR and USVI representatives) • Scientific discussions with scientists, council members, council committee members, constituents • Outreach meetings with constituents • Multiple Conference calls February and August 2010

4. USVI Commercial Catch FormStatus • St. Croix • May 2011 • Form generally accepted by constituents and DFW • Requested modifications to • Effort information - completed • Species included - nearly complete • St Thomas • On going discussions • Meeting last night

5. USVI Commercial Catch FormSt. Thomas Discussions • All agreed that our objective was to obtain the best possible data to support the science and management of US Caribbean living marine resources

6. St. Thomas Commercial Catch FormMeeting Monday June 27 • Intention was to focus on the details of the reporting form • Conversation repeatedly diverted to • Whether to rely more heavily on information from 1) catch reports or 2) port sampling to determine landings by species • Concerns that improved data collection might lead to management action due to data changes not resource changes

7. St. Thomas Commercial Catch FormMeeting Monday June 27 • Port sampling as primary source of information on species composition of landings • System relied on until now • Historical implementation problems • Requires consistent sampling intensity • Likely higher than current levels • Improved sampling design needed • Increased funding • Increased sampling would support multiple assessment and management activities

8. Commercial catch reports as primary source of landings information • Concern about the quality of information which fishermen could supply for each species (especially trap fishers because of large numbers of species caught) • Accuracy of species identification • Accuracy of recalled pounds for each species • Concern about complexity of the form • Field testing by fishers • Field testing by port agents • High reliance on dockside sampling and averaged species composition • Limited use of information from fishers and differences between fishers and trips • Reliance on averaged information (such as species composition by year, season or month)

9. Commercial catch reports as primary source of landings information • Data Improvement Process design • Places a higher reliance on fishers’ reports of landings by species • Report total pounds • Report landings for species which fisher can recall with confidence • Uses dockside sampling to assign species to landings that fisher could not recall with confidence • Recognizes that trip to trip variability may be high • Makes greater use of fishers’ data • Reduces reliance on averaged information (species composition for year, season or month) • Uses dockside data for corroboration/correction of fisher’s reports • in a relies on accurate recall of 1) total pounds, 2) species specific pounds for part of the landings and 3) dockside sampling for species composition the remainder of the landings

10. St. Thomas Commercial Catch FormMeeting Monday June 27 • All agree that we should work together to • Increase dockside sampling • Efficiency • Representativeness • Sampling levels • Cooperative efforts to improve funding • Field test the CCR form • Both fishers and port agents