Glossary

SUMMARIZE BY | WAVE(S) | YEAR TYPE | GEOGRAPHICAL AREA | SPECIES | SPECIES OPTIONSTYPE OF CATCH | AVAILABLE DATALENGTH DISTRIBUTIONS | FISHING AREA | TYPE OF FISHING (MODE) | PSE | WEIGHT DATA | CENSUS DATA | PARTICIPATION | SAMPLE COVERAGE| SPECIES OPTIONS - DIRECTED TRIP

SUMMARIZE BY

There are four options for summarizing estimates,

  • "By wave", which provides estimates for each two-month reference period,
  • "Annual", which provides summary across an entire year,
  • "Cummulative", which provides total year-to-date estimate, and
  • "Single wave", which allows you to select a single two-month reference period.
WAVE(S) Two-month  reference period  (e.g. Wave 1=January/February)

LPS estimates are available by month for sampled months, June - October. These months encompass the majority of LPS fishing along the Mid- and North Atlantic coasts.

YEAR TYPE

For the MRIP/MRFSS Catch Estimates Comparison Query estimates are provided at the annual level for three selected year types,

  • Calendar year (Jan-Dec),
  • May Fishing Year (May 1 - Apr 30), and
  • July Fishing Year (July 1 - June 30).
Each range begins in the year selected, and continues into the next year, if appropriate. For example: If the YEAR=2009, and YEAR TYPE=July Fishing Year, then estimates would be summarized for July 1, 2009 through May 30, 2010.
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA - STATE/AREA

Areas are arranged in geographical order by subregion. For example, the option "North Atlantic by State" will give you catch for the five states listed after that option (Maine through Connecticut ) on a state-by state basis. The "North Atlantic" option will give you the catch summed across the five states.

Florida is divided into two regions (east and west) in our survey, as is California (southern and northern). Selection of "Florida" under either subregion will give you the total for the whole state. Options for "Pacific Coast by Sub-Region" (S. California, N. California, Oregon, and Washington) and "Atlantic Coast" (Maine to East Florida) have been added to this selection group.

Sampling began in Puerto Rico in 2000 (Caribbean subregion).

LPS is conducted only in Atlantic coast states from Virginia through Maine. To complement NOAA Fisheries HMS management, these states are divived into two regions: Southern (Virgina-Southern New Jersey) and Northern (Northern New Jersey through Maine). New Jersey is divided along the border of Atlantic and Ocean counties. Due to the limited scale of recreational LPS fishing, several states are combined into two state groups: Maryland/Delaware, Connecticut/Rhode Island, and New Hampshire/Maine.

HMS Catch Card programs are conducted only in Maryland and North Carolina.

SPECIESCommon species are available using the pulldown menu, for other species use the "Species Assistance" button to the right of the menu.

DIRECTED TRIP SPECIES OPTIONS

Primary Target will provide an effort estimate for all trips where the angler identified the selected species as their primary target for the trip.

Secondary Target will provide an effort estimate for all trips where the angler identified the selected species as their secondary target for the trip.

Caught - Available Catch (Type A) will provide an effort estimate for all trips where the selected species was caught and brought back to the dock in a form that could be identified by trained interviewers.

Harvested - Unavailable Catch (Type B1) will provide an effort estimate for all trips where the selected species was caught and killed but not available for interviewer identification.

Released - Unavailable Catch (Type B2) will provide an effort estimate for all trips where the selected species was caught and released alive.

Selecting multiple of the above species options will provide an effort estimate for all trips with one or more of the above to be true, based on your selection.  For example:

Selecting Primary Target, Secondary Target, Released will provide an effort estimate for all trips with one or more of the following:

  1. The angler identified the selected species as their primary target for the trip
  2. The angler identified the selected species as their secondary target for the trip
  3. The selected species was caught and released alive (regardless of target species)
TYPE OF CATCH

Type A catch are fish brought back to the dock in a form that can be identified by trained interviewers.

Type B1 catch are fish that are used for bait, released dead, or filleted -- i.e. they are killed but identification is by individual anglers.

Type B2 catch is fish that are released alive - again, identification is by individual anglers.

Thus,

  • TOTAL CATCH = Type A + B1 + B2,
  • HARVEST = Type A + B1,
  • OBSERVED HARVEST = Type A,
  • UNOBSERVED HARVEST = Type B1 only, and
  • RELEASED = Type B2 only

LPS catch types are limited to KEPT, ALIVE, and DEAD. KEPT refers to any fish retained by the vessel. ALIVE catch are only fish released from the vessel while still alive. DEAD refers only to dead fish discarded at sea.

AVAILABLE DATA

ESTIMATESCalculated values derived through the application of statistical methods to survey data.

  • CATCH: Contains estimates by year, wave, sub-region, state, mode of fishing, area of fishing, and species of the number of finfish caught and either harvested or released alive.  Catch estimates through 2003 are calculated using MRFSS methodology. Estimates from 2004 - present are calculated using MRIP methodology.
  • EFFORT: Contains estimates by year, wave, sub-region, state, mode of fishing, and area of fishing of number of recreational fishing angler trips.  Effort estimates through 2003 are calculated using MRFSS methodology.  Estimates from 2004 - present are calculated using MRIP methodology.
  • PARTICIPATION (1981 - 2012): Contains estimates by year, wave, sub-region, state, and resident type of number of anglers.  Participation estimates are calculated using MRFSS methodology.

SURVEY DATAData collected directly through our surveys of recreational fishing.

  • TRIP_YYYYW.sas7bdat (2004 - PRESENT): Trip level data (analogous to MRFSS i1 dataset) and variables required for use in estimation.  Contains one record per angler-trip interview (identified by id_code).
  • CATCH_YYYYW.sas7bdat (2004 - PRESENT): Catch level data and variables required for use in estimation.  Contains one record per species for every angler-trip interview.
  • SIZE_YYYYW.sas7bdat (2004 - PRESENT): Fish level length and weight data and variables required for use in estimation.  Contains one record per fish caught and measured or weighed by interviewer.
  • INTERCEPT (1981 - 2003): Includes survey data collected through the dockside angler intercept surveys: 
    • I1: Angler information
    • I2: Unavailable catch
    • I3: Available catch
    • I4: Grouped-catch followers
    • I6: Boat-party followers
    • I9: At-sea Discards
  • TELEPHONE (1981 - 2003): Includes survey data collected through the Coastal Household Telephone Survey (CHTS):
    • T1: Household information
    • T2: Angler information
    • T3: Trip information

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MRFSS estimates and survey data are currently available through 2003 and do not include revised estimates produced under the MRIP program.

For more information on MRIP Survey Datasets, see MRIP Read Me.doc.  MRIP variable formats and descriptions can be found in MRIP_Estimates_Variables.xls (estimate dataset variables) or MRIP_Survey_Variables.xls (survey dataset variables).

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LENGTH DISTRIBUTIONS

Length distributions are available for selected species by inch group. Inches groups contain fish that were from X.00 to X.99 inches long. For example, inch group 9 means fish that are between 9.00 and 9.99 inches. These lengths are FORK lengths.

Methodology:

  • New MRIP weighted estimation methodology used for Louisiana - Maine, 2004 - present.
  • For prior years and other states (Hawaii, Puerto Rico), estimates are based on MRFSS methodology until MRIP estimation is available.

Percent of A+B1 Landings (no. of fish) and A+B1 Landings (no.-at-length) are provided by length group. Records with missing length group values indicate the numbers of A+B1 landings with no length information.

Percent Standard Error (PSE) is provided for MRIP based estimates of landings-at-length only.

FISHING AREA

INLAND means inshore saltwater and brackish water bodies such as bays, estuaries, sounds, etc. It does not include inland freshwater areas.

STATE TERRITORIAL SEA is a zone extending three nautical miles from shore for all states except for Puerto Rico and the Gulf coast of Florida where the seaward boundary is 3 marine leagues (approximately 10 statute miles). The state territorial seas do not include inland areas.

STATE WATERS is the combination of inland and state territorial seas.

The FEDERAL EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE (EEZ) is contiguous to the State Territorial Seas of all the United States and its possessions and extends seaward 200 nautical miles measured from the baseline from which the Territorial Sea is measured.

OCEAN is a combination of the State Territorial Sea and the EEZ
TYPES OF FISHING (MODE)

For a detailed breakdown of all modes, select ALL MODES BY MODE.

North Carolina is the only state to break SHORE mode into BEACH/BANK and MAN MADE.

The FOR-HIRE sector sampling varies over time. To see detailed breakdown of for-hire modes, select ALL MODES BY MODE:

  • 1981 - 1985: PARTY/CHARTER mode only. All for-hire boats (charter and head/party boat) were sampled as one category; a single PARTY/CHARTER mode estimate was produced (undifferentiated).
  • 1986 - 2004: PARTY/CHARTER mode continued in the Northeast states, Maine to Virginia. In the Southeast (North Carolina to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico states), CHARTER BOATS (only) were sampled by MRIP. Party (head) boats are surveyed by Southeast Head Boat Logbook Program which began in 1986 (not presenting in these estimates).
2005 - ongoing: CHARTER and PARTY (head) boats are sampled independently by the For-Hire Survey and stratified Angler Intercept Survey; separate CHARTER and PARTY (HEAD) boat estimates are produced. Undifferentiated PARTY/CHARTER sampling is no longer performed.

LPS and HMS Catch Card modes are limited to PRIVATE and CHARTER boat modes. PRIVATE mode includes vessels with either the HMS Angling category permit or Atlantic Tunas General category permit. CHARTER mode includes vessels with the HMS Charter/Headboat category permit. Vessels targeting large pelagic species without an HMS permit are also included in the dockside intercept survey.

PSE

The PSE, or percent standard error, expresses the standard error of an estimate as a percentage of the estimate and is a measure of precision.

  • Precision refers to the dispersion of sample measurements used to calculate an estimate and the resulting variability in the estimate.
  • Large PSEs indicate high variability around estimates and therefore low precision.
  • It is desirable to have small PSE's and more precise estimates.
  • There is a direct relationship between precision and sample size.
  • When we group year, state, wave, or mode estimates, sample size increases and so does precision.
  • Catch estimates for commonly caught species often are more precise than for rare event or pulse fisheries.

Data users should consider the width of confidence intervals surrounding estimates before drawing any far-reaching conclusions from point estimates.

  • A confidence interval is calculated as the estimate minus 1.96 times the standard error (the lower limit) and the estimate plus 1.96 times the standard error (the upper limit).
  • A 95% confidence interval means we are 95% sure that the true value lies between the lower limit and the upper limit.

Percent Standard Error (PSE) is automatically included with requested information , with one exception.
The exception is the PSE for mean lengths.

  • Calculations of mean lengths involve weighting mean lengths by the estimated number of fish in a cell (state/wave/fishing mode/fishing area/species).
  • These calculations are quite complicated and rely on various assumptions.
  • Because of the assumptions, it is better that these calculations be made on a case-by-case basis.
  • Use of mean lengths is not as useful as length distributions and is not used widely.
  • Because of its limited use, we do not expect the absence of the PSE to cause any problems or lead to incorrect conclusions about a fishery.
WEIGHT DATA

USE CAUTION WITH WEIGHT DATA

Weight estimates are minimums and may not reflect the actual total weight landed or harvested.

Weight Estimates Prior to 2004
Weight estimates were calculated by multiplying the estimated number harvested in a cell (year/wave/state/mode/area/species) by the mean weight of the measured fish in that cell. Sometimes we have an estimate of harvest but no mean weight, either because

  • The harvest is all reported by the anglers (B1), or
  • The interviewers couldn't weigh any fish (fish too big, already gutted and gilled, etc.).

If a cell is missing a mean weight, and if we have at least two fish measured in the state (all fishing areas and modes combined), 

  • We substitute the mean for the whole state for that wave
  • We need two measured fish to get a variance estimate

After state substitution, if the mean weight is still missing,

  • We use the mean from the whole subregion for that wave
  • The "two fish rule" still applies

Weight Estimates 2004 to present
As part of the MRIP re-estimation project, all estimates of landings by weight (lb or kg) were recalculated using the same design-based estimation methodology used to recalculate the estimates of catch in numbers of fish.

During the MRIP re-estimation project, a new method was developed to handle missing weights as well. The new method uses a mix of hot and cold deck imputation as well as length-weight modeling to impute or fill in missing length or weight values by species at the individual angler-trip level.

For individual fish records where lengths are present, missing weights are imputed using length-weight modeling of the form Weight = a*Length^b. In most cases, models are fit by species and two-month wave in the current year. Should a model fail to converge, models are fit by species using the most recent 10 years of data.

For intercepted angler-trips with landings but no corresponding length and weight measurements, paired length and weight observations are imputed from complete cases using hot and cold deck imputation. Up to five rounds of imputation are conducted in an attempt to fill in missing values. The rounds begin with imputation cells that correspond to the most detailed MRIP estimation cells but are aggregated to higher levels in subsequent rounds to bring in more length-weight data:

  • Round 1: current year, wave, subregion, state, mode, area fished, species
  • Round 2: current year, half-year, subregion, state, mode, species
  • Round 3: current + most recent prior year, wave, subregion, state, mode, area fished, species
  • Round 4: current + most recent prior year, subregion, state, mode, species
  • Round 5: current + most recent prior year, subregion, species

For All Years
If fish weights are STILL missing after all the imputation methods have been applied, we give up and leave a missing weight estimate. At that point,

  • It is up to the user to determine whether to substitute, and
  • What substitution is most appropriate to use (a mean from the preceding and following waves, the whole year, same wave over years, whole Atlantic & Gulf coast, or other model based approaches).
  • We don't make those decisions because the information needs and sensitivity of the data vary among species.
The phenomenon of missing weights is more widespread with rarely caught species and with large fish (i.e. tunas). The existence and/or extent of missing weights for your query is provided in the column labeled “Landings (no.) without Size Information” in the weight estimates query output. This column provides the number of landed (A+B1) fish that are not included in the weight estimate column (labeled “Harvest (A+B1) Total Weight (lb or kg)”). If the “Landings (no.) without Size Information” column contains a 0 value, then all landed fish are included in the weight estimate.
CENSUS DATA

2000 Update

The effort estimates (numbers of trips) for the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey are calculated based on a random sample of residents of households in coastal counties. The average number of recreational saltwater fishing trips per household is calculated and this average is expanded by the number of households in the county. The number of households is based on annual projections made by the Survey of Buying Power (Bill Communications). Official Census Bureau counts of households for the 2000 Census have been recently released and where these numbers differed with the projections, the count of households has been updated to reflect the Census Bureau figure. These updates will result in some small changes to the effort, and hence also to the catch, estimates.

2005-2006 Hurricane Katrina Update

On June 7, 2006, the United States Census Bureau published special estimates to assess the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on population and demographic characteristics of Gulf Coast communities (http://www.census.gov/newsroom/emergencies/additional/impacted_gulf_estimates.html). These estimates are not considered part of the Census Bureau's official estimate series. Rather, they were produced using specially designed methodologies to assess the impacts of hurricane events on population sizes of affected counties (for a complete description of the methodology used by the Census Bureau, please refer to http://www.census.gov/newsroom/emergencies/additional/impacted_gulf_methodology.html).
While not part of the official estimate series, these special estimates are the most accurate approximation of hurricane impacts on Gulf Coast populations. As such, they have been incorporated into the procedures used to estimate recreational fishing effort and catch, beginning with wave 5 (September/October), 2005 and continuing through 2006.

PARTICIPATION

Participation estimates are available for three categories based on area of residence:

  • From January-April and November-December, coastal county residence means anglers from counties within 25 miles of the coast.
  • From May-October, coastal county residence means anglers from counties within 50 miles of the coast.
  • In North Carolina, the coastal zones are within 50 and 100 miles of the coast, because of the fishing patterns in that state.
  • Non-coastal counties are counties within the state but not in the defined coastal zone.
  • Out-of-State means people from other states or countries who came to the state and fished.

Summing across categories and geographic areas:

  • All participants are additive within a state.
  • Coastal and non-coastal county residents are also additive across states and sub-regions.
  • Out-of-state participants should NOT be added across states or regions.
  • An out-of-state participant could have fished in more than one state that is not his or her state of residence.
Addition of out-of-state participants across states may result in double counting of some individuals.
SAMPLE COVERAGE

Currently, the recreational fishing statistics program conducted by the NOAA Fisheries includes the Atlantic coast (ME-East FL), Gulf coast (LA-West FL), Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Data presented in the queries are those from only these surveys. Data from other NOAA Fisheries and state surveys are not included in the query. Care is advised when comparing catch estimates across an extended time series because of differences in sampling coverage through the years.

In the South Atlantic and Gulf sub-regions (NC- LA) party boat catch data have not been collected since 1985, so estimates for these sub-regions only include charter boats in the for-hire sector. Prior to 1998, on the Pacific coast, ocean boat trips and salmon trips were not sampled during certain waves because they were surveyed by state natural resource agencies. West Pacific U.S. territories have not been included in the national survey program since 1981. Hawaii was not surveyed between 1981 and 2002. The U.S. Caribbean was not surveyed between 1981 and 2000. Alaska conducts an annual mail survey in place of the NOAA Fisheries' program. Marine recreational fishing in Texas is monitored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and has not been surveyed by the NOAA Fisheries' survey program since 1985.

Historically, only about five percent of the annual recreational catch on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts is taken during Wave 1 (Jan/Feb). Costs to sample these months are very high due to low fishing activity. Therefore, in Jan/Feb of 1981 the surveys were not conducted in any region. In 1982, Jan/Feb data collection resumed on the Pacific and Gulf coasts and also on the Atlantic coast of Florida. With a few exceptions the recreational statistics program has not collected data in Jan/Feb on the Atlantic coast north of Florida since 1980.

Time periods when the marine recreational statistics program has not been conducted: Nov/Dec (ME & NH) - 1987 to present; Mar/Apr (ME & NH) - 1986 to present; Jan/Feb (Northern CA & OR) - 1994; Jan/Feb (Southern CA & OR) - 1995 Nov/Dec (OR) - 1994; Nov/Dec (WA shore modes) - 2003; July - Dec (OR shore modes) - 2003; All Waves (CA - WA) - 1990 to 1993, 2004 to present; All Waves (WA) - 1993 to 1994.

The NOAA Fisheries Beaufort Laboratory conducts the Southeast Region Headboat Survey (SRHS) to provide headboat (partyboat) catch and effort for the Southeast Region (NC-TX). Data are available from:

Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Beaufort Laboratory
101 Pivers Island Road
Beaufort, NC 28516-9722

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has conducted their own survey of marine recreational fisheries since 1974. Estimates for Texas are available from:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,
8400 Smith School Road,
Austin, Texas 78744

The Pacific states conduct surveys of salmon fishing, ocean-boat fishing, and California passenger fishing vessels. Estimates for these fisheries are available from:

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission,
45 SE 82nd Drive, Suite 100,
Gladstone, OR 97027

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game conducts surveys of recreational fishing in that state.