Large, medium and small vessel surveys

Letters, Postcard, AND FOLLOW-UP PHONE SCRIPT

1. Advance Letter for Fishing Vessel Survey

<DATE>

Phish Erman

<Vessel Name>

Address

City, state, zip

Dear Mr. Erman:

The University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF), in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries (the National Marine Fisheries Service), is conducting a voluntary survey to learn more about commercial fishing activity in the Gulf Coast region of Alaska. With your help, we can identify the important role fishing activity plays for the economy of the Gulf Coast region and provide better information to fishery managers to enhance fishery management practices.

Your name was selected at random from commercial fishermen who landed fish at ports in the Gulf Coast region of Alaska during 2005. Very few fishermen were chosen for the study, so your help is critical to its success. In the next few days, you will receive a survey in the mail from UAF.

The survey asks about employment and earnings of crew and skipper(s) working on your vessel. We recognize the sensitivity of the information to be collected, and want to assure you it will be handled confidentially. All individual surveys will be held by the researchers at UAF and destroyed upon completion of the study.

You are one of a small number of fishermen who are fishing in waters off Alaska and landing at ports in the Gulf Coast region of Alaska selected to help. To keep costs low and make sure that the information obtained correctly represents Gulf Coast region fishing activity, we need to hear from you.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Hans Geier

Project Director

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

2. Initial Mailing Letter for Fishing Vessel Survey (Cover Letter)

<Date>

Mr. Phish Erman

<Vessel Name>

Address

City, state, zip

Dear Mr. Erman:

As you know, commercial fishing plays a significant role in the economy of the Gulf Coast region of Alaska. One way commercial fishing contributes to the region’s economy is through the jobs held by fishing vessel crew and skippers, and the income these crew and skippers spend in the region. Information about employment and income from commercial fishing is needed by local and state governments, businesses, and others who make decisions that affect people and industries in the Gulf Coast region of Alaska.

To help us improve our understanding of commercial fishing’s role in the economy of the Gulf Coast region of Alaska, we ask that you complete the enclosed voluntary survey. The survey is being conducted in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and collects employment and income information related to the landings by your vessel, the <Vessel name>. The information you provide will be used to enhance the fishery management practices of NMFS, and, thereby, increase the long-run economic benefits to those who engage in fishing activities, including you.

We recognize the sensitivity of the information being collected, and want to assure you it will be handled confidentially. All individual surveys will be held by the researchers at University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) and destroyed upon completion of the study. Your name and address will only be used for mailing purposes. Only summary results will be reported to the public and no data identifying you or your individual vessel will be provided to the public, NMFS, or other agencies that receive the study results.

Most of the information you need to complete the survey is available on your 2005 federal business tax return documents and your crew settlement sheets. With these materials, the survey should take about 20 minutes to complete and mail back in the enclosed self-addressed stamped envelope.

You are one of only a few vessel owners being asked to participate in this study. You were randomly selected from all vessel owners who delivered fish to seafood processing plants in the Gulf Coast region of Alaska. To ensure the results of the study truly represent vessels like yours, it is very important that you complete and return the survey.

I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about this study. Please call me at 907-474-7727 or email at ffhtg@uaf.edu. Thank you very much for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Hans Geier

Project Director

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

3. Postcard Reminder for Fishing Vessel Survey

Last week a survey was mailed to you seeking information about your commercial fishing activity for the Gulf Coast region of Alaska.

If you have already completed and returned the survey, please accept our sincere thanks. If you have not completed and returned the survey, we ask that you do so today.

It is very important that we hear from you. You are one of a small number of fishermen selected to participate in this study. Your response will help us improve understanding of commercial fishing’s role in the economy of the Gulf Coast region of Alaska. However, a high rate of participation is required to make sure we have a sufficient number of respondents to understand the role fishing activity plays in the Gulf Coast economy.

If you need another copy of the survey, please call me at 907-474-7727 and another survey will be mailed to you.

Thank you for your help.

Hans Geier

Project Director

University of Alaska, Fairbanks

4. Script of Follow-up Telephone Interview with Vessel owners

Hello, my name is ________________ and I am calling from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. I am trying to reach [vessel owner].

[IF NOT AVAILABLE]  Thank you, I will call back later. When would be a good time to reach [vessel owner]?

[IF QUALIFIED RESPONDENT IS ON THE PHONE]

QA Recently, we mailed you a survey asking you about your recent fishing activity, entitled “Gulf Coast Alaska Fisheries Economic Activity Survey.” Do you remember receiving that survey?

1 YES [SKIP TO QA1]

2 NO [SKIP TO QA2]

QA1 As of today, we have not received your completed survey. You are one of a small group of vessel owners who landed fish at ports in the Gulf Coast region of Alaska we are asking for input, so your response is very important. All of your answers are confidential and your name will not be revealed to anyone. If we send you another survey, would you be able to complete the survey and return it to us within a week of receiving it?

1 YES – SEND NEW SURVEY [SKIP TO VERIFY]

2 YES – DO NOT NEED ANOTHER SURVEY [Thanks. We will be looking forward to receiving your completed survey.]

3 SURVEY HAS ALREADY BEEN RETURNED [THANK AND TERMINATE]

4 NO [SKIP TO QA3]

QA2 We are collecting employment and labor income information for your vessel to help us understand better the important role that your fishing activity plays in the economy of the Gulf Coast region of Alaska. You are one of a small group of vessel owners we are asking for the information, so your response is very important. I’d like to remind you that all of your answers are confidential and your name will not be revealed to anyone. If we send you another survey, could you return the survey to us within a week after you receive it?

1 YES – SEND NEW SURVEY [SKIP TO VERIFY]

2 YES – DO NOT NEED ANOTHER SURVEY [Thanks. We will be looking forward to receiving your completed survey.]

3 NO [SKIP TO QA3]

VERIFY (If new survey needs to be sent)

I would like to verify some information that I have. I have your name as…

NAME____________________________________________________

STREET ADDRESS_________________________________________

CITY__________________________STATE _______ ZIP__________

PHONE___________________________________________________

Thank you, I will send another survey out today.

QA3 It is extremely important for our analysis that we obtain the information from fishermen like you. The information you provide will help us understand how your fishing activity have contributed to the community’s economy, and be used to enhance the fishery management practices of NOAA Fisheries, and, thereby, increase the long-run economic benefits to the fishermen like you. If it is convenient for you, we can administer phone interview with you now. Would you be able to spend about 20 minutes to provide the information now?

1. YES [SKIP TO PHONE]

2. NO [THANK AND TERMINATE]

PHONE

Thank you very much. I am going to ask you first about the characteristics of your vessel.

Q1 I would like to verify some information about your name, address, and characteristics of your vessel. The information is public information, and is from a government data source (Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Alaska Department of Fish and Game). I have your name as…

Column 1 Item	Column 2 Information on Record	Column 3 Corrections (if any)
Owner’s name	Phish Erman
Owner’s address	Rt. 1, Box 368, Stewart, MN 55385
Vessel name	Lutefisk
USCG vessel ID	3333666
State/vessel ID	AK/FV33336
Vessel home port	Cordova, AK
Length (feet)	32
Fuel capacity	600 gal.
Engine horsepower	300
Fuel type	Diesel
Net tonnage	15 tons
Gross tonnage	35 tons
Refrigeration system?	Yes
Freezing system?	No

NOTE FOR RESPONDENTS (Say the following to the respondents)

In the remaining questions, I am going to ask you about employment of crew and skipper(s) and payments to them during the 2005 calendar year (January 1 – December 31).

Q2 On average, in 2005, how many total crew and skipper jobs (positions) did this vessel have while fishing or having maintenance or repairs performed?

____________________

Q3 During 2005, for how many months (0 to 12) were you an owner of this vessel?

____________________

Q4 I am going to list six (groups of) species for which I am interested in estimating the employment. They are salmon (all), herring, halibut and black cod (sablefish), crab (all), groundfish (all), and other species (all). For each of these species, can you tell me the total number of crew members, skippers, and owners serving as skippers employed by this vessel in 2005? If a crew member (or skipper) fished for more than one species, count them as employed for each species they fished.

Column 1 Species this vessel landed in 2005	Column 2 Number of crew employed	Column 3 Number of skippers employed	Column 4 Number of owners that served as skippers
Salmon (all)
Herring
Halibut and black cod (sablefish)
Crab (all)
Groundfish (all)
Other species (all)

Q5 For each of the species that I listed in the previous question, can you tell me the number of crew members, skippers, and owners that served as skippers you employed for this vessel that were Gulf Coast region residents in 2005? (If the respondent does not have the survey that has the GULF COAST REGION map or if he/she does not know GULF COAST region, explain the region to him/her, by providing descriptions of the region.) For determining the residency, please use the addresses on record of the crew members, skippers, and owners that served as skippers. If a crew member (or skipper) fished for more than one species, count them as employed for each species they fished.

Column 1 Species this vessel landed in 2005	Column 2 Number of Gulf Coast region resident crew members	Column 3 Number of Gulf Coast region resident skippers	Column 4 Number of Gulf Coast region resident owners that served as skippers
Salmon (all)
Herring
Halibut and black cod (sablefish)
Crab (all)
Groundfish (all)
Other species (all)

Q6 For each species that I listed in an earlier question, please tell me the number of days

during 2005 you paid P&I (crew liability insurance) on your vessel’s crew.

Column 1 Species this vessel landed during 2005	Column 2 Number of days you paid P & I on your vessel’s crew
Salmon (all)
Herring
Halibut and black cod (sablefish)
Crab (all)
Groundfish (all)
Other species (all)

Q7 For each species that I listed in an earlier question, can you tell me the payment (in

dollars) made to crew and skipper(s) for the 2005 calendar year. To help you figure out the payments to crew and skipper(s), I will give you the ex-vessel value of each landed species in 2005, which was obtained from a government data source (Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, Alaska Department of Fish and Game). Information contained on delivery settlement sheets may assist you in accurately answering the question. The government data says that the ex-vessel value of salmon is _________ dollars in 2005…

Column 1 Species this vessel landed in 2005	Column 2 2005 Ex-vessel value reported by species for this vessel	Column 3 Total crew payments	Column 4 Total skipper payments
Salmon (all)	$175,000	$	$
Herring	$52,000	$	$
Halibut and Black Cod (Sablefish)	$0	$	$
Crab (all)	$0	$	$
Groundfish (all)	$0	$	$
Other species (all)	$0	$	$

COMMENTS

That’s all the questions I have for you. Thank you very much. Do you have any comments that you feel would assist us to report the economic contribution of fishers like you to the economy of the Gulf Coast region of Alaska.

1. YES [OBTAIN THE COMMENTS AND GO TO CONCLUDE]

2. NO [GO TO CONDLUDE]

CONCLUDE

Thank you for your time. We really appreciate your participation. If you have any further questions, please contact me (Hans Geier) at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks by phone (907) 474-7727 or by e-mail at ffhtg@uaf

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS AND ANSWERS

[If concerned about purpose of the call] This is not a marketing or sales call. We are collecting information on your fishing activity. I want to assure you that your answers will be kept confidential and your name will not be revealed to anyone.

[If asking about the study sponsor] This survey is being conducted in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service, a U.S. government agency charged with understanding the effects of federal management actions and policies affecting the nation’s saltwater fisheries.

Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) Statement

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for reducing this burden to Chang Seung, Alaska Fisheries Science Center (Address: 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle WA 98115-6349, Phone: 206-526-4250)

Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subjected to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

5. Advance Letter for Local Business Phone Interview

<DATE>

Business Manager or Owner

<Business Name>

Address

City, state, zip

Dear [Manager or Owner Name]:

The University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF), in cooperation with NOAA Fisheries (also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service), will conduct a telephone interview with businesses in your community on your sales to fishing vessels. This telephone survey will be a voluntary survey. With your help, we will be able to identify the important role your business plays for your community’s economy, and provide better information to fishery managers to enhance fishery management practices.

You are one of a small group of business owners we will be asking to provide this information, so your response will be very important. I want to assure you that your answers will be kept confidential and your name will not be revealed to anyone. In the next few days, I will call you to ask about your sales of goods and services to fishing vessels in 2005. It will take less than 15 minutes to answer the questions. To keep costs low and make sure that the information correctly represents the activity of businesses like yours, your participation is needed.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Hans Geier

Project Director

University of Alaska, Fairbanks