0052_SS_10 revision panel 070910 part b_rev

SUPPORTING STATEMENT
MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHERY STATISTICS SURVEY
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0052

B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS
1. Describe (including a numerical estimate) the potential respondent universe and any
sampling or other respondent selection method to be used. Data on the number of
entities (e.g. establishments, State and local governmental units, households, or persons)
in the universe and the corresponding sample are to be provided in tabular form. The
tabulation must also include expected response rates for the collection as a whole. If the
collection has been conducted before, provide the actual response rate achieved.
The study will be conducted in North Carolina (NC) and Florida (FL). Panelists will be recruited
through a screening mail survey. The sample universe will include all saltwater anglers in NC
and FL. The screening survey will utilize a dual-frame approach. The sample will be randomly
selected from state databases of licensed, saltwater anglers and household address frames derived
from the United States Postal Services (USPS) Delivery Sequence File (DSF). The license
frames include all anglers who have a saltwater fishing license for either NC or FL, and the DSF
frames include all residential addresses within the study areas.

Frame Size
Sample Size

NC Residential
Addresses2

NC License
Frame1

FL Residential
Addresses2

FL License
Frame1

3,830,555

500,000

7,398,200

750,000

Totals

6,000

840

6,000

840

13,680

2,100 (35%)

420 (50%)

2,100 (35%)

420 (50%)

5,040

Eligible (Active) Anglers

420 (25%)

420 (100%)

420 (25%)

420 (100%)

Complete Diaries

315 (75%)

315 (75%)

315 (75%)

315 (75%)

Complete Screeners3

1,260

1. Approximate number of licensed saltwater anglers as of 12/31/2009.
2. Estimated number of occupied housing units (Demographics USA, 2008).
3. Response rates for similar studies of recreational anglers range from 35-45% for addressed-based sampling and 50-65% for licensed-based
sampling.

2. Describe the procedures for the collection, including: the statistical methodology for
stratification and sample selection; the estimation procedure; the degree of accuracy
needed for the purpose described in the justification; any unusual problems requiring
specialized sampling procedures; and any use of periodic (less frequent than annual) data
collection cycles to reduce burden.
Sample Design
This study will investigate the use of a diary to determine its effectiveness to capture catch, type
of species, and demographic information from anglers accessing both public and private access
fishing sites. This approach has been successful in the National Recreational Fishing Survey
conducted in Australia in 2000 (a related article is attached). Using this approach, data will be
1

collected in NC and Florida, two states who have documented approximately 30% of trips from
private access sites.
The panel study will utilize a dual-frame design; panelists will be recruited from state databases
of licensed saltwater anglers, as well as addressed-based frames of residential addresses within
North Carolina and Florida. These two frames are overlapping; the license frame is a subset of
the address-based frame.
Within each frame, a stratified design will be used. Two strata will be developed based on
county of residence; one stratum will consist of coastal counties (within 25 miles of the coast)
and the other strata will consist of non-coastal counties. Previous studies suggest that anglers
who reside in coastal counties fish at a higher rate than anglers who reside in non-coastal
counties. For the license frame, sample will be allocated in proportion to the number of licenses
within each stratum. For the address frame, sample will be allocated equally among the two
strata.
Panelists from each frame will be recruited via a mail screening questionnaire. Panelists will
then be asked to provide individual-level fishing data either by telephone or an online reporting
tool. Specifically, anglers will be asked to participate in a diary survey, recording trips and catch
information over the course of a year. At a minimum, anglers will be asked to report fishing
activities at 1-month intervals. More avid anglers will be asked to report more frequently. Each
of these frames is first discussed separately followed by approaches to deal with the dual-frame
approach.
License Frame
The license frame will be derived from lists of all anglers who were licensed to participate in
saltwater fishing in NC or FL during the previous year. Sample frames will be screened to
identify and remove duplicate listings and listings for anglers who are less than 18 years of age.
Within each stratum, a simple random sample of anglers will be selected. Sampled anglers will
be sent a screening questionnaire and asked to participate in the panel study.
Address Frame
The address-based sampling (ABS) frame includes all residential addresses within NC and FL
that are serviced by the USPS. Sampling anglers from the ABS frame will utilize a two-stage
design. In the first stage, a random sample of addresses will be mailed a screener questionnaire
to identify individual saltwater anglers. In the second stage a single angler will be randomly
selected from each household and asked to participate in the panel study.
Estimation
As mentioned above, independent samples will be selected from the two frames to make direct
estimates of totals for the numbers of participants and fishing effort. Estimates of totals from
individuals found only on the address frame and only on the license frame will be produced.
Individuals found on both frames will be identified (selected license frame individuals also found
2

on address-based frame; address frame individual also found on the license frame) by address
matching. Estimates of totals for these two overlapping groups will be computed. The two totals
will be averaged to give a more precise overall estimate for the overlapping group. The
estimates for the license frame, the address frame and the overlapping frame will be summed to
estimate the total population.
The first step in estimation is to develop base weights that are the inverses of the probabilities of
selection for the units by frame. These standard weights will then be adjusted by the inverse of
the response rates within stratum, separately by frame, to account for nonresponse from within
each frame. The estimates produced from these weights will overestimate totals because the units
in the overlap are over-represented because they could be sampled from both frames. The final
step is to adjust the weights of the units in the overlap. A simple averaging of the two overall
domain estimates (as discussed above) can be accomplished by dividing the weight of any unit in
the overlap by two. More sophisticated weighting could be carried out but this is not the main
point of the survey and the average has some benefits, notably simplicity of operation and
explanation. More complex schemes such as post-stratification of the weights will also be
investigated.
Information collected through the angler diary survey will be further partitioned into domains
defined by the characteristics of the fishing trips. Two primary domains will be defined; 1) trips
that would be accessible to field samplers (fishing trips occurring at or returning to publiclyaccessible sites), and 2) trips that would not be accessible to field samplers (fishing trips
occurring at or returning to private-access sites such as private residences, community marinas,
private yacht clubs, etc..). Catch rate by fishing mode (shore, private boat) and species will be
independently estimated for each of these two domains.
3. Describe the methods used to maximize response rates and to deal with nonresponse.
The accuracy and reliability of the information collected must be shown to be adequate
for the intended uses. For collections based on sampling, a special justification must be
provided if they will not yield "reliable" data that can be generalized to the universe
studied.
Standard mail survey protocol will be implemented (Dillman et al, 2008) for the screener
questionnaire. Sampled households will be mailed an advance letter describing the survey and
requesting that the household participate when the questionnaire is sent. Screener
questionnaires, along with a $1 cash incentive, will be mailed three days later. Households will
be asked to complete the instrument and mail it back in the material provided.
Approximately 2 weeks after the first mailing, a thank you postcard will be sent to all addresses.
Households that have participated will be thanked for their prompt response. Households that
have not yet responded will be reminded to participate. Three weeks after the initial contact, a
second questionnaire will be mailed to all households that have not responded. Additional
measures to increase response rates may include a final, specialized mailing by FedEx and/or a
follow-up telephone contact.

3

In addition to increasing response rates, the sequential reminders will allow us to compare
response variables among respondents who participate with varying levels or prompting (e.g.
early respondents vs. late respondents). This will help us identify and measure non-response
bias.
For the diary (panel), in order to compare data collection by phone versus Web, half of the
panelists will be called to report fishing activity via an interviewer-administered telephone
interview and half will be asked to report via an online form located on the Web.
For the telephone sample, we will ask panelists to provide a time when they are most likely to be
available to participate in a telephone interview. In addition, a minimum of five call attempts,
distributed among day and evening time periods and weekday and weekend day types, will be
made to contact each panelist.
For the web panelists, a one-week window will be provided at the conclusion of each reporting
month to allow panelists to log onto the online form and provide fishing information. At the
conclusion of this “reporting week”, telephone interviewers will attempt to contact the panelists
via telephone and remind them to provide their data for the month. Alternatively, web panelists
will have the option of providing data directly to the telephone interviewer.
4. Describe any tests of procedures or methods to be undertaken. Tests are encouraged
as effective means to refine collections, but if ten or more test respondents are involved
OMB must give prior approval.
We plan to conduct focus groups and/or cognitive testing with fewer than 10 individuals to
ensure that instructions and survey instruments are clear. Mail survey questionnaires will be
developed by Dr. Nancy A. Mathiowetz, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
5. Provide the name and telephone number of individuals consulted on the statistical
aspects of the design, and the name of the agency unit, contractor(s), grantee(s), or
other person(s) who will actually collect and/or analyze the information for the agency.
Statistical support was provided by the following:
Dr. Virginia Lesser, Oregon State University, 541-737-3366
Dr. Nancy A. Mathiowetz, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 414-229-2216
Dr. Dave Van Voorhees, Chief of the Fisheries Statistics Division, which administers the MRFS
Program, 301-713-2328

4