MRIP Access Point Angler Inntercept Survey

Marine Recreational Information Program

New Angler Catch Survey
Collects More Accurate Data
How does NOAA Fisheries collect catch data?

The Marine Recreational Information Program, or MRIP, is the new way NOAA
Fisheries is collecting, analyzing and reporting
A sampler interviews all eligible
recreational fishing data. MRIP gathers catch
anglers at an assigned site. It’s
information by conducting angler catch surveys
just as important to interview
at public access fishing sites. Our samplers are
anglers who didn’t catch any fish
assigned to a specific site during a specific time of
as it is to interview anglers who
day. Their job is to interview and count all anglers
caught many fish. Both types are
at the site. During an interview, they measure and
needed to produce representative
samples of all anglers.
weigh all landed fish and ask how many of each
species the angler released.

Why were new protocols developed?

Example Assignment
Sampling Date: June 24, 2013
Time Interval: 2p.m. to 8p.m.
Mode: shore
Site Cluster: 3 sites, medium pressure

2:00pm

Arrive at Site 1 in cluster.
Count & interview all anglers.
After 2 hours, depart site.

4:22 p.m.

The new angler catch survey procedures are based on recommendations made in an
independent review of NOAA Fisheries’ data collection methods and tested in a pilot
study. The new survey procedures do a better job of accounting for all completed
trips, such as those with zero catch, and remove potential sources of bias from our
survey design. We are sampling during all parts of the day and reducing sampler
latitude regarding which sites to sample and in what order.
The new survey also ensures the way we collect data complements the way we use
it to produce estimates of catch. Our sampling methods had previously focused on
maximizing the number of completed fishing trips sampled. We will now focus our
efforts on maximizing the number of site days sampled.

What will be different?

Samplers will be sampling during all parts of the day, including at night.
Samplers will stay at a specified location for a specified amount of time
regardless of the amount of fishing activity.
Each sampling assignment will include a specific site cluster, a specified order
in which to visit sites in that cluster, one fishing mode and a time interval.

Arrive at Site 2 in cluster,
after drive time.
Count & interview all anglers.
After 2 hours, depart site.
There may be instances when our samplers are at a fishing site where there

6:38 p.m.

isn’t much activity. These samplers are fulfilling a vital role because accurately
documenting low-activity sites helps ensure representative estimates.

Arrive at Site 3 in cluster,
after drive time.
Sampling in Practice
Count & interview all anglers. A sampler’s assignment includes a sampling
At 8 P.M., conclude
date, a specific six-hour time block, a site cluster,
interviews.
the order of sites to visit within the cluster,
Assignment is complete.

and the specific fishing mode for intercepting
anglers. They stay on-site for the duration of an
assignment and count ALL completed trips and
sample as many eligible anglers as possible.

www.CountMyFish.noaa.gov

What is a “site cluster?”
A group of sites with similar
characteristics. Each cluster contains
1-3 sites. Sites are clustered by:
• Mode (shore, boat, for-hire)
• Level of fishing activity, or “pressure”
• Geographic proximity

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service

Marine Recreational Information Program

Key Takeaways for the
Improved Angler Catch Survey
We’ve REMOVED POTENTIAL FOR BIAS from our sampling design by
controlling all variable selections in the sample selection program.
We’re sampling during EVERY part of the day, including nighttime periods,
during both weekends and weekdays.

NOAA Fisheries is an agency within
the Commerce Department’s National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAA’s mission is to
understand and predict changes in
the earth’s environment and conserve
and manage coastal and marine
resources to meet our nation’s
economic, social and environmental
needs. The NOAA Fisheries Service
provides world class science and
stewardship.
The Marine Recreational Information Program, or MRIP, is the new
way NOAA Fisheries is collecting,
analyzing and reporting recreational
fishing data. MRIP gathers catch information through in-person surveys
of anglers taken at the completion of
a fishing trip.

We will CONTINUE to intercept ALL eligible trips, regardless of catch. No-catch
trips are equally valuate sources of data as trips with large catches.
We are NOT using a quota-based system to measure “completed site day
assignments”; we need ALL ACTIVITY from a given assignment to make
unbiased estimates.
The new sampling methods are part of a much broader, top-to-bottom
overhaul to both improve the quality of our estimates and improve stakeholder
confidence.
Future improvements to the catch surveys will address finer-scale customer
needs, such as greater timeliness for estimate production and improved
geographic resolution of estimates.
Each decision comes with a cost. Greater precision requires more sampling,
which in turn requires the investment of more resources.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Program: Gordon Colvin
gordon.colvin@noaa.gov
(240) 357-4524
Outreach: Forbes Darby
forbes.darby@noaa.gov
(301) 427-8528

www.CountMyFish.noaa.gov
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service