MRFE survey (HMS)

20XX Marine Recreational
Fishing Expenditure Survey
How much do you spend on marine recreational fishing?

Your Response is Important!

Sponsored by
NOAA Fisheries Service

Questions? XX@noaa.gov

Section A: Your Most Recent Day of HMS Marine Recreational Fishing
We would like to know about your most recent day of marine recreational fishing for highly migratory species.
 “Marine” means open ocean or any portion of a bay, sound, or river that is saltwater or brackish water.
 A day of HMS fishing is any portion of a day spent fishing for highly migratory species (HMS). HMS
species include tuna, swordfish, sharks, marlin, sailfish, or spearfish.
 Except when asked, please do not include any information for other household members or other fishing
party members.
 Please print clearly and mark boxes with an X where appropriate to indicate your response.

1.

When was your most recent day of marine fishing for highly migratory species?
(please enter the two digit month and four digit year, e.g., “03, 2011” for March, 2011)
Month

2.

3.

Year

During your most recent day of marine fishing for highly migratory species, did you primarily fish from
a: (please indicate your primary trip type by making an “X” in one box only)

Party or charter boat

Private or rental boat

Beach or bank

Pier, jetty, bridge, or dock

On this day, what city or town was closest to the place where you launched a boat or boarded a party or
charter boat in order to fish for highly migratory species?
City or town:_____________________________

4.

State: ________________

Did you target any particular type of highly migratory species of fish on this day?
Yes

No

Please go to question 5 on the next page

If yes, please list the top two species you targeted (regardless of whether or not you caught them).
Do not include fish you caught but did not target.
A. ________________________________
B. ________________________________
Cover Photos: NOAA/Dept of Commerce; Gregg Bray (upper right).

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5. Did you take time off from work without pay in order to go on your most recent day of HMS fishing?
Yes

No

6. Including yourself, how many people traveled together to your most recent day of HMS fishing?
Number of people, including yourself
6a. Including yourself, how many people were in your fishing party on your most recent day of
HMS fishing?
Number of people, including yourself
7. Was your most recent day of HMS fishing part of a longer trip in which you spent at least one night away
from your permanent or seasonal residence?
Yes

No

Please go to question 8 on the next page

7a. How many nights were you away from your residence on this trip?
Number of nights
7b. How many days of this trip did you go fishing?
Number of days fished (count partial days as full days )
7c. If you went on an overnight fishing trip on a boat, how many nights did you sleep on the boat?
Number of nights on the boat

Did not take an overnight boat trip

7d. What was the primary purpose of this entire trip away from home?
(please indicate your choice by making an “X” in one box only)
Fishing
Vacation or other personal reasons
Business

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8. On your most recent day of HMS fishing, how much did you PERSONALLY spend for the following items? If
your most recent day was part of a longer trip away from home, please provide your expenses for the entire trip.
 Include expenses that you paid for others, but do not include any expenses paid by others for you.
 For each item, indicate the percentage of your expense that was spent in the state where you were fishing.
 If you spent nothing, please write “0” for that item.

(A)

(B)

(C)

Type of Expense

Your Personal Expense
(Round to the nearest dollar)

% Spent in the State of
Your Most Recent
Day of HMS Fishing
(0-100%)

Food and drink from grocery or convenience
stores

$ _____________.00

___________%

Food and drink from restaurants and bars

$ _____________.00

___________%

Parking and site access fees

$ _____________.00

___________%

Auto, truck, or RV fuel

$ _____________.00

___________%

Auto, truck, or RV rental

$ _____________.00

___________%

Bait

$ _____________.00

___________%

Ice

$ _____________.00

___________%

Boat fuel and oil

$ _____________.00

___________%

Boat rental

$ _____________.00

___________%

Party, charter, or guide fees

$ _____________.00

___________%

Fish filleting fee and tips paid to charter crew

$ _____________.00

___________%

Lodging (hotels, motels, campgrounds, etc.)

$ _____________.00

___________%

Public transportation

$ _____________.00

___________%

Airfare

$ _____________.00

___________%

Gifts or souvenirs

$ _____________.00

___________%

$ _____________.00

___________%

$ _____________.00

___________%

$ _____________.00

___________%

Processing, freezing, or shipping fee paid to
fish processing company
Fishing tournament, jackpot, or derby entry
fees
Other __________________
If you had none of the above expenses, check here:
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Section B: Tackle, Equipment and Durable Fishing-Related Expenses
In this section, we would like to know about your annual expenses related to marine recreational fishing for all
types of finfish, including both migratory species and non-migratory species. We are interested in your
expenses during the past 12 months on fishing tackle, fishing-related equipment, and large durable items
such as boats, vehicles, and vacation homes.

1. During the past 12 months, did you spend any money on fishing tackle or fishing gear?
Yes

No

Please go to question 2 on the next page

1a. Please complete the table below with the amount of money you PERSONALLY spent in the past
12 months on the following items of fishing tackle.


If you spent nothing, please write “0” for that item.



In column C, indicate the percentage of your expense (from column B) that was spent in the state of
your most recent day of HMS fishing (as recorded in Section A, Question 3). (For example, if all
expenses of a given type occurred in that state, write “100”. If none occurred in that state, write “0”.)



In column D, indicate the percentage of each item’s usage that was for marine recreational fishing
regardless of the state where you used the item. (For example, if the item was used 10 days for freshwater
fishing and used 10 days for marine fishing (for a total of 20 days of use), write “50%” as the percentage of use
for marine fishing.)

(A)
Type of Expense

Rods, poles, reels and
components for rod-making

Tackle and gear (lures, hooks,
leaders, sinkers, flies and fly tying
supplies, fishing line, tackle boxes, nets, knives, gaffs, etc.)

(B)
Your Personal
Expense

(C)
% Spent in the State
of Your Most Recent
Day of HMS Fishing
(0-100%)

(D)
% of Use for
Marine Fishing
(0-100%)

$__________.00

__________%

__________%

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

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2. Please complete the table below with the amount of money you PERSONALLY spent in the past
12 months on the following fishing-related items.


If you spent nothing, please write “0” for that item.



In column C, indicate the percentage of your expense (from column B) that was spent in the state of
your most recent day of HMS fishing. (For example, if all expenses of a given type occurred in that state,
write “100”. If none occurred in that state, write “0”.)



In column D, indicate the percentage of each item’s usage that was for marine recreational fishing
regardless of the state where you used the item. (For example, if the item was used 10 days for freshwater
fishing and used 10 days for marine fishing (for a total of 20 days of use), write “50%” as the percentage of use
for marine fishing.)

(A)
Type of Expense

Marine fishing licenses,
fishing stamps or fees
Special marine fishing
clothing (foul weather gear,
boots, waders, masks,
wetsuits, etc.)
Books, magazine, newspaper
and electronic subscriptions
devoted to recreational
fishing
Camping equipment (sleeping
bags, packs, tents, coolers,
etc.)

Binoculars, field glasses, etc.

Dues or contributions to
recreational fishing clubs or
organizations

Processing or taxidermy fees

(C)
% Spent in the State of
(B)
Your Most Recent
Your Personal Expense
Day of HMS Fishing
(0-100%)

(D)
% of Use for
Marine Fishing
(0-100%)

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

$ __________.00

__________%

__________%

If you had none of the above expenses, check here:
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3. Have you owned a boat that you personally used for marine recreational fishing in the past 12 months?
Yes

No

Please go to question 4 on the next page

3a. How long is the boat you used most often for marine recreational fishing in the past 12 months?_____Feet
3b. Is the boat you used most often motorized?

Yes

_________ Horsepower

No
3c. Please complete the table below with the amount of money you PERSONALLY spent in the past 12
months on boats and boating accessories that you used for marine recreational fishing. Please include
expenses for all boats that you used.

Type of Expenditure

Personal
Expenditure

State Where Purchase
Expenditure Financed?
Occurred (check one)

Purchase of a motor boat(s)
$ ________.00
and accessories

_________

Purchase of a
non-motorized boat(s)
(canoe, kayak)

_________

$ ________.00

Boat electronics and accessories purchased separately
$ ________.00
from boat(s) (ex: GPS, fish
finders, radios, ropes, etc.)

_________

Boat and trailer
maintenance and repairs

$ ________.00

_________

Boat mooring, storage, and
haul out/launch fees

$ ________.00

_________

Boat insurance

$ ________.00

_________

Boat and trailer license and
$ ________.00
registration

_________

Purchased
New or
Used?
(check one)

Purchased from a
Broker/Dealer or
Private Party?
(check one)

Yes

New

Broker/Dealer

No

Used

Private Party

Yes

New

Broker/Dealer

No

Used

Private Party

Yes

New

Broker/Dealer

No

Used

Private Party

_________ % of repairs done by you

3d. Thinking about the total usage of your boat(s) used for marine recreational fishing, what percentage of the
time in the past 12 months did you use this boat(s) for marine recreational fishing?
__________%
3e. Did you sell a boat that you owned in the past 12 months?
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Yes

No

4. Do you own a vehicle (car, truck, motor home or RV, off-road vehicle, etc.) that you personally used for
marine recreational fishing in the past 12 months (for example, do you drive your car to a fishing site or do
you use your truck to pull a boat)?
Yes

No

Please go to question 5 on the next page

4a. Please complete the table below with the amount of money you PERSONALLY spent in the past 12
months on vehicles that you used for marine recreational fishing. Please include expenses for all vehicles
that you used.

Personal
Expenditure

State Where
Expenditure
Occurred

$ ________.00

_________

Repair and maintenance for
vehicles used for marine
$ ________.00
recreational fishing

_________

Insurance for vehicles used
for marine recreational
$ ________.00
fishing

_________

License and registration for
vehicles used for marine
$ ________.00
recreational fishing

_________

Type of Expenditure

Purchase of vehicles used
for marine recreational
fishing

Purchased from
a Broker/Dealer
or Private Party?
(check one)

Purchase
Financed?
(check one)

Purchase
New or
Used?
(check one)

Yes

New

Broker/Dealer

No

Used

Private Party

_________ % of repairs done by you

4b. Thinking about the total usage of your vehicle(s) used for marine recreational fishing, what percentage of
the time in the past 12 months did you use this vehicle(s) for marine recreational fishing?
__________%

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5. Do you own a second home (i.e., cabin, single family home, timeshare, etc.) that you personally used for
marine recreational fishing in the past 12 months?
Yes

No

Please go to Section C on the next page

5a. Please complete the table below with the amount of money you PERSONALLY spent in the past 12
months on a second home that you used for marine recreational fishing.

Type of Expenditure

Personal
Expenditure

State Where
Expenditure
Occurred

Purchase of second home
used for marine recreational $ ________.00
fishing

_________

Repair and maintenance for
homes used for marine
$ ________.00
recreational fishing

_________

Insurance for homes used
for marine recreational
fishing

_________

$ ________.00

Purchase
Financed?
(check one)

Purchase
New or
Used?
(check one)

Purchase made
with a Real
Estate Agent?
(check one)

Yes

New

Yes

No

Used

No

_________ % of repairs done by you

5b. Thinking about your total usage of this second home, what percentage of time in the past 12 months did
you use this home for marine recreational fishing?
__________%

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Section C: About You and Your Household
Different types of anglers may have different expenditure patterns. The following questions will help us
to ensure that we have a representative sample of anglers, and to see how expenditure patterns vary
across types of anglers. Your answers are strictly confidential.
In questions 1-3 below, please refer to the state of your most recent day of HMS fishing.
1.

2.

In the past 2 months, how many days did you go marine fishing for any type of finfish in this state
from a:
(enter the number of days in each trip type; count partial days as full days; enter zero if you took no trips
of a given type)
Party or charter boat

Private or rental boat

Beach or bank

Pier, jetty, bridge, or dock

During the past 12 months, how many days have you spent marine fishing for finfish in this state?
Number of days (count partial days as full days )

3. In the past 12 months, how many total days did you go fishing for highly migratory species in this state? 
(enter zero if you had no HMS trips) 

Number of days (count partial days as full days )

4.

Are you male or female?
Male

5.

Female

In what year were you born?
(Year)

6.

How many years have you been marine recreational fishing?
(Number of years)

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7.

Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?
No, not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin
Yes, Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano
Yes, Puerto Rican
Yes, Cuban
Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin ________________________________

8.

9.

What is your race? (please mark all that apply)
White

Korean

Black, African American, or Negro

Vietnamese

American Indian or Alaskan Native

Native Hawaiian

Asian Indian

Guamanian or Chamorro

Chinese

Samoan

Filipino

Other Asian:___________

Japanese

Other:___________

In the past 12 months, how many hours per week did you typically work for pay?

10. Which of the following categories best describes your household’s total annual income before taxes in
2010? (Please mark only one category)
Less than $20,000

$80,000-$99,999

$20,000-$39,999

$100,000-$149,999

$40,000-$59,999

$150,000-$199,999

$60,000-$79,999

$200,000 or more

11. What is the highest level of education you have completed? (Please mark only one category)
12th Grade or less
High school graduate or GED
Associate or technical school degree or college coursework
Bachelor’s degree (ex: BA or BS)
Advanced, professional, or doctoral degree or coursework
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Thank You For Completing This Survey!
We appreciate your participation in this survey. If you would like further information on prior surveys or
economic information related to marine recreational angling, please visit our website at
http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st5/RecFishEcon.html.
Please write any additional comments you have in the space below:

OMB Control No. XXXX‐XXXX. Expira on Date: XX/XX/XXXX. 
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 15 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 Sabrina Lovell, NOAA Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Hwy., Silver Spring, MD 20910.
This is a voluntary survey, and responses are kept confidential as required by section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and NOAA Administrative Order 216-100,
Confidentiality of Fisheries Statistics, and will not be released for public use except in aggregate statistical form without identification as to its source. 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.

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