Albacore Cost Earnings Survey

Dear U.S. West Coast Albacore Fishermen,

INtroduction

The U.S. West Coast albacore industry generates thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in earnings and spending in coastal communities in Washington, Oregon and California.

The National Marine Fisheries Service’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) is working with Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc. (LWC) to collect data on the cost and earnings of fishermen operating in the West Coast commercial albacore fishery. This survey is completely voluntary. Because you and other vessel owners are the only ones that can provide this information, we encourage you to participate. With a clearer understanding of the economic performance at the vessel level, fishery managers, industry stakeholders and seafood consumers will better appreciate the economic contributions of the commercial albacore fishery and be better informed and motivated to promote and protect it. A clearer understanding of earnings and employment provided by the albacore fishery will enable the industry to better respond to proposed regulation. For example, the results of a similar survey of the drift gillnet fishery conducted for the 2008-2010 period were used to analyze potential employment loss due to the adoption of AB 2019, a bill that would have made drift gillnet landings in California illegal (defeated in May, 2014).

Confidentiality

Data collected in this survey will be provided to NMFS in numeric form with no personally identifiable information such as names, vessel identifiers or anything that can link information on the survey with a vessel owner or fisherman. To this end, only page 1 of this survey contains personally identifiable information and will be destroyed after survey responses are obtained. LWC may use the personally identifiable information to facilitate follow ups with fishermen via phone or email to confirm or clarify responses that are unclear or incomplete or to speak with fishermen who prefer to complete the survey over the phone.

DATA USE

Data will be used to inform science and policy-making technical reports, economic and scientific publications and support U.S. participation in international treaty negotiations. The data is also intended to inform the Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s Input-Output (IO-PAC) model for Pacific Coast Fisheries. The type of data collected through this survey can and has been used by industry groups and individual fishermen:

• To quantify the positive economic impacts of the commercial albacore fishery in terms of employment and revenue generated and regional economic impacts on fishing communities.

• To emphasize why Americans should demand U.S. caught albacore.

Instructions

Please complete the survey as thoroughly as possible. If you have any questions regarding the survey please contact Henry Pontarelli at henry@lisawiseconsulting.com or (805) 801-9646. The completed survey may be returned via mail in the pre-postage paid return envelope provided in this package. Public reporting burden for this information collection, including time for gathering data needed, and completing the survey is estimated to average one hours and thirty minutes per respondent.

OMB Control No. 0648-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/XXXX

U.S. WEST COAST COMMERCIAL ALBACORE FISHERY COST-EARNINGS SURVEY

Funded by: NOAA Fisheries – Southwest Fisheries Science Center

Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

Conducted by: Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc.

This survey is being sent to all commercial fishing vessel owners who participated in the West Coast albacore fishery (Washington, Oregon, and California) during 2014.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SURVEY RESPONDENT

1. Name: ________________________________ 2. E-mail: ________________________________

3. Today’s Date (month/day/year):________________ 4. Telephone: (____)_______________________

5. Mailing address (street, city, state, and zip code):

__________________________________________________________________________________

VESSEL OWNERSHIP AND CHARACTERISTICS

6. Please verify the following information on record about your vessel’s ownership characteristics. If the information shown is incorrect or missing please provide correct information in the Corrections column.

Item	Current Information	Additions/Corrections
a. Owner’s name(s)	Charles Smith
b. Owner’s address	333 1st Street, Waldport, OR 97005
c. Vessel name	FV Smith
d. USCG or state vessel ID	33221843 or OR33214

6. (Continued). Please verify the following information on record about your vessel’s characteristics.

Item	Current Information	Additions/Corrections
e. Home port1	Newport, OR
f. Vessel Length Overall (feet)2	75’
g. Fuel capacity (gallons)	300’
h. Engine make and model	Volvo 350 CI
i. Total horsepower of main engines	350
j. Vessel model and year built	46’ Little Hoquiam Blue-Fin fiberglass, 1974
k. Year of vessel purchase	1990
l. Vessel purchase price
m. Capital improvements made since purchase ($)
n. Approximate insured market value of your vessel

1. As indicated in respective state vessel registration

2. From point of the bow to the transom, excluding bow sprits, outboard motors and other appendages

7. On what date did your tax reporting year begin? _________________

For questions 8 and 9, if you do not participate in other fisheries besides Albacore, please respond “Not Applicable.”

OTHER FISHERY 1

8. For tax reporting years 2013 and 2014, please identify the fishery other than Albacore in which you were most active in terms of days spent targeting that fishery:

______________________________________________________

Please indicate, in order of importance, up to three reason(s) for targeting this fishery:

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

OTHER FISHERY 2

9. For tax-reporting years 2013 and 2014, please identify the fishery other than Albacore and the Other Fishery 1 stated above in which you were most active in terms of days spent targeting that fishery:

______________________________________________________

Please indicate, in order of importance, up to three reason(s) for targeting this fishery:

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

FISHING METHODS

10. Please provide your vessel’s fuel consumption, speed, and crew size (not including captain) when engaged in fishing activity for tax reporting year 2014. If this vessel does not engage in a particular activity, please write “NA” in the appropriate columns.

2014

Activity	Fuel Consumption (Gallons per Day)	Speed (Knots)	Average Crew Size (not including Capt.)
Albacore Pole and Line	Gallons Per Day	KTS
Albacore Troll	Gallons Per Day	KTS
All Other Fisheries	Gallons Per Day	KTS

11. Approximate percent of total fishing time spent using the following fishing methods for tax-reporting year 2014:

Method	2014 (approximate %)
Albacore Pole and Line	%
Albacore Troll	%
Other Method: ___________________________	%
Other Method: ___________________________	%

12. What type of refrigeration/freezing method is used on your vessel (please circle)?

Blast Brine Ice Other (please specify) ______________

13. In what year did you adopt this method? ______________

14. What was the initial investment associated with this method? $ ______________

15. How much was spent maintaining this refrigeration/freezing equipment in tax reporting year 2014?

$_______________

16. Please indicate, in order of importance, up to three primary reasons for adopting this type of freezing method:

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

ANNUAL COSTS AND REVENUES

Questions 17 through 21 target information on costs and revenues associated with the activities in all fisheries.

FIXED COSTS - ALL FISHERIES

17. Please indicate fixed costs when targeting ALL fisheries for tax reporting years 2013 and 2014

Fixed Costs (All Fisheries)	2013 ($)	2014 ($)
a. Mooring and slip fees	$	$
b. Albacore Organization/Affiliation/ dues	$	$
c. Electronic equipment repair and maintenance	$	$
d. Electronic equipment replacement	$	$
e. Vessel repair and maintenance	$	$
f. Engine repair and maintenance	$	$
g. Engine replacement	$	$
h. Insurance	$	$
i. Interest and financial services	$	$
j. Enforcement (fines, legal fees, etc.)	$	$
k. Purchase of permits for this vessel	$	$
l. Organization/Affiliation dues not related to any specific fishery	$	$
m. Other (please specify) _____________________	$	$

VARIABLE COSTS - ALBACORE FISHERY ONLY

18. For fishing activity targeting Albacore, please provide total annual costs for each category below during your tax reporting years 2013 and 2014. For location of expenditures, please state expenditures made at each location of as a percentage of total. WA = Washington, OR = Oregon, CA = California, Other = All Other Areas.

Albacore Variable Costs	2013 ($)	2014 ($)	Location of expenditures (percent of total) WA OR CA Other
a. Pay to Captain for work in this fishery (including wages, benefits, share payments, bonuses, unemployment insurance, payroll taxes, and other forms of compensation)	$	$	%	%	%	%
b. Pay to crew for work in this fishery (including wages, benefits, share payments, bonuses, unemployment insurance, payroll taxes, and other forms of compensation)	$	$	%	%	%	%
c. Fuel and lube	$	$	%	%	%	%
d. Food and crew provisions	$	$	%	%	%	%
e. Ice	$	$	%	%	%	%
f. Bait	$	$	%	%	%	%
g. Gear repair, maintenance & replacement	$	$	%	%	%	%
h. Landings taxes	$	$	%	%	%	%
i. Offloading	$	$	%	%	%	%
j. Trucking	$	$	%	%	%	%
k. Travel	$	$	%	%	%	%
l. Freight supplies	$	$	%	%	%	%
m. Communications _________________	$	$	%	%	%	%
n. Other (please specify) __________________	$	$	%	%	%	%

EX VESSEL REVENUE – ALBACORE FISHERY ONLY

21. For fishing activity targeting Albacore, please indicate the ex vessel revenues (total sales receipts) during your tax-reporting years 2013 and 2014. If no revenues were generated, please write “NA” in the appropriate box. Include post-landings adjustments in your figures.

Albacore Ex Vessel Revenue	2013 ($)	2014 ($)
a. Revenue from landings in Washington	$	$
b. Revenue from landings in Oregon	$	$
c. Revenue from landings in California	$	$
d. Revenue from West Coast at sea deliveries	$	$
e. Revenue from All Other Locations	$	$

22. Please estimate the amount of catch that occurred south of the equator, if any:

2013_____________LBS 2014_____________LBS

BREAKDOWN OF ALBACORE SALES BY CUSTOMER TYPE

23. For each of the product sales sources listed below, please indicate the revenue from fishing activity targeting Albacore during your tax reporting year 2013 and fiscal year 2014.

Product Flow Sale	2013	2014
a. Revenue from sales to direct consumer ($)	$	$
b. Revenue from sales to first receiver ($)	$	$
c. Price per pound attained from direct consumer sale ($/LB)	$/LB	$/LB
d. Price per pound attained from sale to wholesale distributor ($/LB)	$/LB	$/LB
e. Price per pound attained from “other” ($/LB) Please specify___________________________	$/LB	$/LB

CREW COMPENSATION WHILE TARGETING ALBACORE

The following questions collect information about crew compensation methods used when this vessel is participating in the West Coast (WA, OR, and CA) albacore fishery.

24. Does this vessel use a crew share system?

a. Yes (proceed to question 23).

b. Proceed to question 29.

25. Which of the following expenses were deducted from total revenue before calculating crew share?

a. Fuel and oil Yes No

b. Food and other crew provisions. Yes No

c. Landing taxes Yes No

d. Offloading expenses Yes No

e. Trucking expenses Yes No

f. Other. Please specify ________________ Yes

g. Other. Please specify ________________ Yes

h. Other. Please specify ________________ Yes

26. On what percent of fishing trips does the vessel owner serve as captain? _____%

27. On trips when the vessel owner serves as captain, please indicate the share of net revenue (revenue minus the deductions listed in question 23) going to the vessel, captain, and crew. If the vessel owner does not serve as captain on any trips, please circle NA.

Vessel share _______% Captain’s share _______% Crew share _______% NA

28. On trips when the vessel owner does not serve as captain, please indicate the share of net revenue (revenue minus the deductions listed in question 23) going to the vessel, captain, and crew. If the vessel owner always serves as captain, please circle NA.

Vessel share _______% Captain’s share _______% Crew share _______% NA

29. Please indicate the total payout amounts and associated employment period for tax reporting year 2013 for the following:

2013

Crew Member	Total Payout Amount ($)	Employment Period
Captain	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 1	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 2	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 3	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 4	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 5	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 6	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 7	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____

30. Please indicate the total payout amounts and associated period of employment period for tax reporting year 2014 for the following:

2014

Crew Member	Total Payout Amount ($)	Employment Period Start: MM / DD End: MM / DD
Captain	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 1	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 2	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 3	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 4	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 5	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 6	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____
Crew 7	$	Start: ____ / ____ End: ____ / ____

31. Is there any other information you would like to share with us?

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

END OF SURVEY

Thank you. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other suggestions for reducing this burden to Dale Squires at 8901 La Jolla Shores Dr, La Jolla, CA 92037 or via email at Dale.Squires@noaa.gov.  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. This survey is conducted under OMB Control No. 0648-XXXX.