MRIP Access Point Angler Inntercept Survey

Marine Recreational Information Program

APAIS At-a-Glance
How does NOAA Fisheries collect catch data?
On the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Maine to
Louisiana, MRIP gathers catch information by
conducting interviews with anglers at publicaccess fishing sites through the Access Point
Angler Intercept Survey, or APAIS. Our samplers
are assigned to a specific site during a specific
time of day. Their job is to interview and count
all anglers at the site. During an interview, they
measure and weigh all landed fish and ask how
many of each species the angler released.

A sampler interviews all eligible
anglers at an assigned site. It’s
just as important to interview
anglers who didn’t catch any fish
as it is to interview anglers who
caught many fish. Both types are
needed to produce representative
samples of all anglers.

How has APAIS evolved under MRIP?

In 2013, MRIP implemented new angler catch survey procedures based on
recommendations made in an independent review of NOAA Fisheries data
collection methods and tested in a pilot study. The improved survey procedures
do a better job of accounting for all types of completed trips 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.

Example Assignment
Sampling Date: June 24, 2015
Time Interval: 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Mode: shore
Site Cluster: 2 sites, medium pressure

1:50 p.m.

Arrive at Site 1 in cluster.
Unpack gear and prepare to
begin assignment. At 2:00
p.m., begin counting and
interview all anglers.
After 3 hours, depart site.

5:22 p.m.

Arrive at Site 2 in cluster,
after drive time.
Count & interview all anglers.
At 8:00 p.m., conclude
interviews and depart site.
Assignment is complete.

www.CountMyFish.noaa.gov

The improved 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 now focus our
efforts on maximizing the number of site days sampled.

What improvements were made with the new protocols?

Samplers now conduct interviews during all parts of the day, including at
night where needed.
Samplers stay at a specified location for a specified amount of time,
regardless of the amount of fishing activity.
Each sampling assignment includes a specific site cluster, a predetermined
order in which to visit sites in that cluster, a time interval for the
assignment, and a fishing mode to sample. Currently, modes are defined
as either 1) shore; 2) private boat; 3) charter boat; or 4) private and charter
boat combined.

There may be instances when our samplers are at a fishing site where there
isn’t much activity. These samplers are fulfilling a vital role because accurately
documenting low-activity sites helps ensure representative estimates.

Sampling in practice

What is a “site cluster?”

A sampler’s assignment includes a sampling
A group of sites with similar
characteristics. Each cluster contains
date, a specific six-hour time block, a site
1 or 2 sites. Sites are clustered by:
cluster, the order of sites to visit within the
• Mode
cluster and the specific fishing mode for
• Level of fishing activity, or “pressure”
intercepting anglers. They stay on-site for the
• Geographic proximity
duration of an assignment and count ALL
completed trips and sample as many eligible anglers as possible.
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
where needed, on 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 way NOAA Fisheries collects,
analyzes and reports 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 valuable sources of data as trips with catch.
We are NOT using the number of completed interviews to measure “completed
site day assignments”; we will continue to interview at a specific location for a
specific amount of time regardless of how many interviews are obtained.
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: Leah Sharpe
leah.sharpe@noaa.gov
(301) 427-8205

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