Post catch shares surveys, interviews and meetings

U.S. Department of Commerce

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Rationalization Social Study

OMB Control No. 0648-0606

Semi-structured Interview Guidance

Interview themes have been revised and designed primarily based on the experience of three prior data collection efforts under the original authorization. These interviews aim to: 1) allow for the introduction of information researchers may have missed but participants feel is very important to capture, 2) to expand upon provided by the study participant, and 3) to guide interviews where respondents declined to participate in the survey.

Guidance for all participants

1. Determine what is important to an individual that was not captured through the survey.

2. Determine the importance of the role the individual plays in the industry that may not have not been captured otherwise.

3. Identify concerns not otherwise captured.

4. Explore a better understanding of the impacts of the catch shares program on other fisheries.

Guidance for crew

1. How has their job changed in the last 5 years?

2. How has their involvement in other fisheries changed in the last 5 years?

3. Explore job finding/job stability in the last 5 years.

Guidance for observers

1. Explore relationship changes in the last 5 years (between observers and various members of the vessels, crew, captains, owners, etc.).

2. Explore arrangements with observer companies that did not exist prior to the catch shares management.

3. Has your job security/stability changed in the last 5 years? If so, How?

4. Has the catch share program influenced your relationships with the captains/crew of the vessels you work on?

Guidance for Industry Suppliers

1. Have your business activities related to the Groundfish Fishery in the last 5 years?

2. Has your business planning changed in the last 5 years? How?

3. Has your job security/stability changed in the last 5 years? If so, How?

Guidance for Harbormasters

1. Have there been impacts on the operations/activity in the harbor in the last 5 years/

2. Have there been infrastructure impacts associated with the harbor in the last 5 years? Please describe.

3. Have you seen fleet or infrastructure consolidation which you would contribute to the catch shares program?

Guidance for Fixed Gear

1. How have you been affected by the catch shares program in the last 5 years?

2. Has the fixed gear sector been impacted by the trawl sector in the last 5 years? If so, how?

3. Has there been an increase in geographic shift in the fisheries.

4. Has there been an increase in gear switching in the fishery? If so, please describe.