| 25 October 2009
Editors Note: The recent amberjack closure has left many wondering how it could happen. Capt. Bob Zale, FGA Board Member and President of the National Association of Charter Boat Operators provides a lesson in data collection that helps explain why the amberjack closing or even some other species closing could come quickly and without notice. He comments, “I think understanding the system will help explain why the AJ fishery was shut down on such short notice and also help folks understand why any new data system will take time to implement.”
MRFSS 101 - Lessons in Data Collection
by Capt. Bob Zales
The basic design for collecting recreational fishing statistics consists of a complemented surveys approach that includes telephone surveys of fishing effort and an access-site intercept survey of angler catch. It’s not simple, but here goes.
Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) data, which includes the For-Hire Telephone Survey (FHS) taken from for-hire vessels, is produced in 2 month waves (January-February, March-April, May-June, etc.) There are two complementary components to consider. Effort surveys and dockside intercept surveys. There are various built-in checks and balances called validation efforts to ensure the interviewers do their job and ensure the data received was completed properly.
The For Hire Telephone Survey (FHS) and private/recreational effort is collected differently, but the dockside intercepts are conducted the same for both surveys at the same time. The FHS effort is collected weekly. Surveys are taken the week following the week of the actual trips. This survey is accomplished by a state employee calling the for-hire vessel owner or captain to obtain the trip effort data, number of trips, hours fishing, number of anglers, area fished, etc. Ten percent (10%) of the for-hire vessels are called and interviewed each week.
The effort numbers for the private/recreational sector are collected beginning the week after the previous wave. The effort data is collected for wave 1 starting the 1st week of March. Data collection for wave 2 begins the 1st week of May and so on. The effort calls go on for 2 weeks. A percentage of coastal county households are called based on census data.
The dockside intercepts are done all year and various sites are preselected based on historical activity. Dockside intercepts provide the harvest data, the composition of catch, length and weight of species, helps to verify the effort by asking the number of anglers, what they caught and kept, caught and threw back, ate, used for bait, etc. Dockside intercepts also discover potential anglers and/or for-hire vessels that were not identified in the effort calling part. Known for-hire vessels are part of the vessel frame (list). When a for-hire vessel is intercepted at the dock, but is not in the frame, then the folks assume there may be other for-hire vessels not in the frame and a statistical formula called a correction factor is then used to adjust the number of vessels and the effort collected.
A similar correction factor is used in the private/recreational effort data. If an angler is interviewed and that person does not have a land phone line, then an assumption is made that there are more anglers like that and a correction factor is used to adjust that number.
Once the wave period ends and after the 2 weeks of collecting effort numbers all that data is then put together in the MRFSS system. In the period after the 1st 2 weeks of the month following the wave, the data is reviewed for any outstanding errors and any possible errors or strange numbers are questioned, explained and then all is put together and placed on the MRFSS web site. Typically the data for each wave is available by the 6th or 7 week following the end of the wave. For example, wave 1 ends 2-28 and data for wave 1 is generally available by 4-15 to 21. Wave 2 data is available by 6-15 to 21, etc.
Now when the data is available, it is still subject to change as new information comes in. This is why the AJ closure was announced without much notice. Dr Crabtree's people probably did not receive the data until the Thursday or Friday before the Monday closing. I suspect his people had the data looked at which took another couple days so he only knew of the overage some time over the weekend.
Now for any future data collection system, a similar scenario will most likely be used to provide the data for for-hire, private/recreational, and whoever. A logbook could be better if there is 100% compliance as it will only work well with 100% compliance since a logbook is a census. This means not only the federal permitted vessels must comply, but also the state licensed vessels fishing on federal species. If there is not 100% compliance then the NMFS will use a correction factor to account for the vessels not filling out logbooks. The correction factors used today are one of the big problems with the current system.
The Marine Recreational Information Program, or MRIP, is a new data collection and analysis initiative being implemented by NOAA Fisheries to help ensure the long-term sustainability of America’s fisheries and the health of our oceans. MRIP represents a management approach based on evaluating entire ecosystems, as opposed to single species of fish. Even if logbooks are collected once a week, which is currently the preferred method by MRIP, in reality all vessels will not provide their logbooks on time so the time to ensure the data is correct will be lengthened. We may be able to have data within a month, but in all reality, it will probably be about the same period of time used today. Logbook data will still have to be validated, effort will have to be validated, and no Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) or any other device will provide the validation automatically. Someone will have to enter the data and provide the information and then send the data to a central collection site. Dockside intercepts will still have to be used to visually inspect the catch and collect that data.
As you can see, the data system is not simple and certainly not as easy as just filling out a logbook or pushing a key on a computer.
I suggest that anyone who really wants to learn about the current data system and any proposed data system, contact the NMFS science and technology department and ask for an explanation. I am certain someone will be glad to assist you.
The real issue about the amberjack closure is the fact that the allocation was changed to 73% recreational 27% commercial. Historically it had been 84% recreational 16% commercial. If the recreational quota was based on 84% of the current Total Allowable Catch (TAC) it would be 1.596 million pounds and we would still have over 100,000 pounds to go. Many of us made this argument to the council when they made the change, so the fact that we exceeded our quota should not be a surprise. Hopefully this MRFSS 101 contributes to understanding the data system on which fishery decisions are made.
For more information on data collection online visit: http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/recreational/index.html
