Seminar Series: MRIP Fishery Effort Survey Results and Next Steps

The Council will host a presentation from NOAA Fisheries on a Marine Recreational Information Program Fishery Effort Survey pilot study results and next steps via webinar on November 14, 2023. Study results include:

• “While the sequence of questions in the FES is based on a well-researched and standard survey practice to ask easier questions prior to more challenging questions, findings from our pilot study suggest this may not always be optimal.
• The FES asks respondents to report their fishing activity over a 2-month period and a 12-month period. In the pilot study, we changed the question order and first asked about fishing trips in the previous 12 months.
• Switching the sequence of questions resulted in fewer reporting errors and illogical responses, and effort estimates that were generally 30 to 40 percent lower for shore and private boat modes than estimates produced from the current design. However, results varied by state and fishing mode.
• Study limitations: the pilot study was conducted over 6 months with a smaller sample size than the full FES sample.”