Sportfishing data collection under review

The National Research Council will conduct a thorough review of methods the National Marine Fisheries Service uses to collect data on saltwater sportfishing that feed into policy, management and regulatory decisions, the service announced October 22.

The review is one of the first NMFS actions under the agency's new strategic plan for recreational fisheries, developed during 2004 with the help of a wide cross section of sportfishing stakeholder groups, including BoatU.S.

Data collection for recreational fishing, including the number of anglers and the amount of fish they catch is a key--and often contested--element in fishery management. Currently, NMFS collects most of such information through the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey. This random-sample telephone survey, augmented by dockside interviews, provides information on catch trends but isn't sufficiently detailed, the agency says.

The congressionally-chartered National Research Council is a private organization that provides independent science, technology and policy advice to government agencies. NRC is expected to recommend improvements in data collection to better serve fishery managers. Its report is due in April 2006.

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