Recreational Fishing Estimate Updates

All estimates and survey data posted.

SIZE survey data has been updated to correct an error that caused all lengths and weights to be flagged as imputed. Length and weight values were not impacted by this error.

The following additional options are now available in the catch time series, length frequency, and snapshot queries as well as the effort time series and directed trip queries:

• The BY WAVE option provides estimates for each two-month sampling period during a select consecutive period of time.
• The SINGLE WAVE option provides estimates for one selected two-month sampling period for each selected year.

Update to the Recreational Fishing Survey and Data Standards:

After listening to customer feedback, NOAA Fisheries has decided to reinstate wave-level catch and effort data on our query tool by this April (2024), which coincides with our typical publishing of final estimates. Please note that the cumulative estimates will also remain on the tool. The MRIP team still recommends use of cumulative estimates whenever possible for science and management. At this time, we plan to continue posting estimates with PSE’s over 50. We have added additional flagging features within our query tool to more clearly define an estimate’s precision and if it is supported by MRIP for stock assessment and/or fisheries management use.

All estimates and survey data re-posted to address highly influential observations.

Impacted estimates include:

• Catch and effort estimates for shore mode in East and West Florida

MRIP query tools and all data downloads have been updated to reflect the transition from producing estimates in two-month waves to producing cumulative estimates to meet our commitment to providing quality data in line with our survey and data standards.

We are also providing new fishing year options for catch, effort and length-frequency queries in addition to the traditional calendar year option. These fishing year options were added to support data users who manage fisheries that don’t align with the calendar year, reducing the need to produce custom catch and effort estimates.

The shift to cumulative estimates for our Large Pelagics Survey is on hold while research continues to inform the transition to an improved, certified survey design. LPS will continue to produce catch and effort estimates in one-month increments in the interim.

New queries (“Preview of Data Standards”) have been added to the MRIP Query Tool. These queries provide a preview of our switch to cumulative (rather than wave-specific) estimates and our adoption of a precision threshold, in which catch estimates with high statistical uncertainty (above 50 percent standard error) will no longer be published.

An additional new feature was added to the Length Frequency Catch preview query to allow customizable length bin size to aggregate fish sizes.

To access the new queries, open the MRIP Query Tool and select one of the “Preview of Data Standards” options from the drop-down menus.

All estimates and survey data re-posted to account for errors found in Vessel Trip Report (VTR) processing. This update also included updated length/weight imputation for all states and modes.

Impacted estimates include:

• Catch and effort for Charter and Headboat estimates in all states Maine through Virginia
• Catch in weight estimates for all states and modes

The following template programs were reposted to the Recreational Fishing Data Downloads page with improvements to the domain output formatting:

• Catch Estimation Template Program (R)
• Direct Angler Trip Estimation Template Program (R)
• Length Frequencies Template Program (R)

These updates do not impact estimates. SAS versions of these programs remain unchanged.

A new effort query (“FES Distributions”) has been added to the MRIP Query Tool. This query includes three new queries of Fishing Effort Survey estimates:

• Estimated distributions of shore and private boat fishing trips by age
• Estimated distributions of shore and private boat fishing trips by gender
• Estimated prevalence of shore and private boat fishing among residents of coastal states

To access the new query, open the MRIP Query Tool and select “FES Distributions” from the Effort Data drop-down menu. In addition, the following data products have been posted to the Recreational Fishing Data Downloads page.

• Public-use household-level data collected from completed FES surveys
• Public-use person-level data collected from households that responded to the FES
• A template program (SAS) that estimates shore and private boat effort distributions for custom domains across angler demographic characteristics

All estimates and survey data re-posted to account for errors found in For-Hire survey data.

Impacted estimates include catch and effort for:

• Charter estimates in Florida

All estimates and survey data re-posted to account for errors found in For-Hire survey data.

Impacted estimates include catch and effort for:

• Charter estimates in Florida

All estimates and survey data posted.

While Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) sampling has largely resumed following COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, suspensions in headboat sampling continued into 2021. NOAA Fisheries was able to fill gaps in 2021 headboat catch data with data collected in 2018 and 2019. These imputed data—also known as proxy, or replacement, data—match the time, place, and fishing mode combinations that would have been sampled had the APAIS continued uninterrupted. Imputed data were combined with observed data to produce catch estimates using our standard estimation methodology. To ensure imputed data weren’t over-represented against observed data, the original sample weights for the 2018 and 2019 catch records were down-weighted. Note: The use of imputed catch data had minimal impact on the agency's effort estimates, as the mail and telephone surveys that collect effort data continued largely uninterrupted.

New catch and effort queries (“Preview of Data Standards”) have been added to the MRIP Query Tool. These queries provide cumulative estimates at the annual level (i.e., across all available waves for each calendar or fishing year specified) or through the most recent wave for which data are available at the time the query is run. The queries also provide a preview of the precision threshold, which does not publish statistically unreliable estimates (i.e., estimates with insufficient sample sizes or PSEs above 50%).

To access the new queries, open the MRIP Query Tool and select “Preview of Data Standards” from the Catch Data or Effort Data drop-down menus.

All estimates and survey data re-posted to include completed FES data.

Updated estimates include a sample weight correction impacting catch and effort estimates in Florida.

All catch and effort estimates and survey data posted.

While the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS), its overall impact on recreational fishing data collection was lower than first expected, and NOAA Fisheries was able to fill gaps in 2020 catch data with data collected in 2018 and 2019. These imputed data—also known as proxy, or replacement, data—match the time, place, and fishing mode combinations that would have been sampled had the APAIS continued uninterrupted. Imputed data were combined with observed data to produce catch estimates using our standard estimation methodology. To ensure imputed data weren’t over-represented against observed data, the original sample weights for the 2018 and 2019 catch records were down-weighted. Note: The use of imputed catch data had minimal impact on the agency's effort estimates, as the mail and telephone surveys that collect effort data continued largely uninterrupted.

In addition to the posting of final 2020 estimates and survey data, the following 2 changes have been made to queries:

• Contribution of Imputed Data to Catch Estimates – A new column has been added to the MRIP Catch Time Series Query to indicate the extent to which imputation was employed. Depending on your selection, you will see column(s) indicating the contribution of imputed data to the estimate of the catch type selected. ** If no imputed data was used for your query results, these columns will not appear in output.**
• Include Missing Rows Option - A new option is available in several standard queries allowing the user to select to include rows with missing values for estimates where no estimate exists. This will provide a complete times series. **When this option is not selected, rows with all requested estimates missing will not appear in output.**

Wave 6 Initial Post

Wave 5 Update

Shore, private boat, and for-hire fishing effort estimates for Waves 5 and 6, 2020 were produced using the standard methodology, and are presented at the region, state, and mode level. These estimates reflect data collected through the Fishing Effort Survey and the For-Hire Survey, as well as limited data collected through the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS). (While our state partners have resumed shore, private boat, and charter boat sampling, at-sea headboat sampling remains suspended, and safety protocols continue to impact field interviewers’ ability to intercept anglers at high-activity sites and weigh and measure individual fish. Information from the intercept survey is used to account for off-frame fishing effort and area fished.)

Preliminary Waves 2 through 6 effort estimates are not accessible through the MRIP Query Tool, and are expected to change before they are published as final. At this time, Waves 2 through 6, 2020, catch estimates; area fished effort estimates; and trip-level, catch-level, and fish-level length and weight data provided in our public-use survey datasets are not available.

Wave 5 Initial Post

Wave 4 Update

Shore, private boat, and for-hire fishing effort estimates for Waves 4 and 5, 2020 were produced using the standard methodology, and are presented at the region, state, and mode level. These estimates reflect data collected through the Fishing Effort Survey and the For-Hire Survey, as well as limited data collected through the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS). (While our state partners have resumed shore, private boat, and charter boat sampling, at-sea headboat sampling remains suspended, and safety protocols continue to impact field interviewers’ ability to intercept anglers at high-activity sites and weigh and measure individual fish. Information from the intercept survey is used to account for off-frame fishing effort and area fished.)

Preliminary Waves 2 through 5 effort estimates are not accessible through the MRIP Query Tool, and are expected to change before they are published as final. At this time, Waves 2 through 5, 2020, catch estimates; area fished effort estimates; and trip-level, catch-level, and fish-level length and weight data provided in our public-use survey datasets are not available.

Wave 4 Initial Post

Wave 3 Update

Shore, private boat, and for-hire fishing effort estimates for Wave 4, 2020 were produced using the standard methodology, and are presented at the region, state, and mode level. These estimates reflect data collected through the Fishing Effort Survey and the For-Hire Survey, as well as limited data collected through the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS). (While our state partners have resumed shore, private boat, and charter boat sampling, at-sea headboat sampling remains suspended, and safety protocols continue to impact field interviewers’ ability to intercept anglers at high-activity sites and weigh and measure individual fish. Information from the intercept survey is used to account for off-frame fishing effort and area fished.)

Preliminary Waves 2, 3, and 4 effort estimates are not accessible through the MRIP Query Tool, and are expected to change before they are published as final. At this time, Waves 2, 3, and 4, 2020, catch estimates; area fished effort estimates; and trip-level, catch-level, and fish-level length and weight data provided in our public-use survey datasets are not available.

Wave 3 Initial Post

Wave 2 Update

Shore, private boat, and for-hire fishing effort estimates for Wave 3, 2020 and updated Wave 2, 2020 estimates, were produced using the standard methodology, and are presented at the region, state, and mode level. These estimates reflect data collected through the Fishing Effort Survey and the For-Hire Survey, as well as the limited data collected through the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS). (Due to COVID-19, many states suspended their conduct of the APAIS through at least part of Wave 3. Information from the intercept survey is used to account for off-frame fishing effort and area fished.)

These preliminary Wave 2 and Wave 3 effort estimates are not accessible through the MRIP Query Tool, and are expected to change before they are published as final. At this time, Wave 2 and Wave 3, 2020, catch estimates; area fished effort estimates; and trip-level, catch-level, and fish-level length and weight data provided in our public-use survey datasets are not available.

All estimates and survey data were re-posted as a result of corrections to For-Hire Survey data.

Impacted information: Florida charter boat mode catch and estimate estimates.

Shore, private boat, and for-hire fishing effort estimates for Wave 2, 2020 (.xlsx), were produced using the standard methodology, and are presented at the region, state, and mode level. These estimates reflect data collected through the Fishing Effort Survey and the For-Hire Survey, as well as the limited data collected through the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey in March. (Information from the intercept survey is used to account for off-frame fishing effort and area fished.) Due to COVID-19, many states elected to suspend or modify their conduct of shoreside and at-sea sampling during Wave 2. In the Northeast, there are almost no APAIS data for Wave 2; effort estimates for Massachusetts do not include any APAIS data. In the Southeast, some APAIS data was collected in March, but no APAIS data was collected in April.

These preliminary Wave 2 effort estimates are not accessible through the MRIP Query Tool, and are expected to change before they are published as final. At this time, Wave 2, 2020, catch estimates; area fished effort estimates; and trip-level, catch-level, and fish-level length and weight data provided in our public-use survey datasets are not available.

All estimates and survey data re-posted to account for corrections to sample weights and survey data. 

Impacted 2017 estimates include:

• Virginia through Maine party/head boat catch estimates
• Alabama waves 1-6 charter boat catch and effort estimates
• Mississippi waves 1-5 charter boat catch and effort estimates
• Virginia wave 6 Charter boat catch and effort estimates
• Variance estimates for East Florida charter boat wave 6 and New Hampshire charter boat wave 5

All estimates and survey data re-posted to account for errors found following system technical difficulties.

Impacted estimates include catch and effort for:

• Shore estimates in Massachusetts
• Charter estimates all states except New Hampshire
• Party/Head boat estimates Maine through Maryland

Final 1981-2017

Preliminary 2018

The Directed Trip query has been updated to account for both the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) design change in 2013, as well as the transition from the Coastal Household Telephone Survey (CHTS) to the FES in 2018.

This update does not impact Hawaii and Puerto Rico estimates or Large Pelagics Survey estimates.

Final 1981-2017

Preliminary 2018

The Length Frequency query has been updated to account for both the APAIS design change in 2013, as well as the transition from the CHTS to the FES in 2018.

This update does not impact Hawaii and Puerto Rico estimates or Large Pelagics Survey estimates.

The public use trip, catch, and size survey microdata files are now available for the entire time series (1981-2017) on the Data Downloads page. The full time series accounts for both the APAIS design change in 2013, as well as the transition from the CHTS to the FES in 2018.

The downloads do not include Hawaii and Puerto Rico estimates or Large Pelagics Survey estimates.

NOAA Fisheries has completed the calibration of all data from 1981 through 2017. The estimates available in the standard MRIP catch and effort queries for this period result from the full application of both the APAIS and FES calibrations. The full time series has been revised to account for both the APAIS design change in 2013, as well as the transition from the CHTS to the FES in 2018.

This update does not impact Hawaii and Puerto Rico estimates or Large Pelagics Survey estimates.

All HMS catch card data were posted.

Species common name and class were standardized and corrected in North Carolina and Maryland HMS catch card data. There were a total of 761 records updated for shark species, including Atlantic Sharpnose, Bull, Common Thresher, and Shortfin Mako, as well as Roundscale Spearfish and Atlantic Bluefin Tuna.

This update does NOT impact LPS or MRIP estimates. We advise rerunning HMS catch card queries run prior to this update.

All estimates and survey data posted.

Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) are now used in the production of Preliminary estimates for the Atlantic Coast.

All estimates and survey data posted.

Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) are now used in the production of Preliminary estimates for the Atlantic Coast.

All estimates and survey data posted.

Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) are now used in the production of Preliminary estimates for the Atlantic Coast.

All estimates and survey data posted.

Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) are now used in the production of Preliminary estimates for the Atlantic Coast.

All estimates and survey data posted.

Vessel Trip Reports (VTR) are now used in the production of Preliminary estimates for the Atlantic Coast.

Revised wave-level estimates of total landings in weight (lbs), mean weight (lbs) and mean length (in) were posted to correctly incorporate the small sample estimation method in the following 12 cases:

• Maine-Charter boat: 2013
• New Hampshire-Charter boat: 2013
• Rhode Island-Charter boat: 2013
• Connecticut-Charter boat: 2013, 2014, 2015
• New York-Charter boat: 2014, 2015
• New Jersey-Charter boat: 2013
• Virginia-Charter boat: 2013, 2014, 2015

This correction does not impact annual estimates, total landings/releases in numbers, weight estimates in kg, or mean length in mm.

Final 2004-2015

Preliminary 2016

All estimates and survey data were re-posted with the following changes:

• New information is available in our Survey Datasets: Unadjusted catch counts for all catch types (CLAIM_UNADJ, HARVEST_UNADJ, RELEASE_UNADJ). **These fields are being added for informational purposes only. Estimates produced using these fields will not match those available from the website.
• Issues have been corrected with variables identifying cases where revised small sample estimates are available. This change impacts only 2013-2015 in the state and mode of fishing identified in the 8/15/2016 update to estimates.

All estimates and survey data re-posted as a result of corrections to APAIS data.

Impacted information: Georgia private/rental mode landings in weight estimate for sheepshead. 

Estimates and survey data re-posted as a result of corrections made to APAIS data.

Impacted information: Mississippi private/rental boat mode catch and effort estimates.

Revised catch estimates posted to address small sample size issues in the following 12 cases:

• Maine charter boat: 2013
• New Hampshire charter boat: 2013
• Rhode Island charter boat: 2013
• Connecticut charter boat: 2013, 2014, 2015
• New York charter boat: 2014, 2015
• New Jersey charter boat: 2013
• Virginia charter boat: 2013, 2014, 2015

Revised catch estimates for all species in these cases will only be available at the annual level.

All estimates and survey data were re-posted as a result of corrections to For-Hire Survey data.

Impacted information: Atlantic Coast, Georgia through Maine, all charter and party boat mode catch and estimate estimates.

All estimates and survey data were re-posted as a result of corrections to For-Hire Survey pre-validation data, Vessel Trip Reports, and estimate processing.

Impacted information: North and Mid-Atlantic states, Virginia through Maine, all charter and party boat mode catch and effort estimates.

Specific increased impact: Massachusetts charter and party boat mode catch and effort estimates will show larger increases as a result of corrections made to For-Hire pre-validation data.