MRIP Survey Design and Statistical Methods
December 31, 2018
This document describes the technical details of the Marine Recreational Information Program's suite of recreational fishing surveys, as well as the methods it uses to produce estimates of total recreational catch.
Published in December 2018 and last updated in April 2024, the Survey Design and Statistical Methods for Estimation of Recreational Fisheries Catch and Effort (PDF, 130 pages) describes the technical details of the recreational fishing surveys designed and administered by NOAA Fisheries' Marine Recreational Information Program, as well as the methods the program uses to produce recreational catch and effort estimates. It includes information about current and legacy surveys, historical changes and anticipated improvements, and the calibration methodologies that have allowed us to maintain our long-term time series of recreational fisheries statistics while implementing improvements to survey designs.