NOAA to carry out large-scale US fishing survey

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to carry out a large-scale Fishing Effort Survey in the US to help improve the quality of recreational fishing data.

The survey is a follow-up to an earlier pilot study which aroused concerns about over-estimations. The new study will be more ‘robust’ and will be conducted in 2024.

According to the NOAA, the fact that more than 40% of boats are being used almost exclusively for fishing and upward of 70% are used at least some of the time for angling, efforts to gain a better insight are essential for boating’s continued success.

It is hoped the new data will help with the setting of catch limits and inform decisions about denying anglers access to some species.

The survey will compile recreational fishing information on which to base estimates of catch success and is intended to play a pivotal role in determining the condition of fisheries and the setting of allowable catch rates to ensure the health of stocks.

Weaknesses identified in the first survey include the fact that the sample size was too small and that the order of questions did not optimise the findings.