NOAA Fisheries and Gulf of Mexico regional and state partners released a blueprint that prioritizes projects to improve recreational fishing data collection now and into the future.

“This plan is a collaborative effort among Gulf state, regional, and federal partners,” said Evan Howell, NOAA Fisheries, Office of Science and Technology director. “NOAA Fisheries remains committed to working closely with and engaging partners in the recreational fishing community to evaluate and make improvements to recreational fishing data and partnerships.”

This research plan is a component of the Gulf Transition Plan. The Transition Plan was developed to ensure a consistent, historical time series of regional recreational fisheries statistics across the Gulf survey programs. It allows stock assessors and fisheries managers to have the data needed to make informed fisheries decisions.

“This plan serves as a guide for the state-federal effort to enhance and streamline catch and effort estimates used in Gulf of Mexico stock assessments and fisheries management guidance,” said Gregg Bray, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, Fisheries Information Network program coordinator. “Different recreational fishing survey programs are used in the Gulf of Mexico. These surveys produce different resulting catch estimates, as well, which generates challenges for stock assessments and management.”

High-Priority Actions

The research plan outlines high-priority actions over the next 1 to 2 years.

Studying Improvements to Survey Methods to Estimate Fishing Effort

We will evaluate and compare results from testing the revised NOAA Fisheries Fishing Effort Survey and from testing Louisiana’s LA Creel telephone effort survey in Mississippi and Alabama. In addition, we will work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to investigate how to better understand and measure the distribution and magnitude of fishing effort along Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

Improving Data Collection Infrastructure

We will support development of a centralized, transparent, and accessible database to house all Gulf state survey data.

Establishing a Data Management Program

The program will follow regional and national recreational fishing data standards to improve consistency and data quality for Gulf state survey data.

Reviewing Texas’ Survey Design and Procedures

We will conduct a collaborative, independent process to inform calibration methods for Texas state estimates and improve Gulf-wide estimates.

Reviewing and Analyzing Catch Data from Dockside Interviews

We will evaluate and improve how catch interview sites are selected.

The research plan was developed by:

• Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission
• Gulf Fisheries Information Network
• Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
• Five Gulf state partners
• NOAA Fisheries

By 2027, based on research outcomes, the team will make needed survey design improvements. The team will also calibrate estimates produced from different Gulf survey designs into the same scale and/or produce a composite estimate that integrates the data from all the Gulf surveys.

“In the end, our collective goal is to improve data collection methods and systems, as well as resulting catch and effort estimates,” said Bray. “In addition, through setting estimates from different survey designs into the same scale, trends in fishing activity and fish stocks can be tracked accurately to best inform sustainable fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.”