FIN Data Standards

Gulf Coast

Framework Plan for the Fishery Information Network. June 2001, Number 103.

Operatation Plan 2007

Summary of Marine Fishing Laws and Regulations for the Gulf States 2002" (928K)

Integrated Taxonomic Information System. A taxonomic database for terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals. The product of a partnership of federal agencies collaborating with systemists in the federal, state and private sectors to provide scientifically credible taxonomic information.

A kind of wall, usually made of rocks, built into the water to restrain currents or protect a harbor.

Metadata are corollary or descriptive information, both numeric and non-numeric, which may qualify or explain primary data.

The method by which a recreational fishing trip is taken

For statistical purposes only, anyone who sells or barters any portion of the catch from a trip is a commercial fisherman for that trip, and any marine resources that are sold or bartered are considered a commercial product. All other fishermen and catches are considered recreational.

A condition in which any part of a protected species is tangled, wrapped and snared, hooked, or otherwise

The discarded catch of any living marine resource plus catch not otherwise accounted for as landed.

A seafood dealer is defined as any person or entity other than the final consumer who purchases, ships, consigns, transfers, transports, barters, accepts (maintains) or packs any marine fishery products received from marine resource harvesters or marine aquaculturists. Any marine fishery products landed in any state must be reported by a dealer or a marine resource harvester acting as dealer in that state. Any marine resource harvester or aquaculturist who sells, consigns, transfers, or barters marine fishery products to anyone other than a dealer would himself be acting as a dealer and would therefore be responsible for reporting as a dealer. This definition is provided for purposes of statistical gathering only.

Information identifiable with any person or entity and prohibited by law from being disclosed to the public. It is data used as a basis for reasoning, discussion or calculation that a person may submit, either voluntarily or as required by Federal or State statute.

Structure built out over water and supported by pillars/anchors with long-term docking facilities for boats.

Information collected directly from the commercial, for-hire, and recreational fisheries.

Information gathered independent of the fisheries through direct or indirect sampling of the stocks.

A person hired by a recreational fisherman to aid in fishing.

A period of time over which fishing occurs. The time spent fishing includes configuring, deploying, and retrieving gear, clearing animals from the gear, and storing, releasing or discarding catch. When watercraft are used, a fishing trip also includes the time spent traveling to and from fishing areas or locales and ends when the vessel offloads product at sea or returns to the shore. When fishing from shore or man-made structures, a fishing trip may include travel between different fishing sites within a 24-hour period.

Any trip where the retained catch is or would be sold or bartered. This includes trips with effort but no catch.

Any shore or vessel trip whose participants are engaged in a marine resources recreational activity that is contracted for a fee.

Any trip for the purpose of recreation from which none of the catch is sold or bartered. This includes trips with effort but no catch.

A split trip is any angler trip in which a portion of the landings are sold commercially and a portion of the landings are retained for personal use

Dock to dock duration measured in hours.

A day of fishing measured in hours fished for the shore mode and dock to dock duration for the private/rental boat mode.

Anything used to catch marine resources (See Table 2 and Appendix A.3 for specific definitions)

Materials, construction, measure (i.e., mesh size, length of gear), and deployment of gear.

A boat carrying a fishing guide and recreational fishermen engaged in fishing. A guideboat is considered a subset of charterboats for survey purposes.

Any shore-based trip where a guide is hired or provided

A level stretch of pebbles, bed rock shore, or sand beside a body of water, often washed by high water.

A fishing trip on which a fishing guide is hired to provide services directly related to fishing activities.

Trip Def. - Any trip of a vessel-for-hire engaged in recreational fishing (VHERF) that is hired on a per person basis. For survey purposes, and possible alternative definitions, information should be gathered on: a) number of anglers (refers to all marine recreational resource users); b) size of boat; and c) where fishing occurred.

Boat Def. - A headboat is any vessel-for-hire engaged in recreational fishing (VHERF) that typically is hired on a per person basis.

On-site interviews which gather data from fishermen during or upon completion of their fishing trip at access sites.

Areas where fishermen fish from shore, or board or leave a boat to go fishing.

A stretch of rising land at the edge of a body of water not washed by high water, which could be rocks or an overhanging cliff.

Shore along a connecting channel.

A structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a body of water.

A retaining wall along a waterfront.

The total number or weight (or other measure) of marine resources (fish, invertebrates, others) captured, which are retained, released or discarded.

The portion of the catch that is not retained, (i.e. discarded or released at sea dead or alive) and includes incidental take of protected species.

The portion of the retained catch used for food or bait before the end of the trip.

The total number or weight (or other measure) of all marine resources (fish, invertebrates, others) captured, brought to shore and retained at the end of a trip. This includes catch that is discarded or not sold after being landed. This type of catch is indicated by disposition codes.

The number or weight of marine resources caught and kept for immediate use (bait, food) or for landing.

An elevated or raised way across wet ground or water.

Trip Definition - Any trip of a vessel-for hire engaged in recreational fishing (VHERF) that is hired on a per trip basis. For survey purposes, and possible alternative definitions, information should be gathered on: a) number of anglers (refers to all marine recreational resource users); b) size of boat; and c) where fishing occurred.

Boat Definition - A charterboat is any vessel-for hire engaged in recreational fishing (VHERF) that typically is hired on a per trip basis.

Multiple trip fisheries are characterized by a large number of relatively short duration trips employing the same type of gear, (e.g. lobster pots), and resulting in catch of the same species (e.g. lobster), or relatively few species.

Any activity related to marine resources where no take of marine resources is attempted. Examples include photographing wildlife in natural or managed areas, SCUBA diving to view jewfish, whale watching, etc

A trained agent (employee, contractor, grantee, etc.) of any FIN partner acting as an unbiased data collector, collecting data afer the completion of a fishing trip.

A trained agent (employee, contractor, grantee, etc.) of any FIN partner acting as an unbiased data collector observing fishing operations on fishing vessels at sea.

Any other non-boat fishing.

Structure built out over water and supported by pillars without long-term docking facilities for boats.

Summarization of data into strata different from strata design used during data collection.

The dollar amount per landed unit (e.g. pounds, bushels) of a given species (or species landing condition and market category).

Privately owned riparian land with dock/shoreline, waterfront residential developments, or marinas inaccessible to intercept sampling

Trip Definition - Any boat trip for which no fee is paid for use of the boat.

Boat Definition - Any boat for which no fee is paid for use of the boat.

Any organism listed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, or the Migratory Bird Treaty or any state protected species legislation. The term protected species can include protected finfish species (e.g., Atlantic salmon, shortnose sturgeon), invertebrates (e.g., Queen conch), sea birds, and plants (e.g., sea oats).

Any interaction with a fishery which is incidental to such activity and results in the harassment, harm, or death of the species.

Trip Definition - A trip on a boat that is rented or leased. No captain or crew is hired.

Boat Definition - A boat that is rented or leased. No captain or crew is hired.

A marine mammal or sea turtle where: 1) the specimen is dead and/or moribund on the beach or shore or in a coastal waterway, or the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters, or 2) the specimen is alive and is on the beach or shore and is unable to return to the water under its own power, or 3) the specimen is in the EEZ or a coastal waterway where the water is so shallow and/or inhospitable that the specimen is unable to return to its natural habitat under its own power.

The process of dividing a population into two or more nonoverlapping comprehensive subpopulations, called strata, for the purpose of conducting independent surveys of these subpopulations.

An identifiable sub-population of a population that is being sampled

The unique identifier for recreational trip data is the date of return, the sampler number, the record number, and the individual.

The total landed dollar amount of a given species (or species landing condition and market category). Example: 100 lbs of lobster at a PRICE of $3.50 per pound will have a VALUE of $350.

A list of known vessels operating in a particular fishery which can be used to sample that fishery.

Bodies of waters used for defining areas fished and identified by standard codes (See Table A.10).

Waterbodies less than zero miles from the shoreline - waterbodies found inside the boundaries for territorial waters.

Inshore - 0-3 miles on Atlantic, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and U.S. Virgin Islands coast, 0-9 nautical miles on Florida and Texas Gulf, and Puerto Rico coast from the shoreline.

Exclusive Economic Zone - Offshore waters 3-200 miles on Atlantic, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and U.S. Virgin Islands coast, 9-200 miles on Florida and Texas Gulf, and Puerto Rico coast from the shoreline.

Offshore waters greater than 200 miles from the shore line