Outreach and Education from the Marine Recreational Information Program
These brochures, fact sheets, and other products explain how recreational fishing data are collected, how recreational catch estimates are produced, and how these estimates support fisheries science and management.
The Marine Recreational Information Program works through its Communications and Education Team to strengthen understanding of our data collection methods and build confidence in our recreational catch estimates. Working with our state and regional partners, we have developed outreach and educational materials that explain how data are collected, how estimates are produced, and how these estimates support sound science and management. Those materials are catalogued here. To request printed copies of brochures, rack cards, and fact sheets, please email NMFS.MRIP@noaa.gov.
Additional documents, such as strategic plans, implementation plans, and manuals, can be found in the NOAA Fisheries Resource Library.
General Outreach
Brochure: Better Data, Better Fishing
This brochure explains how we collect recreational fishing data and produce catch and effort estimates.
Wallet Card: Better Data, Better Fishing
This wallet card provides anglers with a pocket-sized reminder of how they can learn more about recreational fishing data.
Access Point Angler Intercept Survey
Fact Sheet: APAIS At-a-Glance
This fact sheet answers common questions about our shoreside intercept survey.
Regional Rack Cards: Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico
These regional rack cards explain how we use shoreside intercept surveys to collect catch data from recreational anglers.
State Rack Cards: Rhode Island, New York, and Georgia
These state-specific rack cards provide a snapshot of recreational fishing in Rhode Island, New York, and Georgia from the top species caught in 2019 to the number of saltwater access sites listed in the Marine Recreational Information Program's online register. An additional wallet card explains how anglers in Rhode Island can contribute to fisheries science and management by sharing their catch information with state field interviewers.
Infographic: Public Fishing Access Site Register
This infographic explains how our online database of saltwater fishing access sites helps us determine when and where state-based field interviewers will conduct our shoreside intercept survey.
Video: How We Count Your Catch (05:12)
This video explains how participating in our shoreside intercept survey allows recreational anglers to play a critical role in supporting sustainable fishing opportunities.
Video: Addressing Bias (05:25)
This video explains how shoreside intercept survey protocols have improved the quality of our data and reduced the potential for bias in our recreational fishing estimates.
Fishing Effort Survey
Fact Sheet: FES At-a-Glance
This fact sheet answers common questions about our mail survey of fishing activity.
Fact Sheet: Transitioning to a New Survey of Fishing Effort
This fact sheet explains the differences between new and legacy estimates of recreational saltwater fishing effort in the Mid-Atlantic.
Video: Three Things You Should Know about the FES (01:31)
This video explains how our mail survey of fishing activity has improved our understanding of fishing effort.
For-Hire Data Collection
Regional Rack Cards: Greater Atlantic and Southeast
These regional rack cards explain how NOAA Fisheries collects recreational fishing data from for-hire vessels in the Greater Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico. The Greater Atlantic rack card explains how the Vessel Trip Reporting Program complements our network of recreational fishing surveys; the Southeast rack card answers common questions about new reporting requirements in the region, including why continued participation in the For-Hire Survey is necessary to support the transition to the Southeast For-Hire Electronic Reporting Program.
Large Pelagics Survey
Rack Card: Estimating Large Pelagic Catch: What Anglers Need to Know
This rack card explains how we collect information from private and for-hire fishing trips targeting tuna, sharks, billfish, swordfish, mahi, wahoo, and other offshore species to estimate total catch and release for large pelagic species.
Electronic Reporting
Fact Sheet: Implementing Electronic Reporting: The MRIP Action Plan
This fact sheet outlines our four-action plan to advance the use of electronic reporting in recreational fishing data collection.
Fact Sheet: Developing For-Hire Electronic Logbooks: The MRIP Road Map
This fact sheet describes our efforts to replace the random sampling of charter vessels with a complete census of all for-hire trips, as reported by vessel operators through electronic logbooks.
Estimation
Video: How Weighting Our Data Helps Make Your Catch Count (12:26)
This five-part video explains how we use weighting to ensure data collected through our sample surveys are properly represented in our final estimates.
Video: Re-estimating Catch (10:09)
This video explains how our estimation process, adopted in 2011, corrected some assumptions about our data collection methods, improved how we calculate recreational catch, and removed potential bias from historical data.
