MRIP Plan for State Partnerships
August 12, 2021
This document explains how NOAA Fisheries will establish the state-federal recreational data collection partnerships required by the Modern Fish Act.
Section 202 of the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act, or Modern Fish Act, of 2018, requires NOAA Fisheries to establish a recreational fishing data collection partnership with states. The MRIP Plan for State Partnerships (PDF, 19 pages) explains how NOAA Fisheries' Marine Recreational Information Program will build on its existing state-federal partnerships to address this requirement. It reinforces and proposes some expansions of existing agreements with state and interstate partners in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Alaska, Pacific Islands, and U.S. Caribbean. The plan also outlines best practices to improve the:
- Performance of state-federal recreational data collection partnerships.
- Quality of data provided by state surveys.
- Quality of data provided by state registries of saltwater recreational anglers.
Section 202 of the Modern Fish Act also requires NOAA Fisheries to submit biennial reports to Congress detailing the uses, accuracy, and priorities for improving state data. The first such report to Congress (PDF, 37 pages) was submitted in November 2021. An update to this report was published in 2023.