2025 Peer Review of the Revised Fishing Effort Survey and NOAA Fisheries Response
February 27, 2026
This document compiles individual independent peer review reports, conducted through the Center for Independent Experts in 2025, of the Marine Recreational Information Program's improved Fishing Effort Survey. It also includes NOAA Fisheries' response.
The peer reviewers aligned on conclusions across several key areas:
● Methodological Advancement: The revised FES is viewed as a substantial improvement that yields more accurate data than the previous design.
● Successful Bias Mitigation: The revised FES produces systematically lower effort estimates consistent with corrected overreporting of fishing trips.
● Improved Resolution and Timeliness: Shifting from bimonthly to monthly survey sampling and survey administration reduces reporting lags and generates the flexibility to produce higher-resolution data for stock assessments and fisheries management.
Reviewers also provided constructive recommendations for further technical improvements.