Gulf State Recreational Fishing Data Transition Process

Gulf Transition Overview

NOAA Fisheries has been supporting the development and implementation of Gulf of America state data collection programs designed to produce more timely and precise recreational catch estimates for certain species like red snapper. These surveys include Texas’ Coastal Creel Survey, Louisiana’s LA Creel, Mississippi’s Tails n’ Scales, Alabama’s Snapper Check, and Florida’s State Reef Fish Survey. 

The states use different data collection methods from one another that also differ from the collection methods NOAA Fisheries uses. As a result, it’s not possible to directly compare their estimates of recreational catch. Gulf state partners and NOAA Fisheries are working together to make survey improvements, increase accuracy of state and federal recreational fisheries statistics, minimize differences between estimates, and create a consistent approach in the evaluation of all available recreational fishing data to best inform stock assessments and fisheries management.

In September 2024, representatives from Gulf state agencies, including Gulf Fisheries Information Network, Gulf Council, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, as well as NOAA Fisheries released a research plan that prioritizes projects to improve recreational fishing data collection now and into the future. This plan serves as a guide for the overarching state-federal Gulf Transition Plan (re-published in spring 2025 to include an addendum with key status updates) to improve and streamline catch and effort estimates used in stock assessments and fisheries management guidance.

By 2026, a centralized data system will be in place for data users to access estimates from all of the Gulf state survey programs to meet stock assessment and management needs.

Based on the outcomes of the research plan (priorities reflected in the timeline below), by 2027 the team plans to: 

• Make needed survey design improvements
• Calibrate estimates produced from the different Gulf survey designs into the same scale and/or produce a composite estimate that integrates the data from all the Gulf surveys, so trends in fishing activity or fish stocks can be properly tracked

Why is the Gulf Transition Plan necessary?

Since the inception of NOAA Fisheries' Marine Recreational Information Program in 2008, a transition plan is required for any survey MRIP certifies: 1) whenever there is a change in recreational fishing survey methods, and 2) that change results in changes in the scaling of recreational fishing catch and effort estimates. This is so the new design’s estimates can be used in the federal stock assessment and management process. 

Louisiana’s LA Creel was certified by NOAA Fisheries in 2017; Mississippi’s Tails n’ Scales was certified by NOAA Fisheries in 2018; Alabama’s Snapper Check was conditionally certified by NOAA Fisheries in 2018; and Florida’s State Reef Fish Survey was certified by NOAA Fisheries in 2018. 

When NOAA Fisheries certifies a new or improved recreational fishing survey design, it means that a peer review has found the survey design to be a statistically valid approach to meet survey objectives and provide key estimates. Certified surveys are also eligible and prioritized to receive financial support from NOAA Fisheries. 

Why is the Gulf Transition Research Plan necessary?

The research plan serves as a blueprint that prioritizes projects to guide the transition plan. We need to understand what is driving differences between state survey estimates and NOAA Fisheries’ survey estimates and identify and account for potential sources of error across these surveys. 

Differences in survey designs and resulting estimates can generate challenges for stock assessments and management. For instance, there can be two distinct estimates of landings for a state: one produced by the NOAA Fisheries survey and another produced from the state survey. This makes management challenging when an annual catch limit is set using NOAA survey data, and there are requests to predict/monitor recreational catch using state data, especially when the data are not directly comparable to NOAA Fisheries’ data.

Through this research plan, we will:

• Document survey methodology across the region
• Work collaboratively to explore causes for differences in estimates across surveys
• Create a timeline for improving and/or implementing new data collection methods and data streams

Can state data be used immediately and/or replace NOAA Fisheries data?

State data is being used.

The Transition Plan includes interim ratio-calibrations, recommended by state and federal scientists, that allow state recreational fishing data to be used in the assessment and management of red snapper and other stocks in the Gulf of America. 

For most Gulf stock assessments in the short term, state estimates are calibrated to federal estimates to match the scale of our existing, long-term time series of recreational catch in the region. The large-scale recreational fishing surveys administered by NOAA Fisheries provide the only source of regionally consistent recreational data and long-term trend information covering many species, which is important for stock assessments.  

For management and monitoring in the short term, annual catch limits set at the scale of federal estimates are calibrated to the scale of each state’s data collection program, and states will continue to monitor catch using their own data.

Who decides what recreational fishing data is used in management and stock assessments?

The full partnership, including NOAA Fisheries, is involved in specifying the data needed for use in federal stock assessments and management. Survey certification does not guarantee the use of resulting survey data in federal fisheries management or stock assessments. 

The Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review Program (SEDAR) is the cooperative process by which stock assessment projects are conducted in NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Region. SEDAR was initiated to improve planning and coordination of stock assessment activities and to improve the quality and reliability of assessments. A number of agencies are involved in the SEDAR process, including the South Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf fishery management councils; NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center; NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office; NOAA Fisheries Highly Migratory Species Division; and the Atlantic and Gulf States Marine Fisheries commissions.

Debate and evaluation of scientific information, including best available science determinations and recommendations to the regional fishery management councils, is the role of each regional council’s scientific and statistical committee, in consultation with NOAA Fisheries, as requested. Since council recommendations are reviewed and approved by NOAA Fisheries regional offices and science centers, NOAA Fisheries certifies that the management action is consistent with best scientific information available (BSIA). It’s important to note that BSIA is based on a collection of data and not a single source.

Resources

• Transition Plan for Gulf State Recreational Fishing Surveys
• Gulf Transition Research Plan
• Gulf of America State Survey Transition Projected Timeline (as of May 2026; this timeline is anticipated to be updated ~ quarterly)
• Transitioning to New Recreational Fishing Survey Designs
• Gulf State Recreational Catch and Effort Surveys Transition Workshop (February 2022)
• Handout: NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf States
• Gulf of America Recreational Data Collection Storyboard
• History of Management of Gulf Red Snapper