Recreational and commercial surveys of Maine fisheries

The National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS) collects data for estimating the impact of marine recreational fishing on marine resources. This information is used by Fishery Management Councils, the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), as well as Federal and State resource agencies to formulate fishery management plans, to evaluate future demands on fish stocks and to predict and evaluate the impact on fishery regulations. The MRFSS consists of two complementary surveys; a telephone survey of households in coastal counties, from which angler trips or effort are estimated and an intercept survey of anglers at access sites from which catch is estimated. Intercept data is collected in three different modes: shore, private/rental, and headboat/charterboat. Grant no. NA86FG0216