The main market sampling program in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is the new biosampling program implemented in late 2010 on the island of Saipan. It is a joint Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and industry project with a local environmental consulting firm doing most of the field work, data processing, and obtaining of life history samples. DFW is working up some of the life history samples for that aspect of the project. It is strictly a voluntary data collection system requiring ingenuity to obtain the participation of a large percentage of the main fish vendors on the islands of Saipan, Rota and Tinian. All catches are from the CNMI with some of them coming from up to 100 miles from Saipan. It is a census sampling program of 100% of the commercial harvest of a subsample of the trips landing during any sampling period. Due to logistics and resource limitations, the majority of sampling was initially (Dec 2010-late 2012) focused on the spearfish reef fish fishery on Saipan. This has since expanded to include information on the bottomfish fishery as well data from Tinian and Rota. Life history samples are also being collected on several species on reef fish and one deep bottomfish. These data are considered confidential.

Data set consists of port samples of gulf and Atlantic menhaden from the reduction purse-seine fisheries: data include specimen fork length, weight and age (yrs), as well as date and location of catch.

The Hook and Line Survey will collect species-specific aggregate weight and abundance, as well as individual lengths and biological characteristics (e.g., age, maturity, genetics, diet, energetics). Tagging will also be conducted opportunistically and by request. In addition to deploying hook and line gear, the survey will deploy a benthic stereo camera system to collect additional information on fish density, abundance, and demographics. A suite of environmental data will be collected via conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) deployments at each survey station. Habitat data will be collected using seafloor imaging (still or video) techniques. Finally, operational and gear deployment data will be collected for every gear set. The Hook and Line Survey is a new survey, so all data uses are prospective. Once the survey is mature, the data will be used in stock assessments for a variety of commercially and recreationally important species and for analyses that support management actions. This will encompass species covered by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), including but not limited to Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), pollock (Pollachius pollachius), white hake (Urophycis tenuis), red hake (Urophycis chuss), summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), scup (Stenotomus chrysops), black sea bass (Centropristis striata), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), spiny dogfish (Pomatomus saltatrix), Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), and skates. At least 5 years of Hook and Line Survey data will be required before abundance indices from the survey are integrated into stock assessments, but habitat and biological data could be used immediately to supplement existing data streams. Beyond stock assessments and management, the data from the Hook and Line Survey will also be used in research to understand the cumulative impacts of offshore wind on resource species and their habitats. Note that the Hook and Line Survey is a new survey and is still in planning and review. The exact geographic extent and survey strata are still under review. The geographic extent displayed here is tentative.

The Hook and Line Survey will collect species-specific aggregate weight and abundance, as well as individual lengths and biological characteristics (e.g., age, maturity, genetics, diet, energetics). Tagging will also be conducted opportunistically and by request. In addition to deploying hook and line gear, the survey will deploy a benthic stereo camera system to collect additional information on fish density, abundance, and demographics. A suite of environmental data will be collected via conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) deployments at each survey station. Habitat data will be collected using seafloor imaging (still or video) techniques. Finally, operational and gear deployment data will be collected for every gear set. The Hook and Line Survey is a new survey, so all data uses are prospective. Once the survey is mature, the data will be used in stock assessments for a variety of commercially and recreationally important species and for analyses that support management actions. This will encompass species covered by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC), New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC), and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), including but not limited to Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), pollock (Pollachius pollachius), white hake (Urophycis tenuis), red hake (Urophycis chuss), summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus), scup (Stenotomus chrysops), black sea bass (Centropristis striata), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), spiny dogfish (Pomatomus saltatrix), Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), and skates. At least 5 years of Hook and Line Survey data will be required before abundance indices from the survey are integrated into stock assessments, but habitat and biological data could be used immediately to supplement existing data streams. Beyond stock assessments and management, the data from the Hook and Line Survey will also be used in research to understand the cumulative impacts of offshore wind on resource species and their habitats. Note that the Hook and Line Survey is a new survey and is still in planning and review. The exact geographic extent and survey strata are still under review. The geographic extent displayed here is tentative.

The Guam Commercial Fisheries Biosampling program, which collects length and weight frequency data for whole commercial catches, and samples 4-8 species for in-depth life history studies as well as DNA (finclips) and voucher specimens for the Fish Barcode of life, began in August, 2009. Guam has had very little market-based commercial size sampling over the years. However, the new bio-sampling program has been quite successful and robust, due to the cooperation and participation of the Guam Fishermen's Cooperative Association. Census sampling of a high percentage of the non-pelagic fishing trips has been conducted since late 2009. As with the other CFBS programs, catch, effort, and fishing location are recorded for a majority of the fishing trips and every fish or invertebrate harvested is identified, measured and weighed for each fishing method encountered with the exception of trolling. Life history samples are also collected and processed for a number of reef fish species. These data are considered confidential. Continuation is subject to availability of funds.

Northeast Cooperative Research Study Fleet (SF) Program partners with a subset of commercial fishermen to collect high quality, high resolution, haul by haul self-reported fishing data. SF staff routinely sails with program participants in order to collect independent catch weight measurements to compare to the Captains’ kept and discard records for verification.The SF Program creates a unique opportunity for the collection of biological data as well as biological samples both by vessel operators and by SF staff. Participant vessels are able to provide biological data and fish to the NEFSC for use in research relevant to species stock assessments and a better understanding of fish biology. Commercial fishermen have the ability to provide samples during periods of time when traditional sample sources are unavailable (i.e., periods when NEFSC bottom trawl surveys are not operating, periods of species closures, specific needs with respect to species presence at certain times of the year and/or in specific locations, etc.) and they can also provide additional information with regards to their encountered catch (i.e., length frequencies, sex ratios, etc.).

Northeast Cooperative Research Study Fleet (SF) Program partners with a subset of commercial fishermen to collect high quality, high resolution, haul by haul self-reported fishing data. SF staff routinely sails with program participants in order to collect independent catch weight measurements to compare to the Captains’ kept and discard records for verification.The SF Program creates a unique opportunity for the collection of biological data as well as biological samples both by vessel operators and by SF staff. Participant vessels are able to provide biological data and fish to the NEFSC for use in research relevant to species stock assessments and a better understanding of fish biology. Commercial fishermen have the ability to provide samples during periods of time when traditional sample sources are unavailable (i.e., periods when NEFSC bottom trawl surveys are not operating, periods of species closures, specific needs with respect to species presence at certain times of the year and/or in specific locations, etc.) and they can also provide additional information with regards to their encountered catch (i.e., length frequencies, sex ratios, etc.).

There was a fairly short-lived market sampling program created by the American Samoa Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (DMWR) staff back in the mid to late 1990s which focused on obtaining species ID, length and weights primarily from the spearfishing reef fish fishery. There is no known database for this information. In October 2010, with new funding from Congress, FMB established a far more robust commercial fisheries biosampling program at DMWR that focuses on obtaining life length and weight frequencies for whole commercial catches and detailed life history samples for 4-6 selected species annually, plus fishing location and effort (hours fished) data from local primarily spear and bottomfish fishers. The biosampling program is on-going and will continue as resources permit. In addition to obtaining census samples for entire catches from a sample of the fishing trips landing on Tutuila, it also obtains otolith and gonad samples from a few species that are being submitted for life history work (e.g. size, age at maturity, etc.). These data include individual identifiers and are considered confidential.

Data set consists of daily logs by menhaden purse-seine vessels w/ data on individual purse-seine set size, location, and date

This data set contains catch and effort for fishing trips that are taken by vessels with a Federal permit issued for the swordfish and sharks under the Highly Migratory Species (HMS) fishery management plan. Fishermen that own vessels with permits in these fisheries are required to complete a vessel logbook for every trip in which any species in the Highly Migratory Species fishery management plans are caught and landed. Fishermen are not required to report fishing trips in which other than these species are caught. However, fishermen are required to submit a no-fishing report if they did not fish for or catch any HMS species during a calendar month. In 1986, the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) initiated a logbook program for vessels that held a federal vessel permit to fish for swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. In 1993, a similar program was initiated for vessels with a federal permit to fish for sharks that are included in the HMS fishery management plan. In order to provide sufficient level of detail for fishing effort by the longline vessels, the catch and effort data need to be reported for each longline set. Consequently, a single logbook form was designed for the fishermen to record the catch (numbers of animals caught) and effort, which includes data on the length of the longline, the number of hooks and the duration of the set. To reduce the number of times that fishermen need to record certain pieces of information, e.g., location of unloading, duration of trip, number of crew, a trip summary form was designed in 1999 that includes the trip-related information that is the same for every set. This redesign of the logbook form resulted in two forms, the trip summary and the set forms. Only one trip summary needs to be completed for each trip, but a separate set form needs to be completed for each longline set made during the trip. At the same time, additional questions were added to the trip summary form to collect information on the expenses that the vessels incurred during the trip. Initially, this information was voluntary and the fishermen did not have to provide the cost data whereas the catch and effort data are mandatory and the vessels permit will not be renewed if logbooks are not received for every trip where swordfish and/or sharks are caught and landed.