Marine recreational fishing is a popular pastime across the United States that generates significant economic impacts to both local economies and to the nation. In this survey, the level of fishing expenditures for anglers was quantified within each coastal state and the U.S. as a whole. The primary objectives of the national expenditure surveys are to collect trip expenditures for an angler’s most recent marine recreational fishing trip and to collect annual expenditures on durable goods used for marine recreational fishing. Additional objectives include obtaining a profile of the most recent marine recreational fishing trip and collecting demographic information on marine recreational anglers.

Marine recreational fishing is a popular pastime across the United States that generates significant economic impacts to both local economies and to the nation. In this survey, the level of fishing expenditures for anglers was quantified within each coastal state and the U.S. as a whole. The primary objectives of the national expenditure surveys are to collect trip expenditures for an angler’s most recent marine recreational fishing trip and to collect annual expenditures on durable goods used for marine recreational fishing. Additional objectives include obtaining a profile of the most recent marine recreational fishing trip and collecting demographic information on marine recreational anglers.

Revealed preference models provide insights into recreational angler behavior and the economic value of recreational fishing trips. This data is for the Northeast and is collected as needed, at irregular intervals. Typically collected as an economic add-on to the MRIP intercept survey and follow up phone or mail survey.

To collect data on an angler's last trip for revealed preference models and economic valuation purposes. Typically done as an add-on to the MRIP intercept survey and done as needed, periodically

Nearly 1.6 million passengers fished aboard for-hire recreational fishing vessels during 2011 in the Northeast United States (ME - NC). While the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) regularly collects detailed catch, effort, and expenditure information from anglers fishing aboard for-hire vessels, no data are collected about the business structure and costs of the marine for-hire fishing industry operating in the Northeast. This study is intended to fill that gap. Survey results show that the overall financial condition of marine recreational for-hire fishing businesses in the Northeast is mixed. Assets exceed liabilities by over four times for the average charter and head boat, and over 90% of charter and head boat owners carry insurance coverage. This implies that a rather strong financial for-hire fishing fleet exists in the Northeast. The results also reveal that the average charter boat produced only a little over $5.1 thousand in net income in 2010 and that over half of the charter boats in the Northeast actually incurred higher expenses than revenues in 2010. In contrast, the average head boat generated over $95.1 thousand in net income in 2010 although median net income per head boat was lower at $50.1 thousand. In addition to providing a detailed overview of the operating structure of the "average" Northeast for-hire head boat and charter boat, we constructed an input-output model to estimate the economic activity that for-hire businesses contribute to the Northeast's economy as measured by total employment, labor income, and sales. Model results show that in 2010 the for-hire industry earned $140.3 million in revenue, generated $50.4 million in income to owners, hired captains, crew/mates, and office staff, and employed over 6,200 individuals. The multiplier effects of this activity were substantial. An additional $193.7 million in sales, $66.5 million in income, and 1,290 jobs in other businesses in the Northeast were supported by the for-hire industry through indirect and induced transactions. Service businesses (real estate, food services, marinas, repair shops, etc.), wholesale and retail trade businesses (sporting goods stores, bait shops, gas stations, etc.), and manufacturing businesses (fishing gear manufactures, fuel refineries, commercial fishermen [bait], etc.) were the enterprises most reliant on the for-hire fleet. Over 700 service sector jobs, 360 wholesale and retail trade jobs, and 63 manufacturing jobs were dependent upon the for-hire fleet in the Northeast in 2010. In total, an estimated 7,530 jobs, in the overall Northeast regional economy, were supported by the active for-hire fleet in 2010.

Typically, commercial fishing businesses incur three major types of costs: fixed or annual costs; which are incurred annually irrespective of whether any fishing activity takes place; variable costs, which are associated with fishing effort (fishing trips); and labor costs for crew, including hired captains. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center collects the variable costs associated with fishing trips on a continuous basis as part of a fisheries observer program. There have been few attempts at establishing a protocol to collect fixed and labor cost data across fisheries. The Social Sciences Branch (SSB) previously collected fixed costs in 2007-2009, but response to the survey was low. The SSB conducted a survey of commercial fishing vessel owners in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states to collect their total fishing costs (fixed, variable and labor costs) for 2011 and 2012. A survey to collect total costs for 2011 was implemented in 2012 and information on 2012 total costs was gathered in a similar 2013 survey effort. For each year, the survey sample was stratified by primary gear type and vessel size. Information for Northeast commercial fishing vessels in the population of interest was pulled from the existing NMFS PERMIT, VTR, and CFDBS databases; this information included vessel owner contact information, vessel characteristics and vessel landings and revenues. Response rates were 30% (437 completed) and 21% (396 completed), respectively. Vessel owner participation in the survey effort was voluntary.

This survey collected information to assess the economic value from an anglers perspective of saltwater charter and private boat fishing for selected species in south Atlantic states and to evaluate the economic effect of proposed management alternatives on these anglers. Respondents were anglers who were intercepted (by MRIP) and volunteered to receive a mail survey in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the east coast of Florida. Questions related to the respondents past experiences with saltwater fishing as well as questions concerning the opinions and attitudes of the respondent about saltwater fishing were asked. A stated preference choice experiment allows for the calculation of willingness to pay related to four important species.

Revealed preference models provide insights into recreational angler behavior and the economic value of recreational fishing trips. Revealed preference data is typically collected by intercept and/or phone follow up calls. Typical variables include length of the trip (day or overnight), household income, whether or not angler took time off of work, and primary purpose of overall trip. Sometimes trip expenditures are included as well.

To collect data on an angler's last trip for revealed preference models and economic valuation purposes. Typically done as an add-on to the MRIP intercept survey and done as needed, periodically

Stated preference choice experiment data were collected in conjunction with NMFS’ Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) along the coastal states of Maine through North Carolina during calendar year 2010. All anglers intercepted in the Northeast for the MRFSS were asked to participate in a voluntary follow-up mail survey. All anglers that agreed to participate in the follow-up were sent mail questionnaires using a modified Dillman Tailored Design. Anglers were given the option of completing the survey by mail or online. The choice experiment survey asked anglers that have targeted summer flounder, scup, or black sea bass to simultaneously compare features of different hypothetical fishing trips and then to choose the trip they liked best. The features or attributes varied across trips and included bag and size limits of each species, the number of legal-sized fish caught of each species, the number of sub-legal sized fish caught of each species, the number of other types of fish that were legally kept, and the total trip cost. Respondents were also permitted to choose an opt-out option which was “Do something other than saltwater fishing.” The collection of choice responses from the various choice scenarios allows for the examination of tradeoffs and behavioral responses to various biological and regulatory changes. A total of 10,244 surveys were mailed out and 3,067 completed mail surveys were returned for a response rate of 30%.