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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Table of National Research Council (2006) Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24640.

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Appendix C

Table of National Research Council (2006) Recommendations

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Table of National Research Council (2006) Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24640.

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TABLE C.1 2006 National Research Council recommendations and Ranking of NMFS responses. The first column is a list of recommendations from the 2006 NAS review, second column lists the primary chapter(s) in this report that discuss the matters raised in those recommendations (recognizing that some topics are discussed in multiple chapters), and the third column is a list of this committee’s general evaluations of MRIP’s responses to the 2006 report. Five “+”s indicates that the response has been comprehensive and has addressed the major components of the recommendation. Between two and four “+”s indicates some progress but NMFS had not fully addressed the recommendation. This may include consideration of difficult technical issues not yet solved, as well as partial or incomplete responses from MRIP. A single “+” means that there has not been substantial progress for various reasons. In circumstances where technological advances, new approaches, or new information have decreased the applicability or relevance of the 2006 recommendation, “N/A” is used.

2006 Recommendations	Relevant Chapter(s) in Current Report	Ranking
GENERAL
The MRFSS (as well as many of its component or companion surveys conducted either indirectly or independently) should be completely redesigned to improve the effectiveness and appropriateness of sampling and estimation procedures, applicability to various kinds of management decisions, and usefulness for social and economic analyses. After the revision is complete, provision should be made for ongoing technical evaluation and modification as needed to meet emerging management needs. To improve the MRFSS, the committee further recommends that the existing MRFSS program be given a firm deadline linked to sufficient program funding for implementation of this report’s recommendations.	All chapters, especially 3-8.	+++++
A much greater degree of standardization among state surveys, and between state surveys and the central MRFSS, should be achieved. This will require a much greater degree of cooperation and coordination among the managers of the various surveys.	Chapters 5,6	++++
The for-hire sector of marine recreational fisheries should be considered a commercial sector and survey methods and reporting requirements for that sector should therefore be different from those for private anglers.	Chapter 4	+

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Table of National Research Council (2006) Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24640.

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A comprehensive, universal sampling frame with national coverage should be established. The most effective way to achieve this is through a national registration of all saltwater anglers or through new or existing state saltwater license programs that would allow no exemptions and that provide appropriate contact information from anglers fishing in all marine waters, both state and federal. Any gaps in such a program (for example, a lack of registration in a particular region or mode, exemptions of various classes of anglers, and so on) would compromise the use of the sampling frame and hence the quality of the survey program. An updated, complete registration list would greatly improve sampling efficiency in terms of time and cost. Although these savings might not cover the entire cost of maintaining such a database, the benefit from the increased quantity and quality of the data would be worth the extra cost, especially if there is an associated increase in public confidence in the final estimates.	Chapters 2, 3	+++
Future telephone surveys should be based on the above universal sampling frame.	Chapter 3	+++++
Charter, party, and other for-hire recreational fishing operations should be required to maintain logbooks of fish landed and kept as well as fish caught and released. Providing the information should be mandatory for continued operation in this sector, and all the information should be verifiable and made available to the survey program in a timely manner.	Chapters 4, 5	+
Additional studies are needed to understand the extent to which fish are kept and inspected as well as the extent of catch not available for inspection to improve the accuracy of catch estimates.	Chapter 4	++
Panel surveys, which contact individual anglers repeatedly through time, should be considered in recreational fishing surveys to gather angler trend data and to improve the efficiency of data collection.	Chapter 3	+

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Table of National Research Council (2006) Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24640.

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2006 Recommendations	Relevant Chapter(s) in Current Report	Ranking
The onsite sampling frame for the MRFSS should be redesigned. The estimation procedure depends critically on the assumption that catch rate does not vary according to the nature of the access point. In particular, small or private-access points that most likely are missed might have different catch rates than larger access points, which would lead to bias in the resulting estimators. In addition, the sampling process requires greater quality control (less latitude on the part of the samplers) than it has at present. See the recommendation below for the establishment of an independent research group to investigate matters such as these.	Chapters 2, 4	++++
Dual-frame procedures should be used wherever possible to reduce sample bias. For example, if a state has an incomplete list frame based on licenses, the use of a different sampling frame of the state’s residents (e.g., random telephone dialing) would reduce the bias. The existence of a universal frame described above would make this approach unnecessary for offsite sampling.	Chapters 2, 3, 5	++++
Internet surveys should be considered for their potential use in recreational fishing surveys, especially in panel surveys as a way for anglers to submit information.	Chapters 3, 4	++
STATISTICAL ESTIMATION ISSUES
The statistical properties of various sampling, data-collection, and data-analysis methods should be determined. Assumptions should be examined and verified so that biases can be properly evaluated.	Chapters 2-5	++++
A research group of statisticians should design new analyses based on current developments in sampling theory. These examinations should include experimentation, such as specific sampling of activities like nighttime fishing or fishing from private property, whose current under-representation in the MRFSS sampling has the potential to create bias.	Chapters 3, 5	++++

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Table of National Research Council (2006) Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24640.

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HUMAN DIMENSIONS
An independent national trip and expenditure survey should be developed to support economic valuation studies, impact analyses, and other social and attitudinal studies. The sampling and survey procedures of the independent survey should be designed for the purpose of social and economic, not biological, analyses.	Chapter 6	N/A
Add-on surveys for human dimensions should be continued, but in a more focused way than is done currently to target specific management needs and to supplement the national data as needed.	Chapters 3, 4	N/A
The national database on marine recreational fishing sites and their characteristics should be enhanced to support social, economic, and other human dimensions analysis. Sites should be defined at levels as fine as possible. The data set should include site characteristics that matter to anglers in making fishing choices, such as boat ramps, facilities, natural amenities, parking, size and type (beach, pier, launch point, and so forth). To account for changes in the number and patterns of trips and the changing characteristics of sites, a periodic updating of the data should be conducted.	Chapters 3, 4	+++++
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
A permanent and independent research group should be established and funded to continuously evaluate the statistical design and adequacy of recreational fishery surveys and to guide necessary modifications or new initiatives. Human dimensions expertise should be included as well.	Chapter 5	++++
Additional funding is needed for a survey office devoted to the management and implementation of marine recreational surveys, including coordination between surveys conducted in various state and federal agencies.	Chapters 5, 6	++++

Page 160 Cite

Suggested Citation:"Appendix C: Table of National Research Council (2006) Recommendations." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2017. Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/24640.

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2006 Recommendations	Relevant Chapter(s) in Current Report	Ranking
COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH
Outreach and communication should be improved in several ways. The MRFSS managers should advise anglers and data users on the constraints that apply to the use of the data for various purposes. Magers and anglers also should be informed clearly about any limitations of the data.	Chapter 7	++
Outreach and communication should be institutionalized as part of an ongoing program, so that their importance is acknowledged and appropriate expertise can be developed.	Chapter 7	++
Angler associations should be engaged as partners with survey managers through workshops, data collection, survey design, and participation in survey advisory groups. Many NRC and other reports stress the importance of making use of local and traditional knowledge, capacity building, and involving local communities in knowledge-gathering and dissemination activities. Those recommendations apply, as well, to the recreational fishing community.	Chapter 7	+