MRIP Projects

Examine the efficiency of a mail survey in terms of response rate and the accuracy of the data it collects. Objective: Obtain a better estimate of and compile basic information about private boat owners and users in Hawaii.

This project will install a multi-camera video monitoring system at three major access sites in the lower Columbia River estuary to track the number of boats departing from these sites. This new method will be compared to the current on-site boat count for this region to evaluate the accuracy, efficiency and reliability of the boat counting method for estimating fishing effort. Objective: The objectives are to 1) Install a video monitoring system at major access points in the Astoria area and implement a video boat counting methodology using this technology to estimate ocean recreational fishing effort, 2) Evaluate the current boat count methodology for the Astoria area by comparing effort and catch estimates generated by concurrent on-site standard boat counts and video-based boat counts, 3) Quantify the relative proportion of ocean recreational fishing effort originating from each of the major access points in the lower Columbia estuary, 4) Improve overall catch and effort estimation in the Astoria area, and 5) Evaluate this new effort accounting system for application in other locations.

Implement improvements identified in MRIP’s review of the program, such as creating a procedure to more systematically select sites to visit and refining the survey’s database structure so that it better corresponds with sampling designs. Objective: Improve the scientific rigor of monitoring and estimation approaches within the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Puget Sound Recreational Fishery Monitoring Program.

The WDFW is proposing to intensively monitor the recreational halibut and marine fish fisheries occurring in Marine Area 9 of Washington’s Puget Sound using an aerial-access design that is currently used by WDFW during winter Chinook mark-selective fisheries. This methodology consists of aerial-access surveys and dockside sampling. The aerial access design is the most suitable design for surveying large geographic areas, such as Marine Area 9, which includes numerous public and private access points. This methodology allows WDFW to assess proportions of angler effort originating from sites both within and outside our sample frame. The WDFW is proposing this project with the goal of providing precise, in-season estimates of catch and effort for halibut and marine fish. The WDFW will also examine these estimates against current methodologies for any bias that could be occurring in the current methodology, and also examine the effort data gathered in the time period to better inform the current weighting approach that was addressed in a previous MRIP review of sampling programs. If approved, this project would align with other funding and studies currently planned for implementation in Marine Areas 5, 6, and 7 during the recreational halibut and marine fish seasons in May and June of 2016. The same design will be employed in Marine Areas 6 and 7, thus providing consistency in estimation methods across areas. The WDFW will monitor the recreational halibut fishery in Marine Area 5 using the methodology currently used in the WDFW Ocean Sampling Program for Marine Areas 1 through 4. This method is appropriate when all or most of the effort accesses the fishery from few sites, and consists of boat entrance/exit counts and dockside sampling. These marine areas were chosen for intensive monitoring due to regulations for halibut retention during the time period. The proposed project will allow WDFW to evaluate an alternative survey design for monitoring these fisheries during the May andJune time period. Fishery managers will have the benefit of having timely estimates of catch and effort, and an alternative estimate to compare the current estimation schemes for any bias that may be occurring. The effort data will also be used to inform site effort weighting that is used in the current estimation method. This could improve the accuracy and precision of future estimates. An additional benefit for fishery managers will be a better understanding of spatial distributions of effort, providing for more informed decision making.

The project consists of two major tasks: (1) development of a comprehensive data dictionary for the CRFS data, and (2) development and documentation of new procedures for transmission of CRFS data and estimates to the Pacific Recreational Fisheries Information Network (Pacific RecFIN). Objective: (1) Provide data users with documentation on all CRFS data and estimates by completing a comprehensive data dictionary for the CDFW fully relational Microsoft SQL Server database that houses CRFS data and estimates. (2) Facilitate coordination with Pacific RecFIN as Pacific RecFIN develops a Microsoft SQL Server database. (3) Efficiently and reliably submit CRFS data and estimates to Pacific RecFIN when the new Pacific RecFIN database is completed by creating CRFS data extracts and transformations.