January 31, 2020 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The Pacific Coast Recreational Fisheries Information Network (Pacific RecFIN) has completed its Marine Recreational Information Program Regional Implementation Plan. These plans represent a significant shift for the program. They clearly establish that regional partners will have a direct role in determining which survey methods are most suitable for their science, stock assessment, and management needs.
The plan (PDF, 30 pages) was created in response to Pacific Coast regional needs to enhance data for regional fishery management and science.
Prioritized Activities
The Pacific RecFIN identified the following seven prioritized needs:
- Maintain and restore base level funding for sampling saltwater recreational anglers and for-hire operators.
- Implement and support enhanced electronic data collection.
- Expand on-board sampling of commercial passenger fishing vessels or recreational charter boats.
- Explore new, high tech hardware and software to improve current, round-the-clock monitoring of recreational fishing vessels as they exit harbors to fish the ocean.
- Stratify party charter sampling by trip type and sampling period for Southern California highly migratory fisheries.
- Provide improved access to the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey database.
- State calibration of historical catch.