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STATISTICAL SURVEY PROCEDURE 



Shore and Vessel Fisheries — In general, statistics of the shore fisheries collected 

 by NMFS representatives include data on the number of casual and regular fishermen; number of 

 motor and other fishing boats (craft of less than 5 net tons capacity are called "boats"); type and 

 quantity of gear used; and the volume, value, and method of capture of each species for each lo- 

 cality or group of localities. The availability of data collected by some State fishery agencies 

 obviates the necessity of detailed surveys by NMFS personnel. 



Statistics on the vessel fisheries include data on the number in the crew; rig of vessels; 

 gross tonnage; kind and quantity of gear used; and volume, value, and method of capture of each 

 species. Craft having a capacity of 5 net tons or over are called "vessels." As in the shore 

 fisheries, the availability of figures collected by State fishery agencies may eliminate the neces- 

 sity of Service agents collecting these data for individual vessels. Information on the year ves- 

 sels were built was assembled for 1961, 1966, and 1968 to present. 



Statistics on the quantity of gear operated indicate the maximum number of units fished at 

 any one time during the year. Gear carried in reserve for replacement is not reported. 



All persons engaged in commercial fishing operations are included as fishermen. In most ar- 

 eas, fishermen not on vessels have been divided i nt o " full -time" and "part-time ." Full-time 

 fishermen are defined as those who receive more than one-half their annual income from fishing, 

 whereas part-time fishermen are those who receive less than one-half their annual compensation 

 from fishing. It has not been possible to separate full-time from part-time fishermen on the Paci- 

 fic Coast . 



Since 1942, the catch of fish and shellfish has been credited to the port at which it was 

 landed. Prior to the survey for that year, it was the practice of NMFS to credit the entire catch 

 of a vessel to the principal port at which fish or shellfish were unloaded, regardless of the ac- 

 tual home port of the vessels. This policy was discontinued since it quite often resulted in in- 

 consistencies by crediting landings of some species to areas far removed from localities in which 

 they are commonly taken. An outstanding example of this is the southern trawl fishery conducted 

 off the New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina coasts. Some fishing vessels from 

 New England operate in this fishery for 6 to 10 weeks during the winter season. Prior to the sur- 

 vey for 1942, the catch of these vessels, consisting principally of fish common to Middle Atlan- 

 tic waters, was credited to Massachusetts. Under the present system, this catch is credited to 

 the Middle Atlantic ports where it is landed. 



Since 1949 on the Pacific Coast and 1951 for the remainder of the country, craft, fishermen, 

 and gear have been reported for each State in which they fished. A total exclusive of duplica- 

 tion is shown for each section and for the United States as a whole. Prior to the surveys for 

 1949, each craft on the Pacific Coast was credited to its home port unless it did not fish from 

 that port during the year. In that case, it was credited to the locality where it landed the great- 

 est portion of its catch. Prior to the survey for 1951, each craft on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts 

 and Interior waters was credited to the port where it landed the greatest portion of its catch dur- 

 ing the year. This system was changed to provide more accurate data on the total number of craft 

 operating in a given State. With the increased mobility of the fishing fleet in recent years, the 

 number of vessels fishing in more than one State has increased greatly. 



Beginning with data for 1951, the reporting of units of gear was standardized so that nets or 

 lines made up of small units for ease in handling, but fastened together in fishing, were counted 

 as a single unit rather than as a number of smaller units. Prior to 1951, the small units were 

 sometimes counted as Individual pieces of gear even though they were combined for fishing. 

 This rule does not apply to halibut longlines or setllnes on the Pacific Coast. In this fishery, 

 each skate of gear is counted as one line, even though fastened together in fishing, because the 

 International Pacific Halibut Commission uses a skate as a unit in its studies of fishing intensity. 



