U.S. Marine Recreational Fisheries 



COVERAGE. In 20U4, tlie MRFSS included the 

 Adantic coast (Maine-East Florida), Gulf coast (Louisi- 

 ana-West Florida), Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Detailed 

 informadon and access to the data are available on the 

 Fisheries Statistics web page (http://www.st.nmfs.gov/ 

 stl /recreational/). Care is advised when comparing 

 catch estimates for the MRFSS time series because of 

 differences in sampling coverage. 



In die Soudi Adantic and Gulf sub-regions (NC-LA) the 

 MRFSS has not collected catch data from head boats 

 since 1985, so estimates tor these sub-regions now only 

 include charter boats in the for-liire sector. Marine 

 recreational fishing in Texas is monitored by the Texas 

 Department of Parks and Wildlife and has not been 

 surveyed by the MRFSS since 1985. Pnor to 1998, on die 

 Pacific coast, ocean boat dips and saJmon trips were not 

 sampled dunng certain waves because they were surveyed 

 by state natural resource agencies. Alaska conducts an 

 annual mail survey and has never been surveyed by the 

 MRFSS. West Pacific U.S. territories have not been 

 surveyed by the MRFSS since 1981. Hawaii was not 

 surveyed between 1981 and 2001. The U.S. Caribbean 

 was not surveyed between 1981 and 2000. 



Historically, only about five percent of the annual recreational 

 catch on die Atlantic and Gulf coasts is taken during Wave 1 

 (January - February). Costs to sample diese mondis are very 

 high due to low fishing activity. Therefore, in Jan/ Feb of 1 98 1 

 die MRFSS was not conducted in any region. In 1982, Jan/ 

 Feb data collection resumed on the Pacific and Gulf coasts 

 and also on the Adantic coast of Florida. With a few 

 exceptions (Georgia 1985-1 989, Soudi Carolina 1 988, Nortli 

 Carolina 1988-1992), die NIRFSS has not been conducted m 

 |an/Feb on the Atlantic coast north of Florida since 1980. 



Time periods when the MRFSS has not been conducted: 



Nov/Dec (Maine and New Hampshire) - 1987 to present; Mar/ 

 Apr (Maine and New Hampshire) - 1986 to present; Jan/ 

 Feb (Northern California and Oregon) - 1994; Jan/Feb 

 (Southern California and Oregon) - 1995; Nov/Dec 

 (Oregon) - 1994; Nov/Dec (Wasliington shore modes) 

 - 2003; July - Dec (Oregon shore modes) - 2003; All 

 Waves (California tiirough Washington) - 1990 to 1993, 2004 

 to present; All Waves (Washington) - 1993 to 1994. 



Data from other NMFS and state sur^^eys (e.g. southeast 

 head boats, Texas, California Passenger Fisliing Vessels, 

 Pacific salmon, Alaska) are not included in diis report. 



DATA TABLES. The estimated han'ests (numbers 

 and weight of fish) for the continental U.S. and Hawaii 

 (excluding Texas) are presented. Numbers of fish 

 harvested and released alive are also presented for many 

 important species groups. Estimated harvests are pre- 

 sented by subregion and prinian,- fishing area: inland 

 [sounds, rivers, bays], state territorial seas [ocean to 3 

 mdes from shore, except for Florida's Gulf coast and 

 Puerto Rico, where state territorial seas extend to 10 miles 

 from shore], and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 

 [ocean from the outer edge of the state territorial seas to 

 200 miles from shore]. The total numbers of estimated 

 trips and participants are presented by state. 



2004 MRFSS DATA. In 2004, about 14 million anglers 

 made almost 82 miUion marine recreational tishing trips 

 to the Adantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts. The estimated 

 total marine recreational catch was 441 million fish, of 

 which over 55 percent were released aMve. The estimated 

 total weight of harvested catch was 254 million pounds. 

 The Adantic coast accounted for the majority of trips (60 

 percent) and catch (52 percent). The Gulf coast (exclud- 

 ing Texas, see MRFSS coverage page) accounted for 30 

 percent of trips, and 43 percent of the catch. The Pacific 

 coast accounted for 6 percent of tiips, and 4 percent of 

 the catch. Nationally, most (56 percent in numbers of 

 fish) of the recreational catch came from inland waters, 

 32 percent from state territorial seas, and 12 percent 

 from die EEZ. The majority of Adantic, Gull and 

 Pacific trips fished pruiiardv in inland waters 



ATLANTIC. In 2004, over 6.4 million residents 

 participated in marine recreational fishing. AU par- 

 ticipants, including visitors, took over 48 million 

 trips and caught a total of more than 229 million fish. 

 Twenty-two percent of the trips were made in east 

 Florida, followed by 15 percent in North Carolina, 14 

 percent in New Jersey, 9 percent in New York, 9 

 percent m Massachusetts, 7 percent in Virginia, and 6 

 percent in Maryland. Together, Connecticut, Rhode 

 Island, and South Carolina accounted for 1 1 percent 

 of the trips, and Delaware, Maine, Georgia, and New 

 Hampshire accounted for the remaining percentage. 

 I'lie most commonly caught non-bait species (in 

 numbers of fish) were Atlantic croaker, summer 

 flounder, striped bass, bluefish, and spot. The largest 

 hars'ests by weight were striped bass, bluefish, sum- 

 mer flounder, Atlantic croaker and dolphmfish. 



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