INTRODUCTION 



Data on commerical fisheries have long been collected by the National ^Aarine Fisheries 

 Service (NMFS) and it predecessor agencies. However, data on marine recreational fisheries 

 have been collected on a systematic or continuing basis. The purpose of the Marine 

 Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS) is to establish a reliable data base for 

 estimating the impact of marine recreational fishing on marine resources. The information 

 required for fishery management and development purposes includes size of catch by species, 

 by subregion, by area, and by mode of fishing. For example, the MRFSS helps meet the goals 

 of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (MFCMA - Public Law 

 94-265). The MFCMA mandated a national program for management of fishery resources in 

 the Exclusive Economic Zone (3-200 miles), and requires that the fishery management plans 

 developed consider recreational as well as commercial fisheries and their harvests. 



The survey described in this report reflects trip and catch data acquired during 1986. 

 The first section of this report describes the survey methodology and estimation procedures. 

 This is followed by a discussion of sampling variances and the precision of the estimates. The 

 next section on results begins with several technical considerations in interpreting the data. A 

 brief summary of the survey findings precedes the tabular results of the survey. Examples of 

 length frequency histograms are presented for selected species. Tables after the results 

 describe the classification of species groupings. Appended to the report are samples of the 

 telephone and intercept survey instruments and a glossary. 



The data presented in these tables are only a summary of those available from the 

 MRFSS data base. Depending on sample size, catch estimates for individual species at the 

 State, mode, area and wave levels may be available upon request. Estimates of number of 

 trips and participants are also available at similar levels of detail. Other data available in a 

 variety of formats include catch rates, lengths, weights and site descriptions. Inquiries for 

 additional information should be directed to the address listed in the Preface. 



