Marine Recreational Information Program - National Saltwater Angler Registry

In 2006, NOAA Fisheries began a major overhaul of its estimates of fish populations and fishing effort. The result is the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). As part of MRIP, NOAA launched the National Saltwater Angler Registry.

The registry is intended to help estimate the size and economic impact of the nation’s saltwater recreational fishing community. The program monitors how often anglers catch fish, species and size of fish caught, and numbers of fish kept. According to the agency, the data is used by fishery managers to make determinations about fishing regulations.

According to a NOAA survey, recreational saltwater anglers collectively spent $18 billion on boats, tackle, and other equipment in 2006. These purchases contributed $59 billion in benefit to the U.S. economy and supported 384,000 American jobs.

For more information, visit www.CountMyFish.noaa.gov

source: NOAA FishNews