2022 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FUS Report

Scup

In November, NOAA Fisheries released its 2022 Fisheries of the United States (FUS) report.

2022 U.S. Recreational Fishing Highlights

According to the report, U.S. anglers took more than 200 million trips in 2022, catching an estimated 1.1 billion fish and releasing 61 percent of those caught.

In 2022, U.S. anglers harvested approximately 437 million fish with a combined weight of 356.2 million pounds.

By weight, striped bass was the top species harvested, with anglers harvesting 35.9 million pounds (3.5 million fish) in 2022.

By number of fish, scup was the top species harvested, with anglers harvesting 17.7 million fish in 2022.

Spotted seatrout was the top species in terms of total catch (harvested and released fish), with anglers catching 55 million fish.

Fisheries of the United States provides a snapshot of data, primarily at the national level, on U.S. commercial fisheries landings and value and recreational catch.

Produced in various forms for more than 100 years, Fisheries of the United States is the NOAA Fisheries yearbook of fishery statistics for the United States.

Together with Status of the Stocks and Fisheries Economics of the United States, the report provides information related to saltwater fishing and seafood. 

In April, NOAA fisheries released Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2002.

Related Information

2020 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FUS Report

2022 Saltwater Fishing Statistics - NOAA FEUS Report

In April, NOAA fisheries released Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2002.

The report is the 17th volume in this annual series, and the first in this shorter format, and covers the years 2013 to 2022.

The annual Fisheries Economics of the United States (FEUS) report provides details regarding contributions of U.S. fisheries to the nation's economy.

The report contains a variety of information related to recreational saltwater fishing in the USA, including economic impacts of recreational fishing, saltwater angler expenditures, recreational fishing catch, effort, and participation rates, regional management, and other topics.

The annual FEUS report is one of three produced each year on the status of national marine fisheries. The other two reports are: Status of Stocks and Fisheries of the United States.

The short format FEUS report is accompanied by a new NOAA Fisheries new data tool - Fisheries One Stop Shop (FOSS).

The following are a few details from the report.

Recreational Economic Impacts

Economic impacts from recreational fishing activities supported 691,613 jobs across the United States in 2022, an increase of 8 percent relative to 2021.

Recreational fishing also generated about $138 billion in sales impacts, $45.1 billion in income impacts, and $74.9 billion in value added impacts.

Across the United States, impacts from durable equipment expenditures (e.g., rods and reels, fishing-related equipment, boats, and vehicles) accounted for 80 percent of total job impacts, 81 percent of sales impacts, 83 percent of income impacts, and 81 percent of value added impacts.

In 2022, recreational anglers in West Florida had the highest total expenditures on trips ($3.4 billion) and took the most trips (40.3 million trips).

East Florida anglers had the second highest expenditures on trips ($1.6 billion) and took 35.3 million trips.

The impacts from trip expenditures were highest in West Florida with 29 thousand jobs and $3.9 billion in sales.

North Carolina had the second-most jobs and sales (12 thousand and $1.6 billion, respectively), followed by East Florida with 9 thousand jobs and $1.4 billion in sales.

The Gulf of Mexico Region had the highest recreational trip expenditures in the United States, $5.1 billion, and the most recreational trip activity, 55.2 million trips.

Recreational Harvest and Release Statistics

In 2022, seatrout (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (70.1 million fish), striped bass (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (33.5 million fish), and summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (29 million fish) were the most frequently caught key species by recreational fishermen in the United States.

From 2013 to 2022, red snapper (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (37%), striped bass (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (4%), and tunas (Pacific and Western Pacific) (2%) had the largest increases.

Dolphinfish (Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Western Pacific) (-58%), Pacific salmon (North Pacific and Pacific) (-38%), and summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (-35%) had the largest decreases.

From 2021 to 2022, red snapper (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (32%), summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (28%), and seatrout (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico) (14%) had the largest increases.

Dolphinfish (Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Western Pacific) (-29%), tunas (Pacific and Western Pacific) (-25%), and Pacific salmon (North Pacific and Pacific) (-17%) had the largest decreases.

New Jersey caught the most summer flounder (13.5 million fish) and striped bass (7.8 million fish).

West Florida caught the most seatrout (22.8 million fish) and red snapper (5.4 million fish).

Alaska caught the most Pacific halibut (540,297 fish) and Pacific salmon (926,775 fish).

Key Recreational Species

• Dolphinfish (Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Western Pacific)

• Pacific halibut (North Pacific)

• Pacific salmon (North Pacific and Pacific)

• Red snapper (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Rockfishes and scorpionfishes (Pacific and North Pacific)

• Seatrout (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Striped bass (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Summer flounder (Atlantic and Gulf of  Mexico)

• Tunas (Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico)

• Tunas (Pacific and Western Pacific)

source: National Marine Fisheries Service. 2024. Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2022.

U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/SPO-248, 28 p.

Related Information

2020 U.S. Saltwater Fishing Statistics

2020 Saltwater Recreational Fishing Statistics

Striped Bass

U.S. anglers took nearly 200 million trips in 2020, according to Fisheries of the United States, 2020, from NOAA Fisheries.

U.S. recreational anglers caught an estimated billion fish in 2020, releasing 65 percent of those caught.

The total recreational harvest was estimated at 344 million fish with a combined weight of more than 353 million pounds.

The top U.S. species ranked by pounds harvested were striped bass, bluefish, red snapper, Spanish mackerel, spotted seatrout, and dolphinfish.

The Atlantic Coast accounted for 68 percent of marine recreational trips and 68 percent of the overall catch. The Gulf Coast accounted for 29 percent of trips and 30 percent of catch. Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Coast collectively accounted for 3 percent of trips and 2 percent of catch.

Fisheries of the United States is the annual National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) yearbook of fishery statistics for the United States for 2020. The report has been produced in its various forms for more than 100 years.

The report provides data on U.S. recreational catch and commercial fisheries landings and value as well as other aspects of U.S. commercial fishing.

source: Fisheries of the United States, 2020

Related Information

2019 USA Marine Recreational Fishing Catch Statistics

2019 USA Marine Recreational Fishing Catch Statistics

Red Drum

The 2019 U.S. marine recreational finfish catch, including fish kept and fish released (discarded) on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts (including Alaska and Hawaii), was an estimated 950 million fish. 

The catch required anglers to take an estimated 187 million fishing trips (Alaska trip data not available for 2019). 

The 2019 total harvest (fish kept or released dead) of saltwater fish by recreational anglers was estimated at 341 million fish weighing 350 million pounds.

Top Recreational and Commercial Finfish Species

Atlantic

1 Striped Bass
2 Bluefish
3 Scup
4 Dolphinfish
5 Black Sea Bass
6 Spotted Sea Trout
7 Summer flounder (fluke)
8 Tautog
9 Catfish
10 King and Cero Mackerel

Gulf Coast

1 Red snapper
2 Spanish Mackerel
3 Red Drum
4 Spotted Sea Trout
5 Sardine
6 Snappers
7 Mullets
8 King and Cero Mackerel
9 Little Tunny
10 Dolphinfish

USA Fishing Statistics 2016 (commercial and recreational fisheries)

Commercial and recreational fisheries provide important economic impacts to the U.S economy, according to a recently released NOAA Fisheries report (Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2016).

In 2016, commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the United States generated approximately 1.7 million jobs in the U.S. economy.

In addition, commercial and recreational fishing together generated $212.2 billion in sales impacts, $64.2 billion in income impacts, and $99.5 billion in value-added impacts throughout the economy.

Florida had the largest employment impacts from the combined fishing industry, with approximately 173,000 jobs.

Florida also had the largest sales impacts from the combined fishing industry ($27.8 billion), the largest income impacts ($7.3 billion), and the largest value-added impacts ($12.2 billion).

Fisheries Economics of the United States 2016 is the 11th volume in an annual series designed to give the public accessible economic information on fishing and seafood in the U.S., and is a companion to Fisheries of the United States.

The annual Fisheries Economics of the United States report provides economic information related to U.S. commercial and recreational fishing activities and fishing-related industries on a state, regional, and national basis.

For more information, visit: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/content/fisheries-economics-united-states-2016

source: NOAA Fisheries

Related Information

2016 Saltwater Fishing Statistics (Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation)

2019 New England Recreational Fishing Workshops

Improving New England Recreational Fisheries Management Workshops
January 8, 2019 - January 12, 2019

NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office is hosting three workshops to provide an opportunity for stakeholder input on developing both short- and long-term management measures for the recreational fishing community.

Through a collaborative process, the agency hopes to develop management measures for the recreational groundfish fishery that balance the need to prevent overfishing with enabling profitability in the for-hire fleet and worthwhile fishing opportunities for anglers.

Stakeholders can attend either January 8 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; January 10 in Narragansett, Rhode Island; or January 12 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.


Objectives

Short-term: Develop potential new management measures to achieve, but not exceed, recreational catch limits in Fishing Year 2019, including Gulf of Maine cod/haddock.

Long-term: Think creatively about how to meaningfully use new Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) data in management of groundfish stocks with a recreational catch component in the long-term (defined as Fishing Year 2020 and beyond).

Assess and evaluate available research around: methods for avoidance and reduction of bycatch mortality, calculation methods for dead discards, and release methods. NOAA will also identify gaps for future research.

Develop methods to regularly engage with captains and anglers throughout the season to get feedback on catch and trends, and develop ideas on how to enhance coordination between NOAA Fisheries, state partners, scientists, and the recreational fishing community.


Event Details

Space will be limited, and NOAA encourages registering in advance. Once registered, meeting materials and updates will be emailed directly to attendees, when available. Additional meeting materials, including the agenda, will be posted mid-December.

The workshops will be held on the dates listed. Exact timing will be posted on the agenda, and will be approximately from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each workshop will have the same agenda, and while the discussions may vary depending on the state and local target species. NOAA requests that attendees only register for one workshop so that as many people as possible may attend.

Summaries of recommendations from the workshops will be presented to the New England Fishery Management Council’s Recreational Advisory Panel and the full Council in January.

More Information

For more information, contact Moira Kelly , Recreational Fisheries Coordinator, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office or Jessica Joyce , Meeting Planner and Facilitator, Tidal Bay Consulting, LLC.

Register online:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-england-recreational-fishing-workshop-nh-tickets-52541276372

source: Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office

2016 NOAA USA Recreational Fishing Statistics (saltwater)

striped bass

According to this year's NOAA Fisheries' Fisheries of the United States report, U.S. recreational saltwater anglers caught an estimated 371.6 million fish in 2016.

The total catch includes fish kept and fish released (discarded) on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts (including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico).

The harvest (fish kept or released dead) was estimated at 144.6 million fish weighing 181.6 million pounds.

2016 Top Saltwater Fish Species by Pounds Harvested

Striped bass: 20 million pounds - 1.6 million fish
Dolphinfish 11 million pounds - 1.2 million fish
Bluefish 10 million pounds - 4.6 million fish
Yellowfin tuna 9 million pounds - 0.3 million fish
Sharks 3 million pounds - 0.2 million fish

Saltwater anglers took approximately 63.1 million fishing trips, according to the report.

Fisheries of the United States is an annual yearbook of U.S. fisheries statistics.

For more information, visit:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/fisheries-united-states-2016-report


source: NOAA Fisheries

Massachusetts Striped Bass Research

striped bass

Massachusetts is home to one of the largest striped bass fisheries in the USA. The state's recreational striped bass fishery attracts hundreds of thousands of recreational anglers each year.

In Massachusetts, a variety of research and monitoring programs are conducted on striped bass, some of which help support the regional management process.

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has participated in the Striped Bass Cooperative State‐Federal Coast‐wide Tagging Study since 1991.

The study's primary objective has been to develop an integrated database of tag releases and recoveries that will provide current information related to striped bass mortality and migration rates.

During 2015, Striped Bass Research Project staff conducted 14 trips aboard contracted vessels, tagging a total of 365 striped bass.

Annual post‐release survival of striped bass (28 inches and greater) tagged in Massachusetts waters has been relatively stable over the last decade, averaging 74%.

A technical report summarizing the tagging studies conducted by DMF since 1991 is available:

Nelson, G. A., J. Boardman and P. Caruso. Massachusetts striped bass tagging programs, 1991‐2014. Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries technical report TR‐61. 37 p.

For more information, visit the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries website.

source: Massachusetts Marine Fisheries 2015 Annual Report

Are Barbless Circle Hooks Effective?

The effectiveness of barbless circle hooks was a popular topic during the 2016 Tokunaga Ulua Challenge Fishing Tournament in Hawaii.

A leader in the effort to learn more about circle hooks is Kurt Kawamoto, a fisheries biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

Each time a fish caught with a barbless circle hook was weighed in, Kawamoto stepped forward to slap a special sticker on it, and hopefully to see a new record.

Kawamoto's work is part of a NOAA and Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Barbless Circle Hook Project.

The Tokunaga tournament has grown from 136 entrants in 2003 to 637 this year. It’s estimated more than 50% of the contestants catch their fish using barbless circle hooks.

In 2015, the winning ulua was caught with a barbless hook. This year, the winning omilu was caught by a woman fishing barbless.

Making a barbless hook is really simple. You use a pair of pliers to smash down the barb. Kawamoto explains, “Once you smash down the barbs on these hooks they become self-shedding, so that was the main idea behind it. It’s easy for a fish, or a seal or a turtle to get rid of the hook themselves.”

Researchers have witnessed a monk seal actually shed a barbless circle hook and anglers have relayed stories about sea turtles also easily expelling barbless hooks.

Although it’s easier for animals to rid themselves of the hooks, research, angler reports, and actual catches with barbless circle hooks have proved their efficacy when it comes to catching target fish.

During a shoreline research project, fishers used two poles; one with a barbed hook, the other with a barbless one. Kawamoto said, “We caught over 300 shoreline fish, of many different kinds. We looked at the catches, losses and misses and statistically we couldn’t tell the difference. Essentially you could catch just as many fish with a barbless circle hook.”

Angler Carlo Russo who fishes from the shoreline said "My experience with them has been 100% positive. I caught three papio’s, nice size papio’s on them, and didn’t lose any fish. Popped them right out; all perfectly caught in the corner of their mouths.

The outreach team from the Barbless Circle Hook Project regularly attends fishing tournaments around the state to provide information, encouragement, and free barbless circle hooks.

Kawamoto concluded, “Since starting the project I only use barbless hooks in my personal shoreline fishing and I’ve caught all the same species. I couldn’t in good conscience ask fisherman to try something that I don’t use or believe in myself. I have guys on every island who are only using barbless hooks and they’ve seen it doesn’t make a difference…and allows the big one that got away…to reproduce, to grow and possibly to be caught another day. This helps enhance the reputation of fishermen and women as practicing conservationists.”

source: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Striped Bass Most Popular Saltwater Fish

Recreational anglers caught 24 million pounds of striped bass in 2014, according to the 2014 Fisheries of the US report from NOAA Fisheries.

U.S Recreational Fishing Statistics:

Striped bass, bluefish, yellowfin tuna, dolphin fish, and summer flounder were the top five recreational species ranked by pounds landed.

Overall, an estimated 157 million fish were kept, weighing 186 million pounds.

10.4 million anglers took 68 million trips and caught nearly 392 million fish in 2014.

The report also shows that the average American ate 14.6 pounds of fish and shellfish in 2014.

The 2014 Fisheries of the US report is available at  http://st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/fus/fus14/index.

2015 North Carolina Coastal Fish Stock Status Report

Five North Carolina coastal fish species have been reclassified as viable by the 2015 Stock Status Report by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries.

The report also reclassified the status of three other species and removed one species from the report. Reclassifications are based on updated information through 2014.

The division annually classifies the status of important marine finfish, shellfish, shrimp and crabs as viable, recovering, concern, depleted or unknown. The classifications serve as a barometer of the overall health of the state’s fishery resources, and they are used to prioritize development of state fishery management plans.

Atlantic menhaden moved from concern to viable based on a Southeast Data, Assessment and Review 2015 benchmark stock assessment that indicates that Atlantic menhaden are neither overfished nor experiencing overfishing.

Black drum moved from unknown to viable based on a 2015 Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Black Drum Stock Assessment that determined that the stock is not overfished and not experiencing overfishing.

Kingfishes moved from unknown to viable based on positive trends in biological data, as a regional stock assessment is not currently available.

King mackerel moved from concern to viable based on the 2014 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council stock assessment that indicates the South Atlantic king mackerel stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring.

Spotted seatrout moved from depleted to viable based on a 2014 N.C. Spotted Seatrout Stock Assessment that indicates the North Carolina and Virginia stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring.

Black sea bass north of Hatteras moved from recovering to concern due to the lack of a recent approved stock assessment and recent low landings in North Carolina waters. The stock was declared rebuilt in 2009 based on the 2008 National Marine Fisheries Service’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center stock assessment for U.S. waters north of Cape Hatteras. Due to unique life history characteristics and other data concerns, the 2011 and 2012 assessments were not accepted for determining stock status.

Southern flounder was moved from depleted to concern due to the lack of a recent approved stock assessment. A 2014 stock assessment of southern flounder in North Carolina waters could not be used to determine stock status because the southern flounder stock mixes throughout the South Atlantic (North Carolina to Florida). However, concerns exist about the sustainability of current harvest levels because of a coast-wide decline in juvenile and adult abundance.

Gag moved from concern to recovering based on a 2014 South Atlantic Fishery Management Council regional stock assessment that found the stock from North Carolina to Florida was experiencing overfishing, but was not overfished. The National Marine Fisheries Service removed the stock from the overfishing list in December 2014 after determining that harvest levels in 2012 and 2013 indicated overfishing was no longer occurring.

Monkfish was removed from the N.C. Stock Status Report due to the limited fishery in North Carolina. In 2014, commercial landings of monkfish were low and there were no reported recreational landings.

Definitions for each stock status category can be found at http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/stock-status-categories-and-definitions.

The complete 2015 Stock Status Report can be found on the division’s website at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/stock-status-reports.

source: North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries

2015 Delaware Bay Atlantic Sturgeon Research

On April 7, 2015, the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife (Division) deployed acoustic receivers in the Delaware Bay to track migration patterns of Atlantic sturgeon. For a fourth year, 19 receivers have been set in water depths generally less than 20 feet. Those fishing in inshore waters may encounter white buoys marked "NJDEP Research".

As part of a multi-state collaborative effort, the Division has partnered with several states to develop a multi-year effort directed at providing state, federal, and regional management authorities with information necessary to successfully conserve and ultimately restore the population of sturgeon in the mid-Atlantic region.

With the endangered species listing of Atlantic sturgeon effective April 6, 2012, research on this species has gained in significance and importance. The Division's portion of the project is to purchase, assemble, deploy and maintain 19 receivers in the Delaware Bay. Data is downloaded monthly from each receiver to detect movement of Atlantic sturgeon tagged with acoustic telemetry tags.

The receivers complement the existing receiver array within Delaware Bay, specifically on the NJ side, to ensure complete coverage of the sampling area. The additional coverage allows for greater detection of Atlantic sturgeon and provides the ability to monitor immigration and emigration from the Delaware Bay.

In 2014, the receivers recorded 59,597 detections from 321 different fish. Over 74 percent of the fish detected were Atlantic sturgeon, while 19 percent were sand tiger sharks. Other species detected included striped bass, bull shark, black tip shark, and horseshoe crabs. The majority of Atlantic sturgeon were detected in May and were tagged by Delaware State University.

For more information, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com.

source: NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife

2013 Top Recreational Fishing Saltwater Species

U.S. recreational anglers took 71 million trips and caught nearly 430 million fish in 2013. Over 61 percent of these fish were released alive. Spotted seatrout was the top catch for recreational anglers in 2013, with 38 million fish caught.

Top 5 Recreational Fishing Saltwater Species (2013):

1. spotted seatrout
2. Atlantic croaker
3. black sea bass
4. summer flounder
5. red drum

source: Fisheries of the United States, 2013 (NOAA Fisheries)

NOAA Recreational Bait and Tackle Economic Survey

NOAA Fisheries is conducting the Recreational Bait and Tackle Economic Survey to better understand the economic contributions of saltwater bait and tackle stores.

The study will focus on retail stores that sell bait and tackle to marine recreational anglers in coastal communities located in 23 U.S. states on the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific coasts, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Over the course of the summer of 2014, selected stores will receive mail surveys asking about their business’ costs and revenues, employment, and structure.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Albemarle-Roanoke Striped Bass Stock Classified to Concern Status

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ 2014 Stock Status Report reclassifies the Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock from “viable” to “concern,” due to biological factors associated with a declining population.

The division annually grades the status of important marine finfish, shellfish, shrimp and crabs as viable, recovering, concern, depleted or unknown. The grades serve as a barometer of the overall health of the state’s fishery resources, and they are used to prioritize development of fishery management plans.

While a 2010 stock assessment concludes the stock is not overfished, several population trends have prompted concern about the status of striped bass fishery. Since 2002, the number of young fish entering the population has declined, causing a steady decrease in landings from the peak harvest in 2004. A new Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock assessment is scheduled to be approved in August, and reductions in harvest limits likely will be necessary.

Striped bass in North Carolina are managed by the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, and data collected by both agencies are used to assess the status of the stocks. Amendment 1 to the N.C. Estuarine Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan was approved by both commissions in 2013.      

Stocks exhibiting declining landings may be classified as “concern” even if they have an approved stock assessment and fishery management plan, as is the case with the Albemarle/Roanoke striped bass stock.

The stock status of all other species remained the same as the 2013 report.

The complete 2014 Stock Status Report can be found at the Division of Marine Fisheries’ website at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/stock-status-reports.

For more information on the 2014 Stock Status Report, contact Lee Paramore at 252-473-5734, ext. 222 or Lee.Paramore@ncdenr.gov.

source: N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

2014 Marine Recreational Fishing Expenditure Survey

NOAA and the saltwater angling community need timely economic data to help evaluate the economic importance of the recreational fishing industry and the economic impacts of fishing regulations and changes in the ecosystem caused by natural or manmade events.

Starting May 15, NOAA will begin conducting a periodic survey of saltwater anglers across the nation designed to estimate the amount of money spent by anglers on saltwater fishing trips and fishing-related equipment.

The information gathered in the survey will provide a better understanding of the economic impacts generated from saltwater recreational fishing across the U.S. and contribute to more informed decisions on recreational fishing issues.

The National Marine Recreational Fishing Expenditure Survey is updated every 3 to 5 years.  The last survey was conducted in 2011 and found that anglers spent over $23 billion on saltwater fishing trips and equipment.  These expenditures contributed over $56 billion to the U.S. economy in 2011.

The upcoming survey will be conducted in two parts.  In May 2014 NOAA will begin part one and survey randomly selected anglers in coastal states with saltwater fishing licenses.  The anglers will be sent a survey in the mail that asks questions about their expenditures on durable goods used for saltwater fishing (such as fishing rods, boats, and vehicles) for the previous 2 months.

 In 2016, NOAA will conduct the second part of the survey that will focus on trip-related expenditures.  Once the economic data is collected, it will be analyzed and released as a NOAA report.

In addition to collecting expenditure data from general saltwater anglers, the expenditure survey will also include a targeted survey of approximately 3,000 Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit holders.  The purpose of the targeted survey is to collect expenditure data on a unique group of avid anglers that are typically under-represented in national surveys.

 A survey conducted in 2011 found HMS anglers living from Maine to North Carolina spent $217 million on saltwater fishing trips and equipment which contributed $358 million to the U.S. economy.

For information on NOAA angler expenditure surveys, visit: https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/fisheries/recreational/angler-expenditures-economic-impacts/index

source: NOAA Fisheries

Bluefin Tuna Tag Recoveries

Captain Al Anderson, a charter boat captain out of Point Judith, Rhode Island, participates in the NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Tagging Program. One Capt. Anderson's tagged bluefin tuna was recently recaptured after 16 years.

That bluefin weighed a mere 14 pounds when Anderson caught it in the Mudhole east/southeast of Block Island in 1997. When a Nova Scotia fisherman recaptured it late last year, it weighed more than 1,200 pounds.

Anderson started tagging 45 years ago when he was a graduate student in fisheries biology at the University of Rhode Island.

Bluefin tuna that Anderson tagged have been recaptured off the coasts of Turkey and France. Anderson once recaptured a bluefin off Rhode Island that had been tagged ten days earlier near New Orleans, at least 1,600 miles away.

Over the years, Anderson and his charter clients have tagged tens of thousands of striped bass, almost five thousand bluefin, and 1500 sharks.

NOAA provides fishermen with tags to put on fish they catch and release, including highly migratory species like tunas, sailfish, and marlin. After tagging a fish, they send the tag number to NOAA Fisheries, along with date, location, length and weight.

If the fish is recaptured, the fisherman can read the number and call it in. That allows scientists to track migration patterns and estimate growth and mortality rates for these species.

Conventional tags provide snapshots of data when the fish is tagged and again when it’s recaptured. For a more detailed picture, scientists also deploy PSATs— pop-up satellite archival tags.

Pop-up satellite archival tags provide a huge amount of data on habitat preference, movement, and diving behavior, but because they’re costly there’s only so many of them.

Conventional tags provide less data per tag, but fishermen with the Cooperative Tagging Program have put them on roughly 270,000 fish of almost 80 different species since the program began in 1954.

More Information

Fishermen and tournament operators can get free tags and tagging kits by contacting NOAA’s Cooperative Tagging Center: http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/species/fish/tagging.htm

source: NOAA Fisheries

2013 HMS SAFE Report

NOAA Fisheries recently released its 2013 HMS Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation (SAFE) Report. The report includes a review of the current status of Atlantic highly migratory species (HMS) stocks (tunas, swordfish, billfish, and sharks), describes the year's accomplishments in managing Atlantic HMS fisheries, and provides an assessment of short-term future management of Atlantic HMS fisheries.

The annual SAFE Report is required by the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

The 2013 HMS SAFE Report is available on the HMS Management Division website at:

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/hmsdocument_files/SAFEreports.htm.

source:  NOAA Fisheries

2013 NOAA Saltwater Angler Survey

In 2013, NOAA conducted its first-ever nationwide survey of recreational angler attitudes and preferences related to fishing quality and management.

The survey was conducted by NOAA Fisheries from February, 2013 through May, 2013. More than 9,000 state and federally permitted anglers from 22 coastal states in the continental U.S. and Alaska responded to the survey.

Survey highlights include:

81% of anglers plan to take the same number or more trips next year as last.

Reasons why anglers fish include:

Spending time with friends and family (87%).
Catching fish (83%).
Landing a trophy-sized fish (41%).
Taking fish home to eat (41%).

95% of respondents believe it is important to ensure high quality fishing opportunities exist for future
generations.

Anglers support conservation goals that include:

Recovering depleted fish stocks (92%).
Protecting threatened and endangered species (91%).
Restoring habitat (87%).
Reducing mortality of released fish (83%).

Anglers would like to see management provide them with:

High quality areas (90%).
Diversity of fish species (85%).
Availability of abundant fish (80%).

Anglers prefer the following management approaches:

Setting minimum sizes (79%).
Providing artificial habitats (76%).
Utilizing bag limits (71%).

Anglers would like managers to provide more fish for recreational fishermen, better incorporate their
input in decision-making, use high quality data in assessments and decision-making, and enforce
regulations.

While 49% percent of anglers are satisfied that annual harvest limits provide enough fish for
recreational fishermen, fully one-fifth (21%) are not.

Anglers recognized that having their voice heard in the management process is important (84%), however just 29% felt satisfied that recreational fishing perspectives are adequately considered.

Anglers would prefer:

Consistent federal and state regulations (86%).
Simpler regulations (85%).

source: NOAA Fisheries

Most Popular Recreational Saltwater Fish Species - USA 2012

U.S. recreational anglers catch and harvest a wide range of fish species. The following list includes the twenty most popular species of saltwater fish, in terms of pounds landed.

1. Striped Bass
2. Spotted Seatrout
3. Red Drum
4. Bluefish
5. Yellowfin Tuna
6. Dolphin
7. Summer Flounder
8. Sheepshead
9. Red Snapper
10. King Mackerel
11. Scup
12. Black Drum
13. Spanish Mackerel
14. Striped Mullet
15. Black Sea Bass
16. Atlantic Croaker
17. Sand Seatrout
18. Little Tunny
19. Tautog
20. Wahoo

note: This list does not include data for Alaska and Texas because recreational weight data are not provided by those states.

source: Fisheries of the United States 2012 (NOAA Fisheries)