Marianas Small Boat Intercept Survey

INTERCEPT SURVEY INSTRUMENT

(To be read prior to interview)
Hafa adai, we are conducting a survey to better understand the economic and social importance
of boat-based fishing in the Marianas. It has been over 10 years since any similar information
has been collected. How well our report portrays an accurate picture of the fishery depends on
the information provided by you, the fisher. The information you provide will remain strictly
confidential as required by section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens and NOAA Administrative
Order 216-100, Confidentiality of Fisheries Statistics, and will not be released for public use
except in aggregate statistical form without identification as to its source. We will combine your
responses with information provided by other participants, and report it in summary form so that
responses for any individual vessel cannot be identified. Public reporting burden for this
information collection, including time for gathering data needed and completing the survey, is
estimated to average 30 minutes per respondent. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law,
no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to
comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction
Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. May I
continue?

Hafa Adai, help us to better understand the importance of fishing to the Mariana Archipelago. Your thoughts, opinions,
and details of fishing activity are important for getting accurate results. We want to best represent Marianas fishermen
and we can only do that by hearing from as many fishers as possible. While your response is voluntary, we hope that
you can help us in this research

OMB Control # 0648-0369

Expiration Date 2/28/2013

SECTION A. YOUR FISHING EXPERIENCES
Different fishermen in the Marianas had different fishing experiences in 2010. Please tell us about yours
1. Approximately how many boat fishing trips did you take over the past 12 months? (please check one)
 Fewer than 25 trips (about once every other week)
 25 – 49 trips (about once a week)
 50 – 99 trips (about once or twice a week)
 100 – 200 trips (about two to three times a week)
 more than 200 trips (about three to four times a week)
Marianas fishermen use many different gear types and target many different species
2. In the past 12 months, how many of your fishing trips were primarily: (please check one for each gear type)
All of
Most of
About
Some of
Very few None of
my trips
my trips
half
my trips
of my fish my trips
(90-100%) (61-89%) (40-60%) (10-39%)
(1-9%)
(0%)
Trolling






Deep water bottomfish






Shallow water bottomfish






Atulai






Spear/Snorkel






Other (specify) ___________________ 





3. In the past 12 months, how many of your fishing trips were in
All of
Most of
About
Some of
my trips
my trips
half
my trips
(90-100%) (61-89%) (40-60%) (10-39%)
Local waters only (0-3nm)




Federal waters only (greater than 3nm) 



Both Local and Federal Waters





Very few
of my fish
(1-9%)




None of
my trips
(0%)




4. How long is your average fishing trip? ______ hours
5. How many people in total, including yourself, are on board for an average fishing trip? _____
6. Do you always fish out of the same boat ramp or harbor?  yes ->go to Q7

 no ->go to Q6a

If no:
6a. On average, how many different boat ramps or harbors do you use in a year? ______
7. On average, how far (one-way) do you travel to fish? _______ miles
If trailered, indicate one-way distance to most common ramp; If moored, please indicate one-way distance to slip
8. In the past 12 months, approximately how many total pounds of pelagic fish did you catch?
 None
 1 – 50 pounds
 51 – 100 pounds
 101 – 500 pounds
 501 – 1000 pounds
 1001 – 2500 pounds
 More than 2500 pounds
9. In the past 12 months, approximately how many total pounds of bottomfish did you catch?
 None
 1 – 50 pounds
 51 – 100 pounds
 101 – 500 pounds
 501 – 1000 pounds
 1001 – 2500 pounds
 More than 2500 pounds
10. In the past 12 months, approximately how many total pounds of reef fish did you catch?
 None
 1 – 50 pounds
 51 – 100 pounds
 101 – 500 pounds
 501 – 1000 pounds
 1001 – 2500 pounds
 More than 2500 pounds
11. In the past 12 months, during which months (check all that apply) did you fish for :
Pelagic fish
Bottomfish
Reef fish
 Winter (December – February)
 Winter (December – February)
 Winter (December – February)
 Spring (March – May)
 Spring (March – May)
 Spring (March – May)
 Summer (June – August)
 Summer (June – August)
 Summer (June – August)
 Fall (September – November)
 Fall (September – November)
 Fall (September – November)

2

OMB Control # 0648-0369

Expiration Date 2/28/2013

SECTION B. MARKET PARTICIPATION
People have different opinions on the definition of commercial fishing….
12. How would you define a fisherman as commercial? To be considered a commercial fisherman, I feel that
someone has to: (please check one)
□ Sell any of catch
□ Make at least 25% of income from fishing
□ Sell 25% or more of catch
□ Make at least 50% of income from fishing
□ Sell 50% or more of catch
□ Make all of income from fishing
□ Sell all of catch
□ Other __________________________________
13. How would you define yourself as a fisherman? (check all that apply)
□ Purely recreational (only for sport or pleasure)
□ Recreational expense (primarily for sport or pleasure, but I also sell a few fish to recover trip expenses
whenever I can)
□ Subsistence (primarily to catch fish to feed myself/my family)
□ Cultural (I enjoy fishing, but I am even more concerned about keeping traditional practices alive, such as
using traditional gear and sharing fish with the community in a historical way)
□ Part-time Commercial (fishing pays some of my bills, but I still have to work at another job)
□ Full-time Commercial (fishing brings in most or all of the money I make in a year)
14. In the past 12 months, what percentage of your catch was:
All of
Most of
About
Some of
my fish
my fish
half
my fish
(90-100%) (61-89%) (40-60%) (10-39%)
Sold




Caught and released




Consumed at home




Given to friends/neighbors




Given to crew




Used for cultural/community event 



Traded for goods/services





Very little None of
of my fish my fish
(1-9%)
(0%)

 -> If none go to Q19













If any of the catch was sold:
15. Where did you sell your fish?
All of
my fish
(90-100%)
Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative

Markets/Stores

Restaurants

Dealers/Wholesalers

Friends/neighbors/coworkers

Roadside Sales

Other (specify) ____________


Very little None of
of my fish my fish
(1-9%)
(0%)















Most of
About
Some of
my fish
half
my fish
(61-89%) (40-60%) (10-39%)






















If any of the catch was sold:
16. In the past 12 months, approximately after what percentage of your fishing trips did you sell fish?
 Almost all of my trips (90-100%)
 Most of my trips (61-89%)
 About half of my trips (40-60%)
 Some of my trips (10-39%)
 Very few of my trips (1-9%)
If any of the catch was sold:
17. Can you usually sell all of the fish that you want to sell?  yes  no
If NO: why not? ______________________________________________________________________
If any of the catch was sold:
18. In the past 12 months what percent of your personal income, before taxes, came from fishing?
 Less than 10%  10% to 25%  26% to 50%  51% to 75%  76% to 100%
19. Are the fish you catch an important source of food for your family?  yes  no

3

OMB Control # 0648-0369

Expiration Date 2/28/2013

SECTION C. VESSEL AND GEAR QUESTIONS
In this section we want to better understand the vessel and gear characteristics of boat based fishing on Guam
20. Do you own the boat that you fish on?
 yes
 no
20a. Do you always fish on the same boat?  yes  no
20b. Do you always fish with the same captain?  yes  no
20c. How are you compensated for your time as crew?
(if you are not the captain on the boat you on, how are you compensated for your time)?
Percentage (%)

Given a percentage of total fish caught
_______

Given a percentage of trip revenues
_______

I pay a percentage of trip costs
_______

I keep all the fish I catch

No compensation - I just like to fish
If you have some other compensation arrangement please describe:
-> Go to Section E
If own:
21. What is the length of your boat? _____ feet
22. What is the horsepower? ______ hp
23. In what year was the boat built? ______
24. Do other people (other than family members) use the boat without you?
 often  sometimes  rarely  never
25. If you are the captain on fishing trips, how do you usually compensate your crew?
Percentage (%)

Given a percentage of total fish caught
_______

Given a percentage of trip revenues
_______

Crew pays a percentage of trip costs
_______

Crew keeps all the fish they catch

I always fish alone

Don’t Know/different every time
If you have some other compensation arrangement please describe:
26 In what year did you purchase the boat you fish on? ______
(if homebuilt – when did you complete it)
27. How much did you pay to purchase the boat you fish on? $_________
(if homebuilt – how much did it cost to build it)
28. Was the boat purchased…

 new

29. How did you purchase this boat?

 used

 I built it

 cash only

 cash and loan  loan only

If cash and loan or loan only:
29a. What was the original loan amount? __________

30. What is the approximate market value, in dollars (considering age and current condition), of the electronics
you currently use to fish? $ _________________
31. What is the approximate market value, in dollars (considering age and current condition), of the gear you
currently use to fish (not including electronics)? $ ___________________
32. What is the approximate market value, in dollars (considering age and current condition), of your boat
(including motor(s) and trailer, but not including gear, equipment, or electronics mentioned above)?
$______________

4

OMB Control # 0648-0369

Expiration Date 2/28/2013

SECTION D. YOUR LAST FISHING TRIP
33. Think about your most recent fishing trip, in what month and year was this trip made? ________
34. What was the primary gear used for this trip? ________
35. How much money was spent on your most recent fishing trip?
Expenditure
(dollars)

Variable Cost
Boat Fuel
Truck Fuel (round-trip)
Ice
Bait
Food and Beverage
Other (specify) ______________

 gas  diesel
 gas  diesel

$
$
$
$
$
$
$

36. How much money was spent on your last second most common gear type (see Q2) fishing trip?
Expenditure
(dollars)

Variable Cost
Boat Fuel
Truck Fuel (round-trip)
Ice
Bait
Food and Beverage
Other (specify) ______________

$
$
$
$
$
$
$

 gas  diesel
 gas  diesel

37. What percentage of these costs did you pay? _______ %

SECTION E. 2010 FISHING EXPENDITURES
In an effort to better understand your economic contribution to the Marianas economy we would like to ask about your
fishing-related expenditures in 2010. In the table below please indicate how much, if any, was spent on the following items
during 2010. Enter “0” if you did not have any expenses in a category. Please Do Not Leave Blank.
Remember that all your answers are strictly confidential.
38.
Cost Category

2010 Expenditure (dollars)

Boat insurance
Loan payments
Financial services (accounting, taxes)
Moorage fees
Repair, maintenance, and improvements for vessel, engines, or trailer
Oil and lube
Gear (lines, lures, gaffs, rods, electric/hydraulic reels, coolers, etc.)
Electronics
Fees (CML, ramp, registration for truck and trailer, dry dock fees, fishing club dues, etc.)
Safety Equipment
Other (please specify)

__

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

39. Some fishermen purchase fishing gear, electronics, safety equipment or other items online or through a
catalog and have it shipped to them. In the past 12 months, approximately what percentage of the expenditures
listed above did you purchase off-island? ______

5

OMB Control # 0648-0369

Expiration Date 2/28/2013
SECTION F. ABOUT YOU

Different people have different fishing experiences and different motivations for fishing.
The following questions help us to better understand these differences.
40. What is your age?
 Less than 25 years
 25 to 34 years
 35 to 44 years

 45 to 54 years
 55 to 64 years
 more than 64 years

41. What village do you live in? ____________
42. How long have you fished from a boat? _______ years
43. How would you describe your race? (check all that apply)
 Guamanian or Chamorro
 Filipino
 Other Asian or Pacific Islander _________________
 White
 Chinese
 Japanese
 Korean









44. Are you currently employed?
 Employed Full-time
 Employed Part-time
 Retired
 Student (full-time)

 Student (part-time)
 Unemployed
 Other (specify) ___________________

Vietnamese
Native Hawaiian
Samoan
Asian Indian
Black, African American, or Negro
American Indian or Alaska Native
Other ____________________

45. How many hours per week do you work for pay? ____

46. What was your total household income, before taxes, in 2010, including fishing income?
 $80,000 to $99,999
 Less than $20,000
 $100,000 to $149,999
 $20,000 to $39,999
 $150,000 to $199,999
 $40,000 to $59,999
 $200,000 or more
 $60,000 to $79,999
47. What is the highest level of education you have completed?
 Less than 9th grade
 Some High school (no diploma)
 High school graduate (including GED)
 Some college (no degree)

 Associates degree or technical school
 College graduate (bachelor degree)
 Advanced, Professional, or doctoral
degree

SECTION G. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
We’d now like to ask your opinions on fishery conditions and management of Marianas fisheries
.
48. In the next year do you think more people will be involved in …(please check one for each type of fishing)
Pelagic fishing
Bottomfish fishing
Reef fishing
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 No
 No
 No
49. In the last five (5) years, do you believe it has become… (please check one for each type of fishing)
Pelagic fish
Bottomfish
Reef fish
 Easier to catch pelagic fish
 Easier to catch bottomfish
 Easier to catch reef fish
 Harder to catch pelagic fish
 Harder to catch bottomfish
 Harder to catch reef fish
 I don’t target pelagic fish
 I don’t target bottomfish
 I don’t target reef fish
50. What has made it easier or harder to catch fish?

6

OMB Control # 0648-0369

Expiration Date 2/28/2013

51. If fishing in the Marianas should need management controls in the future, what kind of controls would you
prefer? (please check all that you may support)
 Limited entry (active boats continue, restrictions on entry of other boats)
 Boat size limits
 Gear restrictions
 Seasonal closures
 Area closures
 Catch quotas
 Other (please specify) __________________________________________________________

Thank you for participating in this survey. The information you have provided will
improve our understanding of the importance of fishing in the Marianas
Do you have any suggestions for how the Marianas’ fisheries should be managed or topics that you feel need
further study?

Are you interested in receiving a copy of the results from this study?

□ Yes

Name: _____________________
Address: _________________________________
_________________________________

(your contact information will be kept strictly confidential)

May we contact you if we have any questions about your survey answers?

□ Yes
Name: _____________________
Phone: ______________ best time to reach you: _________
(your phone number will be kept strictly confidential)

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement. The information you provide will remain strictly confidential as required by section 402(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens and NOAA Administrative Order 216100, Confidentiality of Fisheries Statistics, and will not be released for public use except in aggregate statistical form without identification as to its source. We will combine your responses with
information provided by other participants, and report it in summary form so that responses for any individual vessel can not be identified. Public reporting burden for this information collection,
including time for gathering data needed and completing the survey, is estimated to average 45 minutes per respondent. Please provide comments regarding this burden estimate or any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Justin Hospital, NOAA Fisheries, 1601 Kapiolani Blvd, Suite 1110., Honolulu, HI 96814, 808-944-2188,
[email protected]. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection
of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number.

7

OMB Control # 0648-0369

Expiration Date 2/28/2013

THANK YOU LETTER GIVEN TO RESPONDENT
AT CONCLUSION OF SURVEY

8