Justification for change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE
MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHERIES STATISTICS SURVEY
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0052
In the recent revision of this information collection, we proposed a dual-frame mail survey that
samples anglers from a list of licensed saltwater anglers, as well as an address frame of
residential households. Initially, we had thought that we would utilize the same questionnaire for
each frame (containing both screening and fishing effort questionnaires). However, we've
determined that it would be more efficient to first send a screener questionnaire to sample
households that are selected from the address frame in an attempt to first identify anglers. Once
anglers have been identified through screening, we would send a follow-up questionnaire to
collect detailed trip information. The sample selected from the license lists, already known to be
anglers, would receive only the detailed trip questionnaire. The rationale behind this decision is
that a large majority (75-85%) of households sampled from the address frame will likely report
that they do not fish. Mailing the detailed questionnaire is more costly than mailing the screener
questionnaire, so utilizing the two-stage approach (screener + trip questionnaire) is considerably
more cost efficient.
The purpose of the survey (follow-up questionnaire) is to characterize fishing trips that took
place over the course of a two-month period (for example, November/December). The screener
identifies a pool of likely anglers (anglers who fished during the previous year). The main
questionnaire then attempts to collect detailed information for trips that occurred during the
previous two months.
The angler diary that was part of the revision request will, as planned, be sent a few months after
the fishing effort information has been received. It collects catch information, as opposed to
fishing effort information.
Adding the screener questionnaire, but sending out fewer fishing effort (main) questionnaires,
will result in 1,030 responses: 10,500 screener (4 minutes) and 7,100 main questionnaires (7
minutes), as opposed to 16,580 screener/main questionnaires (4 minutes), which will take 598
hours. However, deleting the screening plus fishing effort pretest questionnaire submitted with
the revision will eliminate 50 responses and 25 hours. The net increase of responses, therefore,
will be 970 and of hours, 573. There are no current recordkeeping/reporting costs, and none will
be added.