Revised Justification for Change

JUSTIFICATION FOR CHANGE
MARINE RECREATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAM (MRIP)
OMB CONTROL NO. 0648-0052
This request is to modify the supplemental Add-on Economic Intercept/Mail Survey (aka followup economic mail survey), Item 12j, of the MRFSS/MRIP supporting statement that is currently
approved (OMB Control No. 0648-0052, EXP. 12/31/2014). This survey consists of three
sections. The following requested changes refer to sections of the (example) survey instrument in
“Attachment 06: Follow-up Economic Mail Survey” as originally approved.
Section A



Remove question A3 regarding angler expenditures. The information in this question is
collected via the Angler Expenditure Survey.
Combine questions A4 and A5 regarding trip activity into one question with a response
table.

Section B
The questions in Section B are a series of discrete choice paired comparisons between two
hypothetical trips. As previously approved, the respondent is presented with two hypothetical
trips and is then asked to choose one trip. The requested changes concern the specific choice
situation presented to the respondent. The approved (example) survey has one type of
hypothetical choice situation for all fishing modes (shore/pier; private boat; or for-hire boat). The
requested change would create two types of hypothetical choice situations: one type for charter
fishing trips and one type for private boat trips. This distinction is made to enhance the realism of
the choice situations and to recover separate estimates of economic value for these different boatbased fishing experiences. We used prior experience and focus groups to select trip attributes and
attribute levels that are meaningful for sportfishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico. The format of
each type of hypothetical choice situation remains substantially similar to the hypothetical choice
situation in the approved survey example. Examples of all three versions (original, charter boat
and private boat) are shown in the Appendix.
Section C



Remove question C3 regarding employment status.
Remove question C5 regarding race.

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Comments on the sampling strategy
We are not requesting a change to the general sampling strategy outlined in Section B of the
approved request. In this specific case, the population of interest is all anglers fishing from a boat
in the Gulf of Mexico and launching from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The
original supporting statement authorizes sampling from two frames for the follow-up economic
mail survey: 1) anglers providing a mailing address during the MRIP intercept survey and 2)
saltwater fishing license databases. The MRIP intercept sampling frame was introduced because,
at the time of the original supporting statement, saltwater license databases were not available or
adequate in most states. With the implementation of the National Saltwater Angler Registry,
however, NMFS now has access to saltwater fishing license frames from most coastal states,
including Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
As discussed above, we are requesting to tailor the discrete choice portion of the mail survey to
each boat fishing mode. This requires a sample of anglers with private boat experience and a
sample of anglers with charter boat experience. For the private boat version of the survey, we
will randomly sample anglers from the saltwater fishing license databases of Alabama, Florida,
Louisiana, and Mississippi.
No sampling frame exists for charter anglers fishing in the Gulf of Mexico because the only state
that requires a saltwater fishing license to fish from a charter boat is Louisiana. Therefore, we
will combine a simple random sample drawn from the Louisiana database of licensed charter
boat anglers with a sample collected through the MRIP intercept survey. The initial mail-out
sample size for Louisiana will be based on the share of MRIP estimated charter trips in the Gulf
of Mexico originating from Louisiana (15.35% in 2011). The sample of Gulf of Mexico charter
anglers launching from Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi will be based on anglers interviewed
as part of the MRIP intercept survey in these states as described in the original supporting
statement.

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Appendix: Examples of the Original and Proposed Charter Boat and Private Boat Versions of the
Discrete Choice Paired Comparison Questions

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------------------------------------------Original Fishing Trip Example---------------------------------------------

Fishing Trips

B1 Please look at the table, compare all the features of
each fishing trip, and then answer the question below.
B
Definitions
• Target species: The species
of fish you expect to catch on
the trip.
• Total number of fish caught
per trip: Your expected total
catch of the target species.
Your total may be restricted
by the bag limit and/or the
minimum size limit.
• Bag limit: The number of the
target species that you are
legally allowed to keep per
fishing trip.
• Minimum size limit: The
minimum length of the target
species that you may keep.
You are not legally allowed to
keep fish that measure less
than this length.
• Catch at or above minimum
size: Your expected catch of
the target species that are
equal to or longer than the
minimum size limit.
• Trip cost: Includes your
personal share of the costs
associated with gas, wear
and tear on your vehicle,
tolls, ferries, parking, access
fees, food, ice, bait, and
fishing equipment used on
this trip.
• Other fish: Any fish you might
expect to catch on a fishing
trip for the target species (not
including the target species).

Features

Trip A

Trip B

Target species

King Mackerel

Grouper

Total number caught per
trip

5 King Mackerel

6 Grouper

Bag limit

1 King Mackerel

2 Grouper

Minimum size limit

20 inches

18 inches

Catch at or above the
minimum size

3 King Mackerel

2 Grouper

Trip cost

$70

$45

Catch of target
species you are legally
allowed to keep

1 King Mackerel

2 Grouper

Catch of other fish you
are legally allowed to
keep

1 fish

1 fish

No Trip

Do
something else,
but not take a
saltwater fishing
trip.

Would you choose trip A, trip B or no trip at all? Please
select only one.
Trip A
Trip B
No Trip

Questions? email us at [email protected]

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------------------------------------------Proposed Charter Boat Trip Example---------------------------------------------

B1 Please compare the features of Gulf of Mexico offshore charter fishing trips A and
B and answer the questions below. Please keep in mind that:
 You can take up to 6 passengers
 You might catch various types of fish, but catch is not guaranteed
 Trips A and B are exactly the same except for differences shown

Trip Features

Trip A

Trip B

Length of trip

Full-day

Full-day

50 ft

40 ft

Unknown

Known

$1,000

$1,200

Dolphin fish

10 bag

5 bag

All snappers /
Red snapper

10 bag /
2 bag

5 bag /
1 bag

All groupers

6 bag

closed

King mackerel

closed

3 bag

As in 2013

As in 2013

Vessel size
Captain's reputation

effect at the place
and time of trip

Regulations in

Charter fee (excluding tip)

Other regulations

B1 i) Which of these two trips do you prefer?

 Trip A

 Trip B
 I don’t know

B1 ii) If your preferred trip was the only option available for your next saltwater
charter fishing trip, then what would you choose to do?
 Take my preferred trip
 Do something else, but not take a saltwater charter fishing trip
 I don't know

______________________________________________

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------------------------------------------Proposed Private Boat Trip Example---------------------------------------------

C1 Please compare the features of Gulf of Mexico offshore fishing trips A and B and
answer the questions below. Please keep in mind that:
 You can use your own boat, a friend’s boat, or a rental, but not a charter
 You might catch various types of fish, but catch is not guaranteed
 Trips A and B are exactly the same except for differences shown

Trip Features

Trip A

Trip B

Hours on the water

4 hours

8 hours

Cloud Cover

Sunny

Cloudy

Bottom type of area fished

Natural

Artificial

$25

$100

Dolphin fish

5 bag

10 bag

Snappers /
Red Snapper

5 bag /
Closed

10 bag /
3 bag

Groupers

Closed

6 bag

King Mackerel

Closed

3 bag

As in 2013

As in 2013

effect at the place
and time of trip

Regulations in

Trip cost (boat fuel, bait, and ice)

Other regulations

C1 a) Which of these two trips do you prefer?

 Trip A

 Trip B
 I don’t know

C1 b) If your preferred trip was the only option available for your next saltwater fishing
trip, then what would you choose to do?
 Take my preferred trip
 Not fish because my boat cannot handle this type of trip
 Not fish because I do not take this type of trip
 I don't know

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