Guam and CNMI small boat cost-earnings survey

OMB Control # 0648-xxxx Expiration Date xx/xx/2020

_Hafa adai, help us to better understand the importance of fishing in the Mariana Archipelago. Your details of fishing experiences and expenditures are important for getting accurate results. We want to best represent Marianas fisher(men) and we can only do that by hearing from as many fisher(men) as possible. While your response is voluntary, we hope that you can help us in this research.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement. The purpose of this survey is to help us better understand the importance of fishing in the Mariana Archipelago. The information you provide 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 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, 1845 Wasp Blvd., Building 176, Honolulu, HI 96814, 808-725-5399, [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.

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SECTION A. YOUR FISHING EXPERIENCES

1. Approximately how many BOAT fishing trips did you take over the past 12 months? __________ trips

(if not sure, please provide answer below):

	Fewer than 12 trips (once every month or less)		50 – 99 trips (once or twice a week)
	12 – 24 trips (once every other week)		100 – 200 trips (two to three times a week)
	25 – 49 trips (once a week)		More than 200 trips (four times a week)

2. In the past 12 months, how many of your BOAT fishing trips were primarily: (please check one for each gear)

	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost (90%-100%)
Trolling						
Deep Water Bottomfish						
Shallow Water Bottomfish						
Atulai						
Reef Fishing (Spear)						
Reef Fishing (Net)						
Other, please specify: _________________						

3. Approximately how many NON-BOAT fishing (shoreline) trips did you take in the past 12 months? __________ trips

(if not sure, please provide answer below):

4. 	Fewer than 12 trips (once every month or less)		50 – 99 trips (once or twice a week)
   	12 – 24 trips (once every other week)		100 – 200 trips (two to three times a week)
   	25 – 49 trips (once a week)		More than 200 trips (four times a week)

   In the past 12 months, how many of your NON-BOAT fishing (shoreline) trips were: (please check one for each gear type)

	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
Pole						
Spear						
Cast net						
Surround net						
Gill net						
Rod and reel						
Gleaning						
Hand line						
Other gear, please specify: _____________________						

5. In the past 12 months, how many of your BOAT fishing trips were:

6. 	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
   Single day (or night) trips						
   Multiday trips						

   How many people in total, including yourself, are on board for an average BOAT fishing trip? _________ people

7. Do you always fish out of the same boat ramp or harbor?

	YES
	NO	If NO, on average, how many different boat ramps or harbors do you use in a year? _______ ramps

8. In the past 12 months, approximately how many total pounds of pelagic fish, bottomfish, and reef fish did you catch?

	None	1-50 pounds	51-100 pounds	101-250 pounds	251-500 pounds	500+ pounds (about how much?)
Pelagic fish						____________
Bottomfish						____________
Reef fish						____________

9. In the past 12 months, how many of your fishing trips did you fish at Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs):

None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
					

SECTION B. MARKET PARTICIPATION

10. People have different opinions on the definition of commercial fishing. How would you define a fisher(man) as commercial? To be considered a commercial fisher(man), I feel that someone must: (check all that apply)

	Sell at least one fish		Make at least 25% of personal income from fishing
	Sell 25% or more of catch		Make at least 50% of personal income from fishing
	Sell 50% or more of catch		Make all personal income from fishing
	Sell all catch		Other, please specify:_________________________

11. What is your primary motivation for fishing? (if multiple applies to you, put 1 as primary and 2 as secondary)

	Purely Recreational (I fish only for sport or pleasure)
	Recreational Expense (I fish primarily for sport or pleasure, but I also sell a few fish to cover trip expenses)
	Subsistence (I fish primarily to catch fish to feed myself/my family/my community)
	Cultural (I enjoy fishing, but I am even more concerned about keeping traditional practices alive, such as using traditional fishing gear)
	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)
	Other, please specify:_______________________________________________________________

12. In the past 12 months, how many of your fishing trips did you fish for a roadside vendor, and/or as an independent fisher(man)?

	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
Roadside vendor						
I am an independent fisherman						

13. In the past 12 months, how many of your fishing trips did you fish as a captain and/or crew?

	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
Captain						
Crew						

14. In the past 12 months, how were the catch distributed among fisher(men) in a fishing trip?

	I kept all the fish I caught		Don't know/different every time
	I kept/received ______% of total fish caught		Other, please describe:_________________________
	I kept/received ______% of trip revenue

15. In the past 12 months, about what percentage of your fishing trips did you sell a portion of your catch?

None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
					

16. In the past 12 months, what percentage of your catch was:

	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
Sold						
Consumed at home						
Given to family members						
Given to friends/neighbors						
Caught for fiestas or other community/cultural events						
Traded for goods and services						
Caught and released						

If you never sold fish, go to Question 23

17. Where did you sell your catch?

	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
Guam Fishermen's Coop						
Roadside Vendor						
Retail Markets/Stores						
Restaurants						
Friends/Neighbors/Coworkers						
Wholesaler						
Other, please specify: ____________________						

18. Can you usually sell all of the fish that you want to sell?

Pelagic Fish		Bottomfish		Reef Fish
	Yes		Yes		Yes
	No		No		No
	I don't sell these fish		I don't sell these fish		I don't sell these fish

19. If NO in Q18 – why not?

	Market is too far		Catch of non-target species
	The price is not good		Fish too small/picky buyer
	Market conditions		Other, please describe:_________________________

20. 	$1 - $100		$1,001 - $5,000
    	$101 - $500		$5,001 - $10,000
    	$501 - $1,000		More than $10,000	About how much? $_____________

    In the past 12 months, what was the approximate value of all the fish you sold?

21. In the past 12 months, what percent of the value of fish sold (question 20) came from the sale of pelagic fish, bottomfish, and reef fish?

22. 	None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
    Pelagic Fish						
    Bottomfish						
    Reef Fish						

    In the past 12 months, after expenses, what percent of your personal income came from the sale of fish?

None (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Some (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Most (60%-89%)	Almost all (90%-100%)
					

23. How important is the fish you catch as a source of food for your family?

Not at all	Slightly important	Moderately important	Very important	Extremely important
				

SECTION C. VESSEL AND GEAR

In this section we want to better understand the vessel and gear characteristics of Marianas’ fishing

24. Do you own the boat that you fish on?

	YES If YES, what percentage of your time do you fish on your own boat?______% Go to Q25
	NO If NO, do you always fish on the same boat?
			YES Go to Q 32
			NO Go to Q 32

If you own the boat your fish on:

25. What is the length of your boat?_______ feet

26. What is the horsepower?_______ hp

27. In what year was the boat built? ___________

28. In the past 12 months, did other people (other than family members) use the boat without you?

Never (0%)	Very little (1%-9%)	Sometimes (10%-39%)	About half (40%-59%)	Usually (60%-89%)	Almost always (90%-100%)
					

29. In what year did you purchase the boat you fish on? _________________

(if homebuilt – when did you complete it?)

30. How much did you pay to purchase the boat you fish on? $_____________________

(If homebuilt – how much did it cost to build it?)

31. What is the current market value, in dollars, of the electronics you currently use to fish?

$____________________

32. What is the current market value, in dollars, of the gear you currently use to fish

(not including electronics)?

$____________________

If you own the boat you fish on:

33. What is the current market value, in dollars, (considering age and current condition)

of your boat (including motor(s) and trailer, but not including electronics or gear mentioned above)?

$____________________

SECTION D. YOUR FISHING TRIP COSTS

We now want to understand what it costs to fish.

Please remember that all your answers are strictly confidential.

34. In the past 12 months, what was the primary gear usage for your most common BOAT fishing trip (please check one)?

	Trolling		Atulai		Reef fishing with nets (boat)
	Deep water bottomfish		Spear fishing (boat)
	Shallow water bottomfish		Scuba spear

35. On average, how did you pay for your fishing trip costs for your most common (question 34) gear type?

	I paid all trip costs and it costed $___________ per trip
	I paid a fixed amount of $ _________ per trip
	I paid ______% of the total trip costs per trip
	Other, please describe: ___________________________________________

36. On average, what was the total trip costs for your most common (question 34) gear type trip?

Type of Expenditure	Trip Expenditure	What type of fuel?
Boat fuel	$__________________		gas		diesel
Truck fuel (round trip)	$__________________		gas		diesel
Ice	$__________________
Bait	$__________________
Food and beverage	$__________________
Daily maintenance and repair	$__________________
Other, please specify:___________________	$__________________

37. In the past 12 months, what was your second most common gear usage (please check one)?

	Trolling		Atulai		Reef fishing with nets (boat)
	Deep water bottomfish		Spear fishing (boat)		Spear fishing (shore)
	Shallow water bottomfish		Scuba spear		Rod and reel (shore)

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38. On average, how did you pay for your fishing trip costs for your second most common (question 37) gear type?

	I paid all trip costs and it costed $___________ per trip
	I paid a fixed amount of $ _________ per trip
	I paid ______% of the total trip costs per trip
	Other, please describe: ___________________________________________

39. On average, what was the total trip costs for your second most common (question 37) gear type trip?

Type of Expenditure	Trip Expenditure	What type of fuel?
Boat fuel	$_____________________		gas		diesel
Truck fuel (round trip)	$_____________________		gas		diesel
Ice	$_____________________
Bait	$_____________________
Food and beverage	$_____________________
Daily maintenance and repair	$_____________________
Other, please specify:_________________	$_____________________

SECTION E. OTHER FISHING EXPENDITURES IN 2017

In an effort to better understand your economic contribution to the Marianas’ economy, we would like to ask about your fishing-related expenditures in 2017. In the table below please indicate how much, if any, was spent on the following items during 2017.

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.

Cost Category	2017 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, spears, wetsuits, coolers, etc.)	$__________________________
Electronics	$__________________________
Fees (Registration for truck and trailer, dry dock fees, fishing club dues, coop fees, etc.)	$__________________________
Safety Equipment	$__________________________
Other, please specify:_______________________________________	$__________________________

41. Some fisher(men) purchase fishing gear, electronics, safety equipment or other items off-island, online, or through a catalog. Approximately what percentage of your expenditures were purchased off-island? _______________%

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.

42. What is your gender?



Male



Female

43. What is your age?

	Less than 25 years		35 to 44 years		55 to 64 years
	25 to 34 years		45 to 54 years		more than 64 years

44. What village do you live in? _____________________________

45. How long have you lived in the Marianas? ______________years

46. How long have you fished from a boat? _____________years

47. Are you a member of a fishing club/association/group? (please check all that apply)

	Guam Fishermen's Cooperative Association (GFCA)		Marianas Underwater Fishing Federation (MUFF)
	Guam Organization of Saltwater Anglers (GOSA)		Saipan Fishermen Association (SFA)
	Marianas Apnea Spearfishing Club (MASC)		Halum Mamati Fishing Club (HMFC)
	Other, please specify:_________________________		None

48. Are you of Hispanic, Latin, or Spanish Origin?

	No		Yes, Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano		Yes, Cuban
	Yes, Puerto Rican		Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin, please specify:_________________________

49. How would you describe your race? (check all that apply)

	Guamanian or Chamorro		Carolinian
	Filipino		Native Hawaiian
	White		Samoan
	Chinese		Other Pacific Islander, please specify:_____________________
	Japanese		Asian Indian
	Korean		American Indian or Alaska Native
	Vietnamese		Black, African American, or Negro

50. Are you currently employed?

	Employed full-time		Student (full-time)		Retired
	Employed part-time		Student (part-time)		Unemployed
	Other, please specify:

51. How many hours per week do you work for pay (non-fishing)? __________ hours

52. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

	Less than 9th grade		Associates degree or technical school
	Some high school (no diploma)		College graduate (bachelor degree)
	High school graduate (including GED)		Advanced, professional, or doctoral degree
	Some college (no degree)

53. What was your total household income, before taxes, in 2017, including fishing income?

	Less than $2,500		$15,000 to $24,999		$50,000 to $74,999
	$2,500 to $4,999		$25,000 to $29,999		$75,000 to $99,999
	$5,000 to $9,999		$30,000 to $39,999		$100,000 or more
	$10,000 to $14,999		$40,000 to $49,999

SECTION G. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

54. In the next year, do you think more people will be involved in… (please check one for each)

    Pelagic Fishing		Bottomfish Fishing		Reef Fishing
    	Yes		Yes		Yes
    	No		No		No

55. Why do you feel this way?_________________________________________________________________________

56. What are the top three (3) species you target to sell?

1 .____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________

57. What are the top three (3) species you target to give away?

1 .____________________________ 2. ____________________________ 3. ____________________________

58. Please state how much you agree or disagree with the following statements:

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
As someone who fishes I am respected by the community.					
Fishing is an important part of who I am.					
Fishing is an important part of my culture					

59. How important are the following for managing fisheries in the Marianas?

	Not at all Important	Slightly Important	Moderately Important	Very Important	Extremely Important
Enforcement					
Resource monitoring					
My voice is included in decision making					
Resource abundance and habitat health					
Fisheries infrastructure (please list infrastructure need)					
____________________________________________
Other, please specify:_____________________________					

60. Please state how much you agree or disagree that following management is being done well:

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
Enforcement					
Resource monitoring					
My voice is included in decision making					
Resource abundance and habitat health					
Fisheries infrastructure (please list infrastructure need)					
______________________________________________
Other, please specify:_____________________________					

Thank you for participating in this survey.

Please go to next page to provide additional comments

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Do you have any suggestions for how the Marianas’ fisheries should be managed or topics that you feel need further study?

(please write in the space provided)

Would you like to receive a copy of the final report for this study?

(all personal information will be kept strictly confidential)

	YES
	NO

Name:

Address:

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

	YES Email:_______________________________
	NO

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