Recreational Angler Survey of
Sea Turtle Interactions
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
12/05/2024
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
12/31/2024
6,667
7,167
1,111
1,153
0
0
NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries
Service (NOAA Fisheries) proposes to revise and extend a current
information collection designed to assess the extent of hook and
line interactions between recreational anglers on piers and other
shore-based fishing locations and sea turtles. The collection
comprises an Angler Intercept Survey, a Fishing Site
Characterization Form, and a Survey Cover Sheet. The Angler
Intercept Survey will be verbally administered on piers and
shore-based fishing locations within NOAA Fisheries Greater
Atlantic Region and Southeast Region, and will be administered to
approximately 20,000 individual recreational fishermen. The
respondents will be verbally asked a series of questions about
their fishing practices and observations of sea turtles and the
interviewer will record their answers. The survey will also assess
the feasibility of an intercept survey for this purpose in terms of
response rates and data collection. The Fishing Site
Characterization Form will be completed by the survey administrator
at each fishing location and collects information on the structure
and operation of the pier or shore-based fishing location. The Site
Characterization Sheet will be completed by the survey
administrator during each survey period and collects information on
the environmental conditions for that particular day, the number of
anglers fishing, number of lines in the water, and the number of
surveys completed. The collection previously included a Sea Turtle
Incidental Capture Form. This form will be removed from this
collection and is now included in the National Sea Turtle Stranding
& Salvage Network Stranding & Gear Interaction Data
Collection (0648-0496). Collection of data on sea turtle
interactions in the shore-based recreational fishing sector is
necessary to fulfill statutory requirements of the Endangered
Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et. seq.). This collection will allow
NOAA Fisheries obtain specific information about recreational piers
(defined here to include piers and other shore-based structures),
the anglers that fish on piers, the nature of interactions between
pier-based anglers and sea turtles, as well as to determine
specific factors that may influence the rate of interactions. NOAA
Fisheries can use the information collected to evaluate the impact
of these interactions on sea turtle populations and determine
conservation measures that can be implemented to reduce
interactions and support the conservation and recovery of
endangered and threatened sea turtle populations.
This collection (0648-0774) was
approved in 2018, however due to the Covid-19 pandemic and delayed
funding; the survey was not implemented with the exception of a
pilot study in North Carolina in 2023 where 71 surveys were
conducted at 3 sites. Though now in 2024 those numbers did increase
as this collection surveys 10 sites per state, and 10 states in
total. The collection previously included a Sea Turtle Incidental
Capture Form. This form has been removed from this collection and
is now included in the National Sea Turtle Stranding & Salvage
Network Stranding & Gear Interaction Data Collection
(0648-0496).
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.