Consensus Study Report

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2026. Promoting the Quality of Data on Marine Recreational Fishing. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/29282.

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PANEL TO CONDUCT A PEER REVIEW OF THE MARINE RECREATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAM DATA STANDARDS

SUDIPTO BANERJEE (Chair), Professor and Dean, University of California, Los Angeles

JILL M. DEMATTEIS, Principal Sampling Statistician, Fors Marsh

NED ENGLISH, Associate Director, NORC

CYNTHIA M. JONES, Professor, Old Dominion University (retired)

THOMAS J. MILLER, Professor, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

SEAN P. POWERS, Director and Professor, University of South Alabama

Study Staff

BRADFORD CHANEY, Study Director

ANTHONY S. MANN, Senior Program Associate

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Reviewers

This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by ALAN HASTINGS,

University of California at Davis, and ANDREW SOLOW, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.

Acknowledgments

This Consensus Study Report is a testament to the generous time, effort, and expert guidance of our many colleagues, to whom we extend our sincerest gratitude. On behalf of the panel, I extend our deepest appreciation to the sponsor of this work: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Without NOAA’s support, including thorough briefings and responses to our information requests, this study would not have been completed. In particular, we thank Lauren Dolinger Few, data manager (retired), NOAA Fisheries; Katherine Papacostas, program management branch director, Recreational Fishing Statistics; and Richard Cody, division director, Fisheries Statistics Division.

We also thank all of those who provided briefings on key issues to the study panel. These include Harry Blanchet, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries; Catherine Bruger and Michael Drexler, Ocean Conservancy; Richard Cody, Fisheries Statistics Division, NOAA; Jason Cope, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA; Ryan Denton, California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Katie Drew, Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission; Thomas K. Frazier, University of South Florida College of Marine Science; Gregg Gray, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission; Nancy Leonard, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission; David Marker, Marker Consulting, LLC; Trevor Moncrief, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources; Gway Rogers-Kirchner, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; Robert Sivinski, Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology; John Walter, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA; Lorna Wargo,

Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife; and Geoff White, Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program.

The panel is also grateful to the National Academies staff members whose significant contributions were essential to this report. Kirsten Sampson Snyder and Bea Porter demonstrated exemplary leadership in shepherding the report through its review and production stages, and Marc DeFrancis offered insightful editorial advice that considerably enhanced its clarity and conciseness. Anthony Mann’s diligent administrative and logistical support facilitated numerous panel meetings.

The panel is deeply appreciative of the oversight provided by the Committee on National Statistics, and in particular of the guidance received from Melissa Chiu. As director of the committee, she played a key role in several areas, including the original study’s design, recruitment of the study panel, and ongoing support throughout the report’s preparation. Special mention must be made of Bradford Chaney, study director and senior program officer, who assisted in leading the panel, acquired needed resources, provided invaluable insights that shaped the panel’s deliberations, and was instrumental in organizing and synthesizing the writing of the final report.

To my colleagues on the panel: I appreciate your diligence and expertise in examining the difficult issues raised in this study and your spirit of cooperation in coming together to reach a consensus. Your shared wisdom from across a wide range of expertise areas, your team spirit, and your generosity of time brought innovative ideas to the discussions and produced this report. It has been an immense pleasure and a privilege to work with you all. Thank you.

Sudipto Banerjee, Chair
Panel to Conduct a Peer Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program Data Standards
January 2026

Contents

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Summary

1 Introduction

BACKGROUND

OVERVIEW OF MARINE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

NATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR SETTING DATA STANDARDS

MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY

APPROACH OF THE PANEL

OUTLINE OF THE REPORT

2 Setting the Context for the Standards Review

ACCOMMODATING STATE PRIORITIES

3 The Seven Standards: A Review

STANDARD 1: SURVEY CONCEPTS AND JUSTIFICATION

STANDARD 2: SURVEY DESIGN

STANDARD 3: DATA QUALITY

STANDARD 4: TRANSITION PLANNING

STANDARD 5: REVIEW PROCEDURES

STANDARD 6: PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

STANDARD 7: ACCESS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

4 Expanding Beyond the Seven Standards

ENHANCED ADOPTION OF MODEL-BASED STATISTICAL INFERENCE

ADOPTION OF NEW DATA-SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES

5 Key Themes in This Report

INCREMENTAL CHANGES TO THE STANDARDS

AREAS WORTHY OF EXPLORATION OFFERING ADVANCES FOR THE FUTURE

PLANNING A TIMELINE

References

Appendix Biographical Sketches of the Panel

Boxes, Figure, and Tables

BOXES

S-1 Statement of Task

S-2 The Seven Topics Covered by the Statistical Standards

1-1 Statement of Task

3-1 Standard 1: Survey Concepts and Justification

3-2 Standard 2: Survey Design

3-3 Standard 3: Data Quality

3-4 Standard 4: Transition Planning

3-5 Standard 5: Review Procedures

3-6 Standard 6: Process Improvement

3-7 Standard 7: Access and Information Management

FIGURE

1-1 Sample display of how MRIPO treats estimates with low precision

TABLES

1-1 List of Briefings Provided to the Panel

2-1 Variations in Data Uses and Data Needs Across User Groups

2-2 Summary of Differences in Recreational Fishing Surveys

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Acronyms and Abbreviations

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