Mariana Archipelago: Data Collection and Annual Reports

In the Marianas Archipelago, fishing data are collected by the Guam Department of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources (DAWR), CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) and the NMFS Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network (WPacFIN).

The CNMI collects data through voluntary offshore creel surveys and a Commercial Purchase System. The Offshore Creel Survey collects essential fishery information, such as fishing methods and pounds caught, and provides a census on boats/trailers at the most active launching ramps/docks on Saipan. The Commercial Purchase System in CNMI, known as the “trip ticket” system, collects sales receipt information from fish wholesaler invoices in Saipan, Rota and Tinian. DFW routinely provides and collects dealer invoices that provide information on the dealer, the seller, species, pounds, price per pound and total value.

In Guam, the DAWR collects information through an offshore creel survey and the commercial purchase system. The Offshore Creel Survey conducts voluntary intercept surveys at Agana Boat Basin, the Agat Marina, and the Merizo boat ramp at randomly selected dates. Some of the information collected in this survey include number of fishermen, hours fished, type of gear, type of bait and meterological data (e.g. wind speed, rain, moon phase, etc.). The Commercial Purchase System is a voluntary program allows fish wholesalers to provide information on fishing method, areas fished, price per pound, pounds caught and total value to WPacFIN through DAWR.

For detailed information, data collection forms, and fishery statistics, please see the WPacFIN website. For more information on data collection in pelagic fisheries of the Marianas Archipelago, click here.

The Council produces annual reports on its fisheries through contributions of data and analyses from the Guam DAWR, CNMI DFW, NMFS Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, WPacFIN, and NMFS Pacific Islands Regional Office. Prior to 2007, annual reports on insular fisheries were produced for the Bottomfish and Seamount Groundfish Fishery Management Plans (FMPs). To view the bottomfish annual reports, click here. For 2000 through 2006 annual reports on the pelagics fisheries, click here.