NOAA Fisheries Certifies Two State Recreational Fishing Surveys to Improve Catch Estimates

NOAA Fisheries has certified Alabama's and Mississippi's creel surveys as part of a move to advance federal-state partnerships for recreational fisheries management strategies. These surveys aim to produce more timely and precise estimates of state-specific recreational fishing catch and trip activity. This certification marks a significant milestone in the initiatives NOAA is undertaking to improve recreational fishing data.

Certification means AL Creel and MS Creel were found to be statistically valid approaches to provide key recreational fishing statistics. Both surveys are now eligible to receive NOAA Fisheries' funding as it becomes available.

"This certification is a testament to the hard work of our data collection partners in Alabama and Mississippi and the close coordination of our teams throughout the process," said Dr. Katherine Papacostas, director, NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology, Recreational Fisheries Statistics - Program Management Branch. "Certification is a core component of meeting NOAA Fisheries' national recreational fishing survey and data standards , and we were pleased to provide technical support to help our partners achieve this rigorous benchmark."

We worked closely with both states to coordinate the independent peer review of these surveys. Both surveys-modeled after Louisiana's LA Creel Survey, which is also NOAA certified- received favorable reviews for certification with recommendations for continued improvement. Both designs use shore-based in-person surveys to estimate recreational catch and off-site telephone surveys of licensed anglers to estimate fishing effort.

"The certification of the Mississippi Creel and Alabama Creel surveys represents a collaborative achievement between the state agencies, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and federal partners to produce timely, statistically rigorous, and multi-species recreational catch estimates that enhance regional consistency across the Gulf and provide data necessary for more accurate stock assessments and sound fisheries management," said Trevor Moncrief, director of marine fisheries, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. "We at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources are incredibly grateful for the partnership of our neighboring states, especially the guidance received by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries staff, and the efficiency at which this effort was able to be completed by our colleagues at NOAA Fisheries."

Gulf of America Recreational Fishing Data Transition Process

The peer review notes that making these state survey designs similar to LA Creel "should facilitate direct comparisons between state fisheries that are targeting similar stocks and can lead to synergies in developing future methodological improvements."

Improving and implementing new data collection systems that result in comparable estimates is a central component of the ongoing, collaborative Gulf of America recreational fishing data transition process . The goal of this process is to effectively incorporate Gulf state survey data into regional recreational catch and effort estimates. This will provide a consistent historical time series of data for the Gulf-leading to more informed sustainable fisheries management.

While NOAA Fisheries' certification validates the scientific integrity of a survey, there is more work to be done for the data to be used to inform decision making.

For example, the current Annual Catch Limits for establishing the private recreational red snapper season in both states were established using historical data from previous survey methods. The states and NOAA Fisheries will work together to place the new survey data and the historical data into a consistent scale for assessments and management. This includes rescaling the new catch estimates to align with existing Annual Catch Limits.

"We are excited that AL Creel has received federal certification from NOAA Fisheries," said Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. "Transitioning to the AL Creel survey will allow our fishery managers to provide more accurate recreational fishing estimates that will aid in the development of timely management strategies specific to Alabama. This will benefit both our anglers and Alabama's marine resources."

NOAA Fisheries will work with state and regional partners to facilitate the effective transition to the new survey designs and the integration of the resulting survey data into stock assessment and management processes.

Recreational Angler Partnership Improvement Directive

"The successful certification of these state surveys through federal and regional coordination is a prime example of what we are intending to achieve as part of the Recreational Angler Partnership Improvement Directive," said Tim Sartwell, NOAA special advisor for recreational fisheries and lead for the directive.

The directive, announced in early 2026, is a transformational stage toward a new state-federal partnership model for recreational fisheries data collection. Additionally, RAPID is a highlighted interim commitment we are taking to advance the updated National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy prior to the 2027 National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit. The national policy guides our approach to recreational fisheries and affirms our commitment to sustainable and accessible recreational fisheries for the benefit of the nation.

"Through RAPID, our goal is to modernize the recreational data collection enterprise by increasing data collection capabilities and strengthening state data streams and regional partnerships-ultimately leading to improved data precision, accessibility, and trust," said Sartwell.