NOAA Seeks Feedback on Angler Surveys for Better Fish Management
Published Date: 1/22/2026
Notice
Summary
NOAA is asking for public feedback on their plan to keep surveying recreational fishers about their catches and fishing habits. This helps manage fish populations better and follows important fishing laws. Comments are open until March 23, 2026, and the survey process will continue with some updates but no big cost changes.
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Continued Angler Intercept Surveys
If you fish recreationally at public-access coastal sites (from Maine to Alabama, plus Hawaii and Puerto Rico), NOAA will continue intercept surveys that ask about your just-completed day's fishing. NOAA estimates 100,000 respondents, about 5 minutes per intercepted angler, and 8,333 total annual burden hours; participation is voluntary and there is no monetary reporting cost. Comments on this collection are due March 23, 2026.
New 2026 Survey Questions Possible
Beginning in 2026, NOAA is developing potential additions to the APAIS intercept forms that would ask anglers about catch depredation and fishing location. These questions would be added to the on-site computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI) used in the APAIS.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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