March 23, 2023 — The following was released by the NOAA Fisheries:
The Greater Atlantic Region Commercial Fishing Business Cost Survey for calendar year 2022 is now open for participation. To access and complete the survey online, vessel owners can click HERE.
This is a voluntary survey, collecting commercial fishing business cost information from federally permitted vessel owners. All owners of federally-permitted commercial fishing vessels that were active in either 2021 or 2022 may participate. The survey is being administered by our Social Sciences Branch in partnership with the survey firm, ICF.
If you do not want to participate online, there are two other ways to take the survey before data collection ends on September 1: via phone interview or by responding to a hardcopy of the survey that will be mailed to each vessel owner by our survey firm, ICF. Request a phone interview with SSB staff by calling 508-495-2015. In April, hardcopy surveys will also be sent to the address listed on the owner’s vessel permit application.
The survey was last conducted in 2016. This information is used to track trends in costs over time, assess economic fishery performance, and ultimately inform management decisions. This survey is the only NOAA Fisheries effort collecting this type of cost information in our region.
Cost information can only be used to inform management decisions with participation from industry members. Your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated!