April 30, 2026 — 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.”