| Summary: | This dataset is comprised of annual estimates of catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) and average length in the exploited phase for six principal fish species generated from the recreational fisheries intercept survey conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The original intercept survey data are publicly available online http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/recreational-fisheries/MRIP, and are divided into two time periods/data formats: MRFSS (Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistical Survey), 1981-2003; and MRIP (Marine Recreational Information Program), 2004-2016. The annual estimates of CPUE and average length are provided for the Florida Gulf Coast region, and are two key indicator variables for stock assessment of sustainability status. These biological indicator variables can subsequently be used in two different classes of assessment models to evaluate fishing mortality rates and stock sustainability, namely unstructured surplus production models and size/age structured models. The 36-year time period for the indicator variables will also facilitate the application of more sophisticated time-series stock assessment approaches using biomass-dynamic and age/size cohort-structured models. A series of data processing and analysis procedures using SAS were applied to generate estimates of annual CPUE and average length for six principal recreational species: Spotted Seatrout, Red Drum, Gag, Red Grouper, Gray Snapper, and Red Snapper. Key steps in preparing data for estimation were: (1) identifying principal recreational species in Florida's Gulf Coast; (2) summarizing sampled catch and effort by an appropriate statistical sample unit, namely a fishing party trip of one or more individuals by fishing gear (e.g., hook-line, spear, etc.); and (3) applying species co-occurrence analysis to distinguish between trips with zero and non-zero probability of capture for a given target species. Estimation of mean CPUE and average length in the exploited phase and associated standard errors for a given species were carried out using a survey design ratio-of-means estimator. Annual estimates of CPUE and average length are provided for each target species by year and fishing mode-spatial area (shoreline-inshore, vessel-inshore, shoreline offshore, vessel-offshore within 10 miles, vessel-offshore greater than 10 miles) for the principal fishing gear, hook-line. The CPUE and average length estimates are provided as two separate data tables.
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