Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

Expiration Date: mm/dd/yyyy

Interviewer Contact and Scheduling Log
This page is to be completed by the interviewer, and documents efforts to contact fishermen who have been randomly selected for this survey.
Once this form is begun for a single person, please continue to use it for this individual throughout the contact and interview process. Please add
any information as it becomes relevant. Note: Contact information will be saved in case we need to verify answers to some questions, but it will not
be entered into the database with the fisherman’s responses to the survey questions.
Interviewer: ___________________________________________

1. Primary Contact Information for Selected Fisherman: Use this
section to record information that can be used to contact the fisherman and
schedule an interview.
SPL #

County

Last Name

First Name, Initial

Address

City

Telephone number

E-mail

2. Contact Log: Use this section to record each attempt to contact this
fisherman.
Date/Time of
contact

Method (phone #,
email)

Result (e.g. scheduled an
interview, left a message, busy
signal, no answer, refused)

3. Indicate Time and Location for In-Person Interview:
Interview scheduled with (circle one): Owner Designee of Owner
Date/Time Scheduled: ______________________________
Location: ________________________________________
Comments: _______________________________________

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

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OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

Expiration Date: mm/dd/yyyy

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen
Thank you for agreeing to participate in our survey. These data will be used to write reports about the economics of commercial fishing activities in
Florida’s stone crab fishery. All of your information will be confidential. We will not use people’s names in our reports, or write anything that
could be used to identify you.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average one hour per response including the time for reviewing the
instructions, searching the existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspects of this burden to Bob Walker, National Marine Fisheries Service, 75
Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, Florida 33149. This reporting is required under and is authorized under 50 CFR 622.5(a) (1) (v). Information submitted
will be treated as confidential in accordance with NOAA Administrative Order 216-100. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law, no person is
required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of
the Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The NMFS requires this information for the
conservation and management of marine fishery resources.
Thank you again for your help. This is a voluntary data collection that was approved by the Office of Management and Budget, OMB number 00648xxxx. Please consider that we selected a random sample of boats to cover fishing activities in many areas, and we may end up with important gaps in
our knowledge of the fishery if you decide not to participate in the survey.
The survey will take about an hour to complete. I would like to start by asking a few basic questions about you and your fishing operation.

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

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OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

Expiration Date: mm/dd/yyyy

GENERAL INFORMATION
5. Do you belong to a fish house?

YES

NO

Date of interview ___________________________
- If YES, then which one?________________________
Location of interview ________________________
Language in which conducted _________________

- If NO, to which fish houses do you usually sell your
catch?______________________________________

SPL #(s)___________________________________
6. What is your primary port (town and county)?
___________________________________________
1. Which of the following includes your age?
7. For how many years have you been a commercial fisher?
18-30

31-40

41-50

51-60

over 60
< 1 yr

1-5

6-10

11-15

15-20

>20 yrs

2. Are you Hispanic or Latino? YES NO
8. How would you describe your fishing occupation?
- if YES: Puerto Rican

Mexican Cuban

Other
Full-time

Part-time

Charterboat

Recreational

3. What is your race (choose one or more)?
White Black or African American Asian
American Indian or Alaska Native
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander
4. How many family members do you support (including yourself)?
Myself only

2 3 4 5 6 7 greater than 7

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

9. What approximate percentage of your PERSONAL income
(including your income from other jobs, pensions, investments, social
security, etc.) is derived from commercial fishing? ________%

10. What approximate percentage of your total HOUSEHOLD
income (including the income of your spouse and other working
persons in your household) is derived from commercial fishing?
___________%

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OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

Expiration Date: mm/dd/yyyy

16. How many new and replacement traps did you build or buy last
season, and what was the approximate total cost per trap?

VESSEL AND GEAR INFORMATION
11. What is the length of your vessel?

_________feet
Stone crab traps:

Number _______

@ $_________ per trap

Lobster traps:

Number _______

@ $ _________per trap

Fish traps:

Number _______

@ $ _________per trap

12. How old is your vessel?____________ years
13. What is the total horsepower of its engines?

_________hp

14. How many traps did you fish last season?

_______________lobster traps

17. Please provide your best estimate for your total annual
maintenance/repair expenses last season (include maintenance and
repair costs for vessel, engines, electronics and all gears), and an
itemized breakdown of maintenance/repair costs for each gear.

_______________fish traps

Total maintenance/repair:

$_________

Maintenance/repair on stone crab traps:

$_________

Maintenance/repair on lobster traps:

$_________

_______________stone crab traps

15. For how long do your traps last, on average?
Stone crab traps

__________ years

Maintenance/repair on fish traps:

$_________

Lobster traps

__________ years

Maintenance/repair on nets:

$_________

Fish traps

__________ years

Maintenance/repair on longlines:

$_________

Maintenance/repair on dive gear:

$_________

Maintenance/repair on rods and reels:

$_________

Maintenance/repair on other gear:

$_________

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

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OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

Expiration Date: mm/dd/yyyy

CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN BOAT AND GEAR

FISHING ACTIVITY DURING 2006

18. Please provide your best estimate of the approximate fair market
value of your boat and gear if you were to sell them sometime this
year.

20. Please think about an average or typical trip in 2006 for stone
crab, lobster and your most important fishing activity other than stone
crab or lobster, and use columns A, B and C in the table below to
answer the following questions. [USE COLUMNS A, B AND D IF
THE MOST IMPORTANT OTHER FISHERY USED FISH TRAPS]

____Vessel(s) and electronic equipment:

$_________

Stone crab traps:

$_________

Number _______

Stone crab certificates
Lobster traps:

_______

$_________

Number _______

$_________

Lobster trap certificates

_______

$_________

Fish traps:

Number _______

$_________

Nets:

Number _______

$_________

Longline:

Number _______

$_________

Dive gear:

$_________

Rod / Reels:

$_________

Other gears (_________________):

$_________

19. Please provide your best estimate for the overhead expenses
associated with owning and operating your boat in 2006, including
docking fees, insurance, interest payments, depreciation, office,
vehicle and other business expenses.
$ __________

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

a. Please identify the 3 main species landed in these fishing
activities in 2006, the months in which you fished in them, and
the main port where you landed.
b. What was the main gear used on these trips, and how many units
of gear did you use on each trip?
c. On average, how long was each trip (measured in days per trip),
and how many crew did you pay on each trip (excluding yourself
if owner operator)?
d. On average, how much did you spend per trip when fishing in
each of these fisheries during 2006? [PLEASE VERIFY THAT
THE TOTAL EXPENSE PER TRIP IN THE LAST ROW
EQUALS THE SUM OF THE EXPENSES FOR FUEL, ICE,
BAIT, CREW PAYMENTS, AND ALL OTHER EXPENSES]
e. On average, how much revenue (before deducting expenses) did
each trip make in each of these fisheries?
21. [SKIP IF RESPONDENT DID NOT USE FISH TRAPS IN 2006]
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council prohibited the use
of fish traps as of February 2007. Please use columns D and E in the
table below to compare your previous fishing activity with fish traps
and the new fishing activity that will substitute for the use of fish
traps.

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OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

Expiration Date: mm/dd/yyyy

1: Stone crab

1: Lobster

(C)
Trips in Most
Important Other
Fishery
1:

2:

2:

2:

2:

2:

3:

3:

3:

3:

3:

(A)
Stone Crab
Trips

Fishery (list main species)

(B)
Lobster Trips

1:

(E)
Substitute
Fishery instead
of Fish Traps
1:

(D)
Trips with Fish
Traps

Months fished
Port where trips were landed
Primary gear used

Stone crab traps

Lobster traps

Fish Traps

Number of gear per trip
Average days per trip
Number paid crew per trip
(excluding owner-operator)
Fuel and oil

$

$

$

$

$

Ice

$

$

$

$

$

Bait

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

Total cost per trip

$

$

$

$

$

Total revenue per trip

$

$

$

$

$

Food, supplies, and other trip
expenses
Crew costs (excluding owneroperator)

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

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OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

PERFORMANCE UNDER THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Expiration Date: mm/dd/yyyy

5. Why do you fish the number of stone crab traps that you do
currently?

1. What was the number of traps that you fished prior to the
implementation of the stone crab Trap Certificate Program (TCP), if
applicable?
_______________stone crab traps
2. How many certificates were you allocated at the start of the TCP,
or when you entered the fishery (if after the TCP)?
_______________certificates
3. In your opinion, the number of certificates that you were allocated,
based on your fishing activity, was:
a.
b.
c.
d.

Excessive (I was given TOO many certificates)
Exact amount (based on my needs)
Fair (a bit lower than my needs, but manageable)
Unfair (much lower than my needs)

4. How many stone crab traps do you fish now compared to the
allocation?
a. More than initially allocated
b. Same as allocated
c. Less than allocated

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

6. Has your catch per trap increased, stayed the same, or decreased
since the beginning of the TCP, and why?
Increased

Stayed the same

Decreased

- Why?

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OMB Control No.: 0648-xxxx

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7. Have you changed fishing areas since the trap certificate program
began, and why?
YES
NO

9. What has been or will be the overall effect of the stone crab trap
certificate program? Please identify any problems it presents, its
overall performance, and its long-term impacts on the fishery.

- Why?

8. Since the beginning of the TCP, are there more, the same, or fewer
fishermen who use stone crab traps in the area where you fish and / or
in the area where you dock, and why?
Increased

Stayed the same

10. How does the performance of the stone crab trap certificate
program compare with the active reduction part of the spiny lobster
trap certificate program (if you have knowledge of the lobster
certificate program)?

Decreased

- Why?

11. Would you favor an active trap reduction program for the stone
crab fishery if it meant:
a.
b.
c.
d.

Socioeconomic Survey of Stone Crab Fishermen

More catch per stone crab trap
Less competition
Fewer other regulations
None of the above—I would not favor active reduction under
any circumstances

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