The creation and utility of a mobile application as a reporting tool in the charter for-hire fishery

Abstract

Objective: One of the most difficult aspects of recreational fisheries management is the ability to collect and have immediate access to fisheries-dependent data. The advent of smart devices has created a novel way to collect self-reported data. Working with 16 for-hire vessel captains from across the Gulf of Mexico, we developed an electronic logbook application, iSnapper, to test the quality and quantity of data that an app could provide for researchers and fisheries managers. Methods: Captains tested iSnapper by recording catch and effort data on a tablet or smartphone during the 2011 recreational Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus fishing season (June 1, 2011–July 18, 2011) and provided recreational anglers aboard those vessels with the oppor tunity to participate in a voluntary socioeconomic survey. Submitted trips were validated by comparing the app data to those collected at dockside creels. Results: During the 6-week trial, 17,926 fish were caught, from a total of 60 species, with Red Snapper comprising most of the catch (61%). Red Snapper had a reported discard rate of 38%, with 86% of those reported to be released alive. Over 70% of trips with reported depths were fishing between 30 and 59 m. Validation of harvest data showed no major differences between independent creel surveys and data reported to the iSnapper program. Conclusions: Overall, we demonstrated that an electronic reporting app such as iSnapper can produce high-quality and valid catch data for use by fishery managers. These electronic reporting apps could also be used to help with data gaps in recreational fisheries where little or no data are currently being collectedFunding for this study was provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service Cooperative Research Program, Grant #NA10NMF4540111