Shore and Private Boat Surveys
The shore and private boat surveys started at the end of January. The next time you are out fishing you may come across IFCA officers or independent contractors who will be asking you for information about your fishing session including where you’ve been fishing, what type of fishing you’ve been doing and what you’ve caught. The survey shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes to complete if you choose to answer it.
Cefas Project Manager, Mike Armstrong, said:
“I am very pleased at the positive response we have had from many anglers already interviewed whilst fishing around the English coast. I am confident that the surveys will provide the best information yet collected to demonstrate the social and economic benefits of sea angling in England, and will help us to develop a better scientific understanding of the fish stocks around our coasts.”
Economic and Social Benefits Survey
The online survey has now been launched and can be accessed HERE. Your response will help assess the economic value and social benefits of angling as well as providing invaluable information about the importance of sea angling to the nation. The results will provide an up to date economic value of recreational sea angling in England, building on the results of the Drew Associates report carried out in 2004.
The research is being undertaken by Substance in partnership with the Universities of Cardiff and Newcastle. Substance has considerable experience in research into angling and recently launched Fishing for Answers, the Final Report of their three year Big Lottery-funded project into the social and community Benefits of Angling.
The economic and social research into sea angling will also involve face-to-face questionnaires with sea anglers in five case study sites in different regions, along with business surveys in those areas, so we know more about the local impact of sea angling on coastal communities. The study runs for all of 2012 and will report in spring 2013.
Household Survey
January also saw the start of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) household surveys with face to face interviews being carried out at addresses selected at random from postcodes throughout England Scotland and Wales. The ONS survey will run over the next twelve months and collect data from approximately 25,000 households. Initial results from the trail run indicated that the total number of sea anglers in Great Britain is similar to previous estimates given in studies including the Drew Associates report from 2004.
New Flier Launched
A new flier promoting the project has been produced and copies will be distributed across the country in order to encourage sea anglers to get involved. An electronic version of the flier is available to download from the project’s website HERE where you can also all other details about the project including minutes from the steering group meetings and other information that you might find useful.
Understanding how the Surveys Work
Some of the methods for carrying out recreational surveys can be complex and difficult to understand. That’s why the Sea Angling 2012 team have produced a guide to how surveys work. This can be found on the website HERE.
