Atlantic Fisheries Research Document 1996/130

Preliminary results of license stub return system in the Newfoundland Region, 1994

By M.F. O'Connell; E. Ash; N.M. Cochrane

Abstract

A license stub return system was implemented in the Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic salmon recreational fishery in 1994. Of a total of 22,596 licenses sold, overall response rate after a voluntary period and three post prompts was 55%. Response rates for residents and non-residents were similar. Catch and participation rates for anglers returning stubs voluntarily were higher than for anglers who had to be prompted. Estimates of effort expenditure from the stub return system were generally lower than reported by Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) River Guardians while the reverse was true for catches of small and large salmon, in both the kept and released categories. The difference in estimates of catch between methods was greater for released fish than for kept fish. In the present analysis, extrapolation of reported catch and effort to the entire population did not include an adjustment for non-response bias and recall bias, which could be sources of substantial error. In future it is imperative that resources for a formal investigation of potential bias be incorporated into the system.

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