Abstract

Cross-sectional surveys of the recreational for-hire (RFH) industry in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico were sponsored by NOAA Fisheries and jointly conducted by Texas A&M and the University of Florida in 1988 and 1998. The third decadal survey, conducted by Louisiana State University in 2010, collected effort, economic, and policy data for the calendar year 2009. Questionnaires were distributed to 2,305 captains in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and West Florida with a response rate of 33% (n=689) via postal (75%) and internet (25%) participation. Consistent with earlier studies, owner-operators comprised the majority (76%) of respondents, with 96% operating uninspected passenger vessels (OUPV), a management unit NOAA refers to as “charter boats”. The remaining 4% operated U.S. Coast Guard inspected vessels, or “head boats”, down from 9% and 7% observed in the 1988 and 1999 surveys, respectively. Potential explanations for this apparent decrease include regulatory reductions on reef species, competition from the expanding charter boat sector, and sampling differences among decadal surveys. While previous survey efforts were limited to the offshore, federal fleet, the advent of a comprehensive, state-based license frame allowed for improved characterization of the RFH industry. “Guide boats” are a subcategory of uninspected, inshore/coastal charter vessels that represent a sizable, yet previously under-emphasized, management unit. These operations accounted for 71% of Gulf vessels in 2009 and more than 52% of the region’s estimated $211 million in dockside revenue. Structural and economic profiles for these subsectors are provided by state and region with longitudinal comparisons to earlier Gulf-wide surveys.