When fisheries scientists collect fisheries
information independent of commercial or recreational fishing operations,
this information is considered fisheries-independent data.
Such data are needed to accurately assess marine fish populations and are
used in conjunction with fisheries-dependent data for estimating total
population size and mortality rates.
Fisheries independent data are collected by scientists conducting resource surveys, such as trawl and seine surveys. These surveys are specifically designed to sample in
an objective manner. Consequently, the research vessels do not necessarily
sample where fish are most abundant. Instead, the sampling objective is to
collect information on a fish population throughout its entire geographic
range. |
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