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By Captain Rick Bellavance

Below is a summary of the results of a survey that was sent to Charter and Party Boat Captains with Rhode Island state licenses in November 2010. Of the 214 recipients, 98 Captains completed and returned the survey (which is a 45% response rate). The survey was designed to identify current issues and trends that are challenging the Rhode Island Charter and Party Boat Industry and to create a basis for designing solutions.

SURVEY FINDINGS

ON THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

•  Half of Rhode Island’s charter and party captains believe that their business will be worse off five years from now, and blame the difficulties facing their industry on the regulations, the economy, and increased operating costs.
•  Captains believe they need to be able to reduce their cost of operations and increase their client base in order to improve their revenue stream.

ON LIMITED ENTRY

•  Half of captains say their revenues would increase if the Charter/Party Boat fleet had its own allocation, separate from private anglers, and if there was limited entry because of a more consistent fleet size.

ON DIFFERENCES BETWEEN USER GROUPS

•  Almost all captains would see themselves better positioned to compete in the Charter/Party boat market if they were considered their own user group and managed independently from private anglers and commercial fishermen.

ON MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES

•  Half of captains would be willing to participate more in the political process and would be prepared to join a cooperative if they believed positive change could turn the industry around.
•  If government regulations could be changed, captains would prefer to see longer seasons.

ON MONITORING

•  Half of captains would be willing to use an electronic logbook and VMS if they thought better data would mean more flexibility in fishing regulations.
• However, if given the choice between only using an electronic logbook or only using VMS, captains would prefer to use an electronic logbook.
• Over two thirds of captains would be willing to explore new ways of collecting and disseminating harvest data if a better economic picture was tied to data verification.

SURVEY RESULTS

Notes: The percentages for each question may not add up to 100% because respondents selected multiple answers. The order of data in this report has been ranked by the most common response.

1. Five years from now do you see your business and the charter boat industry:

49% (48 captains): Worse off

40% (39 captains): About the same

11% (11 captains): Better off

Half of Rhode Island’s charter and party captains believe that their business will be worse off five years from now.

2. The main difficulties facing the Charter/Party Boat industry now and into the future are:

59% (58 captains): Too much government and too many regulations

59% (58 captains): A bad economy

40% (39 captains): Too few fish, too short a season

31% (30 captains): Too much competition for clients

Captains blame the difficulties facing their industry on the regulations and the economy.

3. The main obstacle to a better revenue stream is:

66% (65 captains): Cost of operations

45% (44 captains): Not enough clients

27% (26 captains): Not enough fish

Captains need to be able to reduce their cost of operations in order to improve their revenue stream. Almost half of Captains say that there aren’t enough clients willing to buy fishing trips in the current climate.

4. Do you see yourself better positioned and able to compete in the Charter/Party boat market if:

85% (83 captains): Charter/Party boat operators are considered their own user group and are managed independently from private angler and commercial fishermen

9% (9 captains): Charter/Party boat operators and commercial fishermen are managed in the same way

6% (6 captains): Charter/Party boat operators and private anglers are managed in the same way

Almost all Captains see themselves better positioned to compete in the Charter/Party boat market if they were considered their own user group and managed independently from private anglers and commercial fishermen.

5. Do you see your business as:

46% (45 captains): Providing a guide service to recreational anglers

46% (45 captains): Different than recreational anglers but connected to the group as a whole through recreational fishing activities

22% (22 captains): An integrated part of the recreational group and the recreational industry

Almost half of Captains see their business as providing a guide service to recreational anglers. Almost half of Captains see their business as different from recreational anglers but connected to the group through recreational fishing activities. RI Charter/Party Boat Survey Report -- Rick Bellavance (401) 741-5648 makosrule@verizon.net -- Page 3 of 4

6. As a Charter/Party Boat operator, would you consider becoming a separate entity from private anglers within recreational fisheries management if:

52% (51 captains): Longer season and consistent bag limits

31% (30 captains): It meant longer seasons and larger bag limits

13% (13 captains): Not under any circumstance

Over half of Captains say they would be willing to become a separate entity from private anglers if they were given longer seasons and consistent bag limits.

7. If you had independence and were recognized as a separate entity from private anglers for management purposes, would you change:

47% (46 captains): Overall management of the fish allocated to the Charter/Party Industry

33% (32 captains): How much fish was allocated to the Charter/Party Boat fleet

28% (27 captains): The inflexibility of deciding when to fish

23% (23 captains): The number of regulations

Almost half of Captains would change the overall management of fish allocated to the Charter/Party industry if they were given independence and recognized as separate entities from private anglers.

8. If, for example, more Summer Flounder was available for harvest by the Charter/Party Boat fleet, it would:

44% (43 captains): Allow for a small increase in revenues

33% (32 captains): Significantly change your income

20% (20 captains): Make no difference to your business at all

Captains believe their revenues would see only a small increase if more Summer Flounder were available for harvest by the Charter/Party Boat fleet.

9. The single, greatest, threat to the survival of your charter/party boat business is:

55% (54 captains): Government regulations

48% (47 captains): Increased operating costs

37% (36 captains): Overharvesting by other user groups

Captains see government regulations and increased operating costs as the greatest threats to the survival of their Charter/Party Boat business.

10. If government regulations could be changed, the first would be:

37% (36 captains): Longer seasons

31% (30 captains): More fish to catch

29% (28 captains): Smaller size limits

Captains would prefer longer seasons if government regulations could be changed.

11. If government regulations could be changed, changes I would like to see would be:

68% (67 captains): Implement a Charter/Party Boat allocation that is separate from commercial and private anglers

42% (41 captains): Implement limited entry for the Charter/Party Boat industry

11% (11 captains): Implement sunset clauses on all major fisheries regulations (meaning regs would expire after a certain amount of time) RI Charter/Party Boat Survey Report -- Rick Bellavance (401) 741-5648 makosrule@verizon.net -- Page 4 of 4

Captains would like to implement a Charter/Party Boat allocation that is separate from commercial and private anglers.

12. If the Charter/Party Boat fleet had its own allocation and limited entry it would:

51% (50 captains): Increase my revenues because the fleet size would stay consistent

35% (34 captains): Increase my revenues because I could fish longer

24% (24 captains): Make no difference to my current operations

Half of Captains say their revenues would increase if the Charter/Party Boat fleet had its own allocation and limited entry because of a more consistent fleet size.

13. If you thought that positive change could turn the industry around you would be willing to:

48% (47 captains): Participate more in the political process

46% (45 captains): Be prepared to join a co-operative for mutual support

13% (13 captains): Positive change are just buzz words

Half of Captains would be willing to participate more in the political process if they believed positive change could turn the industry around. Half of Captains would be prepared to join a co-operative if they believed positive change could turn the industry around.

14. If you thought that better data meant more flexibility in fishing regulations, would you be willing to:

45% (44 captains): Both use an electronic logbook and use VMS

28% (27 captains): Use an electronic logbook

21% (21 captains): None of the above

5% (5 captains): Use VMS (Vessel Monitoring System)

Half of Captains would be willing to use an electronic logbook and VMS if they thought better data would mean more flexibility in fishing regulations. If given the choice between only using an electronic logbook or only using VMS, Captains would prefer to use an electronic logbook.

15. If you thought that a better economic picture was tied to data verification, would you be willing to:

68% (67 captains): Explore new ways of collecting and disseminating harvest data

22% (22 captains): Have better dockside validation

16% (16 captains): Have more efficient inspections

11% (11 captains): Not interested

Over two thirds of Captains would be willing to explore new ways of collecting and disseminating harvest data if a better economic picture was tied to data verification.

16. If I could change one thing in the Charter/Party Boat industry it would be:

48% (47 captains): To have some autonomy in how the industry is allocated fish and when those fish are caught

34% (33 captains): To limit the number of charter boats, the industry is big enough already

28% (27 captains): To find new ways of managing the fishery without seasons, bag limits and size limits

Half of Captains don’t believe there is enough autonomy in how and when the Charter/Party Boat industry is allocated fish.

 

RI Charter/Party Boat Survey Report -- Rick Bellavance (401) 741-5648 makosrule@verizon.net