This manual contains guidance on data collection methods for developing socio-economic indicators, and it can be used to facilitate and simplify reporting under international conventions and agreements on matters relating to the sustainable fisheries development. The methodologies can be applied to fisheries at many different levels, from individual fisheries and coastal management units to a global level, and it aims to encourage consistent use of statistical methods in data collection.

This document provides tested and standardized tools to collect the data needed for a socio-economic assessment of a fishery, including sampling design, quality checks and how to transform inputs into statistics.

This handbook summarises the experience gained over recent years in fishery statistical development by the Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Unit of the FAO, and provides guidance for developing and implementing cost-effective and sustainable fishery surveys. The methodological and operational concepts discussed apply equally to marine and inland capture fisheries. The emphasis is placed on the understanding and interpretation of the statistics, rather than on the computations producing them.

This manual deals with the practical implementation of a routine data collection programme. The data collection programme is developed through a top-down approach, from the identification of the objectives down to the practical recording and management of data obtained from the fishery. The issues are dealth with both through detailed discussion and by using simple examples. The examples are mostly based on situations in tropical fisheries, and in particular, experience has been drawn from developing a data collection programme in Viet Nam. The main questions addressed i n the manual are which fisheries data to collect, where and when to collect them. Only data from commercial marine capture fisheries are considered. The methodologies used are mainly appropriate for a tropical, developing county, with many small (artisanal) vessels and a few large (industrial) vessels. The methodology is the "sample-based approach". The data collection methodology presented attempts to utilize whatever information can be obtained in practice in a developing country.

This is the first publication to collect, standardize, and recommend a scientifically rigorous set of field protocols for monitoring and assessing salmon and trout populations. Includes five additional techniques that can be used with any of the 13 principle methods to supplement information gathered.Over four dozen fisheries experts throughout the U.S. Pacific Northwest and beyond contributed their time to pick, write, and review the most reliable protocols for enumerating salmonids in the field. Presented in an easy to use format, each of the 18 peer-reviewed protocols covers objectives, sample design, data handling, personnel and operational requirements, and field and office techniques, including survey forms.Standardized monitoring protocols will improve data reliability, maximize opportunities for data sharing and data set comparability, and ultimately improve the ability to assess status and trends. The Handbook will also support consistency in data collection for salmonids at the international level.

Marine recreational fisheries are an integral part of Mediterranean and Black Sea coastal life and are commonly practiced throughout the region. Recreational fisheries also represent an important driver of coastal tourism, which constitutes one of the region’s most important maritime sectors in terms of gross value added and employment. However, despite their ubiquity and potential socio-economic contribution, recreational fisheries are a data-poor sector and can vary widely from one country to another, thus impairing proper consideration of the recreational fisheries sector in policy-making and undermining efforts towards sustainable fisheries management at the regional level. The main goal of this handbook is therefore to provide a clear methodological framework to allow Mediterranean and Black Sea countries to implement suitably harmonized sampling and survey monitoring schemes for recreational fisheries. This handbook establishes a minimum set of necessary information for monitoring recreational fisheries, while, at the same time, allowing for flexibility to accommodate national specificities and data collection needs. It also provide guidance on the data analysis process as well as advice to successfully engage stakeholders in the data collection process.