2 Cost Survey Background

Starting in 2007, the Social Sciences Branch (SSB) of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) has intermittently collected commercial fishing cost information from vessel owners through a voluntary survey. The most recent survey, formally known as the Greater Atlantic Region Commercial Fishing Business Cost Survey for 2022 (hereafter 2022 cost survey), was fielded in March-August 2023 to collect costs incurred by vessel owners during calendar year 2022. The 2022 cost survey was split up into the following sections:

Survey Sections 1. General Information 2. New/Replacement, Repair/Maintenance, Upgrade and Other Costs for the Selected Vessel 3. Trip Expenses for the Selected Vessel 4. Crew Payment System for the Selected Vessel 5. Overhead Costs 6. The Value of the Selected Vessel 7. Quota Costs and Revenues for the Selected Vessel 8. Completeness of Cost Information 9. Survey Follow-up Questions

Each owner of a federally permitted commercial fishing vessel that was active in either calendar year 2021 or 2022 received a survey. A total of 2,495 individuals were sent the 2022 cost survey with 422 surveys returned. After accounting for incomplete returned surveys and ineligibles within the sampling frame, the final response rate was 15.0% (371/2,477). For further details on the implementation of the 2022 cost survey see Werner et al. (2025). For more information on early iterations of the cost survey, see Das (2015) and Ardini et al. (2022).