Using lessons learned from a multidecadal intercept survey of Puerto Rico spear fishers to improve data collection in the U.S. Caribbean.

This article focuses on describing the recreational spearfishing fishery in Puerto Rico using a multidecadal data set from the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Access Point Angler Intercept Survey (APAIS) conducted from 2000 to 2015. The study identified 89 species harvested by spear fishers, including economically important reef fishes such as snappers, hogfish, queen triggerfish, and red hind, with spearfishing accounting for approximately 25.8% of the total recreational finfish harvest during the study period. Data quality issues, including species misidentification and inaccurate size measurements, were noted, limiting some analyses and highlighting the need for improved data collection methods. The authors recommend enhanced monitoring through increased resources, personnel training, implementation of a recreational fishing license, and adoption of electronic reporting tools to improve data accuracy and better assess spearfishing impacts in the U.S. Caribbean region.