Validation of the accuracy of household reporting of subsistence fishing catch and effort: a Fijian case study

Abstract

Abstract The accuracy of household reporting of subsistence fishing catch and effort and seafood consumption on the Fijian island of Ono‐i‐Lau was studied. A creel survey was carried out concurrently to validate the household survey data. Reported estimates of fishing participation, effort, and fish consumption were not significantly different to the creel survey estimates. Householder's appeared to overestimate the number of fish from the most abundant family Lethrinidae, and underestimate rarer fish. However, there was no significant difference between the reported and observed contribution of the majority of finfish families and invertebrate taxa. The reported and observed catch rate estimates were not significantly different, indicating that Ono‐i‐Lau villagers are relatively accurate in their estimation of the number and size of fish from recalled catches.