Survey delivery options

BECCA can be delivered in person, online, by phone, or through a mixed approach. The right delivery method depends on the fishery, literacy, internet access, trust, language, and local partner capacity.

In-person interviews are often best for small-scale, subsistence, Indigenous, rural, and gleaning fisheries. They allow the interviewer to explain questions, clarify local units, use photographs or containers, and build trust. They are also more appropriate where sensitive livelihood information is being collected.

Online surveys can work well where respondents are digitally connected, such as recreational fisheries, guide networks, or formal fisher associations. A bonefish BECCAs used online structured surveys designed to be completed on phones and computers ³. This allowed rapid data collection across a large region, but it relied on strong networks, clear language, and a respondent group comfortable with digital tools.

Text message or mobile surveys may be useful for repeated low-burden monitoring after an initial full BECCA. For example, fishers might be asked once per season to report their best day, number of hours, and area. This is not a full BECCA by itself, but it can help keep current-year data updated.

Focus groups are useful for designing the survey, agreeing local terms, checking unit conversions, interpreting trends, and validating findings. However, individual catch histories should usually be collected individually, because group settings can influence responses¹.