BECCA questionnaire

Best Catch Assessment (BECCA) Questionnaire

A printable field form for collecting quantitative fisher knowledge in data-poor fisheries

How to use this questionnaire

This questionnaire is designed to be used alongside the Best Catch Assessment (BECCA) Handbook. The handbook explains the method and this questionnaire is the field tool.

The questionnaire has a core section that should be used in every BECCA. It then includes optional modules that can be added depending on the fishery. Field teams should adapt the wording, species names, local places, gear categories, and catch units before printing or programming the survey into a digital form.

The most important rule is simple: every usable BECCA response must include a number, a year, and an effort measure. If one of these is missing, the response may still be useful context, but it cannot be used properly in the main quantitative analysis.

This questionnaire can be completed as an interview, a self-completed paper form, an online form, or a phone-based survey. For most community fisheries, an interviewer-led format is recommended because it allows local units, effort, and uncertainty to be clarified.

Interviewer checklist before starting

Before beginning, the interviewer should confirm that the respondent understands the purpose of the assessment and has agreed to take part. The interviewer should also make clear that the assessment is not judging individual fishing activity and that responses will normally be reported only as combined community-level or regional patterns.

During the interview, record the respondent’s words as accurately as possible. Do not force people into kilograms or scientific categories too quickly. If they describe catch in baskets, buckets, bags, sacks, bushels, strings, coolers, or another local unit, record that unit first. Then ask follow-up questions so the unit can be described and, where possible, converted later.

Before finishing each interview, check that each best-catch response includes:

Required item	Current year best catch	Best-ever catch	First-year or early-career catch
Catch or encounter number	☐	☐	☐
Year	☐	☐	☐
Unit	☐	☐	☐
Hours or effort measure	☐	☐	☐
Gear or method	☐	☐	☐
Area or place	☐	☐	☐
Individual, boat, household, crew, or group catch	☐	☐	☐
Confidence recorded	☐	☐	☐

Participant information and consent

Participant information

Project title: Best Catch Assessment for _______________________________

Who is carrying out this work?
This assessment is being carried out by:

Organisation / local partner: ____________________________________________

Contact person: ______________________________________________________

Phone / email: _______________________________________________________

Why are we doing this assessment?
Many fisheries do not have long-term catch records, but fishers and harvesters often hold detailed knowledge of how catches have changed. This assessment asks about best catches now and in the past so that we can better understand long-term change in this fishery.

What will you be asked?
You will be asked about your fishing or harvesting experience, the year you started, your best catch or best fishing day in the current year, your best catch or best fishing day in the past, the amount caught or encountered, the year it happened, the effort involved, the fishing method used, and the general area.

The interview should take about: ______ minutes.

Do you have to take part?
No. Taking part is voluntary. You can choose not to answer any question, and you can stop the interview at any time.

Will your answers be anonymous?
Your individual answers will not be reported with your name. Results will be combined with responses from other fishers and reported as community-level or regional patterns. If we want to use your name, quote you directly, or show a photograph of you, we will ask for separate permission.

Are there any risks?
Some catch or location information may be sensitive. We will not publish exact fishing locations or individual catch records unless this has been agreed. If any question makes you uncomfortable, you do not have to answer it.

What are the benefits?
The assessment will help document local knowledge and may support better understanding, monitoring, and management of the fishery. Results will be shared back with the community or local partners where possible.

Consent statement

Interviewer: please read or summarise this statement before starting.

I have been told what this assessment is about. I understand that taking part is voluntary, that I can skip questions, and that I can stop at any time. I understand that my answers will be combined with answers from other fishers and that my name will not be used in reports unless I give separate permission. I agree to take part in this Best Catch Assessment.

Participant agrees to take part: ☐ Yes ☐ No

Consent type: ☐ Verbal ☐ Written

Date: ______________________

Interviewer name: ______________________________________

Participant name or anonymous code: ______________________

Optional permissions

May we contact you again to check results or invite you to a feedback meeting?
☐ Yes ☐ No

If yes, preferred contact details: _________________________________________

May we use anonymous quotes from your interview?
☐ Yes ☐ No

May we take or use a photograph of you for the report or communication materials?
☐ Yes ☐ No

May we record the interview for note-checking only?
☐ Yes ☐ No

Section A. Interview details

A1. Interview ID:

A2. Date of interview:

A3. Interviewer name:

A4. Location of interview:

A5. Community / village / landing site / fishing area:

A6. Survey format:
☐ In-person interview
☐ Phone interview
☐ Paper form completed by respondent
☐ Online survey
☐ Focus group-assisted individual form

☐ Other: _______________________________

A7. Language used: _____________________________________

Section B. Respondent background

B1. Which of these best describes your role in this fishery?

Tick all that apply.

☐ Small-scale fisher
☐ Subsistence fisher
☐ Commercial fisher
☐ Recreational fisher
☐ Fishing guide
☐ Gleaner / shore collector
☐ Diver
☐ Trap / pot fisher
☐ Net fisher
☐ Fish fence / weir fisher
☐ Fish processor
☐ Fish trader / seller
☐ Boat crew
☐ Community fisheries leader

☐ Other: _______________________________

B2. What species or fishery are we discussing today?

Target species / species group: _________________________________________

Local name(s): _______________________________________________________

Scientific name, if known: _____________________________________________

B3. What year did you first start fishing, harvesting, guiding, collecting, or working in this fishery?

Year started: ______________________

If unsure, approximate year when started: ___________________________

B4. How many years of experience do you have in this fishery?

Years of experience: ______________________

B5. What is your age?

Age: ______________________

Prefer not to say: ☐

B6. Gender

☐ Woman
☐ Man
☐ Another gender: ______________________
☐ Prefer not to say

B7. Do you fish or harvest mainly for:

Tick all that apply.

☐ Household food
☐ Sale / income
☐ Recreation
☐ Cultural or customary practice
☐ Mixed reasons

☐ Other: _______________________________

B8. In a typical year, how many days do you fish, harvest, or collect in this fishery?

Days per year: ______________________

B9. On a typical fishing or harvesting day, how many hours do you usually spend fishing, harvesting, or collecting?

Hours per day: ______________________

B10. What gear or method do you primarily use in this fishery?

Tick only one and record local names where possible.

☐ Handline
☐ Rod and line
☐ Fly fishing
☐ Cast net
☐ Gill net
☐ Seine net
☐ Drag net
☐ Lift net
☐ Trap / pot
☐ Basket trap
☐ Fish fence / weir
☐ Spear
☐ Diving
☐ Gleaning by hand
☐ Rake or digging tool
☐ Hookah / compressor diving
☐ Boat-based harvesting
☐ Shore-based harvesting

☐ Other: _______________________________

Local gear name(s): ___________________________________________________

OPTIONAL: B11. What are your main fishing or harvesting areas?

Area 1: ______________________________________________________________

Area 2: ______________________________________________________________

Area 3: ______________________________________________________________

Other: _______________________________________________________________

Section C. Current-year best catch

This section is mandatory for every BECCA.

C1. Did you fish, guide, harvest, collect, or target [species/fishery] in the current year?

Current year: ____________

☐ Yes
☐ No

If no, skip to Section D.

C2. Thinking about the current year, what was your best fishing or harvesting day for [species/fishery]?

Please describe the day briefly:

C3. How much did you catch, or collect on that day?

Number / amount: ______________________

C4. What unit are you using?

☐ Number of fish / individuals
☐ Kilograms
☐ Pounds
☐ Baskets
☐ Bags
☐ Buckets
☐ Sacks
☐ Boxes
☐ Bushels
☐ Bundles
☐ Strings
☐ Coolers
☐ Landed fish
☐ Shells
☐ Crabs / lobsters / invertebrates

☐ Other: _______________________________

C5. Was this catch total for:

☐ You alone
☐ Your boat
☐ Your crew
☐ Your household
☐ A group
☐ A fish fence / weir / shared gear

☐ Other: _______________________________

C6. How many people were involved?

Number of people: ______________________

C7. What gear or method did you use on that day?

Gear / method: _______________________________________________________

Local gear name: _____________________________________________________

C8. How confident are you in this answer?

☐ Very confident
☐ Fairly confident
☐ Unsure

C9. Any notes about this catch?

For example: weather, tide, season, unusual event, market day, group catch, special trip.

Section D. Best-ever catch

This section is mandatory for every BECCA.

D1. Thinking across your whole fishing or harvesting life, what was your best ever fishing or harvesting day for [species/fishery]?

This means the day when you caught or collected the highest amount, using the unit that makes most sense for this fishery.

Can you describe the day briefly?

D2. What year did this happen?

Year: ______________________

If unsure, approximate year: ___________________________________

D3. How much did you catch or collect on that day?

Number / amount: ______________________

D4. What unit are you using?

☐ Other: _______________________________

D5. Was this catch or encounter total for:

☐ You alone
☐ Your boat
☐ Your crew
☐ Your household
☐ A group
☐ A fish fence / weir / shared gear

☐ Other: _______________________________

D6. How many people were involved?

Number of people: ______________________

D7. What gear or method did you use on that day?

Gear / method: _______________________________________________________

Local gear name: _____________________________________________________

D8. Why do you remember this catch or fishing day?

D9. How confident are you in this answer?

☐ Very confident
☐ Fairly confident
☐ Unsure

D10. Any notes about this catch?

Section E. First-year or early-career best catch

This section is strongly recommended but is not mandatory. It is alternative to Section D.

E1. Thinking back to the year you started fishing or harvesting [species/fishery], what was your best fishing or harvesting day in that first year or early period?

If you cannot remember the exact first year, think about your earliest period in this fishery.

Please describe the day or early period briefly:

E2. What year was this?

Year: ______________________

If approximate, please explain: _________________________________________

E3. How much did you catch or collect on that day?

Number / amount: ______________________

E4. What unit are you using?

☐ Other: _______________________________

E5. Was this catch or encounter total for:

☐ You alone
☐ Your boat
☐ Your crew
☐ Your household
☐ A group
☐ A fish fence / weir / shared gear

☐ Other: _______________________________

E6. How many people were involved?

Number of people: ______________________

E7. What gear or method did you use on that day?

Gear / method: _______________________________________________________

Local gear name: _____________________________________________________

E8. How confident are you in this answer?

☐ Very confident
☐ Fairly confident
☐ Unsure

E9. Any notes about this catch?

Section F. Size information

Use this section where body size, shell size, market size, or maximum size is important.

F1. Across your whole fishing or harvesting life, what is the largest individual [species] you remember catching, harvesting, or encountering?

Description:

F2. What year was this?

Year: ______________________

If unsure, approximate year: ___________________________________

F3. What was its size?

Size: ______________________

Unit:

☐ Kilograms
☐ Pounds
☐ Length in cm
☐ Length in inches
☐ Shell length
☐ Shell width
☐ Carapace width
☐ Market grade
☐ Local size class

☐ Other: _______________________________

F4. How was this size known?

☐ Measured
☐ Weighed
☐ Sold at market
☐ Recorded in a logbook
☐ Photograph exists
☐ Estimated from memory

☐ Other: _______________________________

F5. What gear or method was used?

Gear / method: _______________________________________________________

F6. How confident are you in this answer?

☐ Very confident
☐ Fairly confident
☐ Unsure

F7. Largest individual in the current year

Did you catch, harvest, or encounter this species in the current year?
☐ Yes ☐ No

If yes, what was the largest individual this year?

Size: ______________________ Unit: ______________________

Was it measured, weighed, or estimated? _________________________________

Data quality checklist

Complete this after the interview.

Q1. Does the current-year best catch include a number, unit, year, and effort measure?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not applicable

Q2. Does the best-ever catch include a number, unit, year, and effort measure?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not applicable

Q3. Does the first-year or early-career catch include a number, unit, year, and effort measure?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not applicable

Q4. Were gear or method details recorded?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Q5. Was the catch identified as individual, boat, crew, household, group, or shared gear catch?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Q6. Were local units described clearly enough for later conversion?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not needed

Q7. Overall data quality flag

☐ A: complete and clear
☐ B: minor uncertainty but usable
☐ C: missing effort or unclear unit
☐ D: missing year or catch number
☐ E: contradictory or implausible, needs checking

Interviewer notes:

Closing script

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Your answers will be combined with those from other fishers and harvesters to help understand how this fishery has changed over time. Individual answers will not be reported with names unless separate permission has been given. Where possible, results will be shared back with the community or local partners.

Would you like to be informed about the results or invited to a feedback meeting?

☐ Yes
☐ No

Preferred contact details, if yes: