Fee and recreational fishing establishments, at 19 percent, were the next largest followed by restaurants and retailers with 5 percent. The total live weight pounds of stockers sold during 1996 was 3.48 million, up 23 percent from the 2.83 million pounds sold during 1995. The major sales outlet for stocker trout was to fee and recreational fishing establishments with 49 percent of the total live weight sales, followed by 20 percent of sales to other producers and live haulers and government with 11 percent each. Total pounds sold was 288 thousand pounds during 1996, compared with 175 thousand pounds during 1995. Prior to the survey period, a list of all commercial operations was created in each of the 15 states.
Great care is exercised to ensure that all operations are accounted for in the estimates.
Sound statistical methodology is employed to derive the estimates from reported data. All data are analyzed for unusual values. Data from each operation are compared to their own past operating profile and to trends from similar operations. Data for inaccessible operations are accounted for through the expansion of the reported data or by imputation based on individual historical data. Survey data are subject to non-sampling errors such as omissions and mistakes in reporting and in processing the data.