Predicting daily fishing success: The assessment of lunar and indigenous fishing calendars 
(Seminars)
16 August 2011
4pm - 5pm
Venue: ECE Briefing Room 303.257
Department of Statistics seminar by Ben Stevenson, The University of Auckland.
Recreational fishers in New Zealand often make use of lunar and indigenous Maori fishing calendars in order to predict fishing success on specific days. Little is known as to the performance of such predictions and whether or not they hold any practical use to the everyday angler. Here, investigation primarily implements generalised nonlinear mixed effects models fitted in AD Model Builder (ADMB) using data provided by the Ministry of Fisheries. These data are based on catches of snapper Pagrus auratus, New Zealand's most popular recreational species, and take the form of diary and boatramp surveys. Our analyses also allow for the evaluation of ADMB in its capabilities of explaining large datasets using complex nonlinear mixed effects models.
