To document the economic impacts, business trends and current characteristics of the Ohio charter boat industry.
To profile the needs and preferences of the clients who hire charter services.
To coordinate these studies with similar studies planned by other Sea Grant programs in order to present a more complete description of the charter industry in the Great Lakes as a whole.

The charter industry is a significant part of the Lake Erie sport fishing industry. The nature of the charter industry is one of continual change as the Lake Erie ecosystem changes in response to natural factors, man induced inputs and exotic species (zebra mussels). The needs and desires of charter clientele are also changing and need to be documented if the charter industry is to compete with other forms of recreation. Without a coordinated research effort it is difficult to compare the charter business in Ohio to that in New York or to compare the charter industry on Lake Erie to that of Lake Michigan. The charter industry needs to know where it is going and what its customers want if it is to continue to be a vital part of the Lake Erie coastal economy. A unified Great Lakes wide database will help the charter industry work for federal legislation that will have positive impacts on this changing industry.

A standard mail survey using a modified Dillman technique will be utilized for the surveys of the captains and the charter clients. The two surveys will contain a set of standard questions that will be uniform from state to state and from lake to lake. The data will be inputted into a Lotus 123 database and uniformly coded for analysis and comparison between the states and between the lakes. The PI has successfully surveyed the Ohio charter industry in 1985 and 1990. He has also cooperated with the Michigan and New York Sea Grant programs to develop an across the lakes charter industry paper. The PI will provide leadership for the coordination of the charter captains and clients surveys by the cooperating Sea Grant programs.

Two previous studies of the charter industry by the PI and a 1980 study of charter clientele by Hushak and Mohammad have been well received by the Ohio charter captains at their annual charter workshops. Ohio and the Great Lakes Sea Grant MAS programs are noted for their leadership in working with the charter industry. This is due, in part, to the fact that we have been able to conduct applied research that has provided information of great value to the charter industry. The rapid changes in Lake Erie demand that we continue to conduct applied research in the charter industry. By providing the charter industry with current data we will assist them in working for positive changes. Current information will allow individuals to make better business decisions. Up-to-date data on the industry will help maintain business opportunities that will have positive impacts on sales, income and employment in northern Ohio.