The catch form return time series runs from 1997 to the most recently published season. The annual return rate of forms is provided as the numbers of returns expressed as a % of the total numbers of forms issued.
These data are provided by District, the finest geographical scale consistently available over the time series. Fishery districts correspond either to a single river catchment together with adjacent coast or to groups of neighbouring river catchments and associated coastline. Ordering the data with respect to “Report Order” sorts the Districts spatially. Districts are ordered counter-clockwise starting with the Tweed as Report Order 1. Annual numbers of forms issued are also provided together with the numbers of forms returned reporting catch or effort (identified as "Data") and the numbers of Nil returns. The annual return rate of forms is also indicated as the numbers of "Data" and "Nil" returns expressed as a % of the total numbers of forms issued.