Commercial Fisheries Program personnel collect data from commercial finfish (snapper/grouper) vessels operating in federal waters off Georgia.  Using established sampling protocols, CRD personnel sample vessels offloading at commercial docks in Georgia in a program referred to as the Trip Interview Program (TIP).  Developed in the mid-1980s by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC), the TIP program provides data used in the development and implementation of fishery management plans (FMPs).  The primary objective of this program is to collect size frequency data representative of the species subject to stock assessments.  Vessels participating in this fishery range in size from 34- 44 feet in length and involve 2-5 crew members employing electric/manual bandit reels as the primary fishing gear.  Trips in this fishery generally last 6-10 days dock-to-dock, with fishing effort predominantly occurring in federal waters 45-85 miles offshore between Charleston, S.C. and Jacksonville, FL.