Industry and Economic Trends
Recreational fishing is big business, generating more than $125 billion in economic output and more than one million American jobs. If sportfishing were a corporation, it would rank above Bank of America or IBM on the Fortune 500 list of largest American companies. The economic contributions of recreational fishing have grown steadily over the last several decades.
This page provides a ranges of trade related data: angler spending, wholesale shipments and retail trends, imports, and more.
The Benefits to Business from Hunting and Fishing Excise Taxes
The Benefits to Business from Hunting and Fishing Excise Taxes project, funded by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies using an excise-tax funded grant, quantifies the return-on-investment from excise taxes paid by fishing tackle, hunting and shooting sports manufacturers. Results are quantified for selected local projects funded by excise tax dollars through the Sport Fish Restoration and Wildlife Restoration Trust Funds, as well as the cumulative national return to the industry. The report also explains what the American landscape might look like without the excise taxes paid by fishing tackle, hunting and shooting sports manufacturers. The comprehensive technical reports are available at www.SouthwickAssociates.com/excisetaxROI. The summary report is available for downloading in PDF format.
Fishing Tackle Import Indices
The fishing tackle imports indices track trends in the dollar value of fishing tackle imported into the United States. Using data provided by the U.S. International Trade Commission, the results of this quarterly index provide insights into the general health of fishing tackle sales.
AnglerSurvey Information Sources: Online Tackle Sales and More
AnglerSurvey collects information monthly about anglers' activities, purchases and sportfishing market trends. Visit this section to learn about online tackle sales, most popular speciesfishing activity and sales of private label versus manufacturer brands.
Sportfishing in America: An Economic Engine and Conservation Powerhouse
This report is based on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. The report further analyzes the USFWS numbers providing information about angler numbers, annual days of fishing, sportfishing expenditures and their associated economic impacts. Breakouts are provided for freshwater, saltwater and Great Lakes fishing. The report is available for downloading in PDF format. The report was produced for the American Sportfishing Association by Southwick Associates. This report will be updated approximately November, 2012.
This report was funded by the Multi-state Conservation Grant Program, a program supported with funds from the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration programs which is jointly managed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Highlights plus additional detailed information not found in the report are listed below.
2006 Economic Impacts for All Types of Fishing by State
2006 Economic Impacts for Freshwater Fishing by State
States Ranked by Sportfishing Retail Sales for Freshwater Fishing
2006 Economic Impacts for Saltwater Fishing by State
States Ranked by Sportfishing Retail Sales for Saltwater Fishing
2006 Economic Impacts for Great Lakes Fishing by State
States Ranked by Sportfishing Retail Sales for Great Lakes Fishing
Expenditures Per Angler and Per Day for ALL Types of Fishing
Expenditures Per Angler and Per Day of Freshwater Fishing
Expenditures Per Angler and Per Day of Saltwater Fishing
Expenditures Per Angler and Per Day of Great Lakes Fishing
Expenditures for Specific Sportfishing-Related Products and Services
Annual Expenditures Per Angler & Per Day for Specific Products and Services
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