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 section quantifies the dollars spent by anglers and the resulting economic impacts. Details are provided for freshwater fishing, Great Lakes fishing and saltwater fishing and also by state. In this section are indices reporting recent and historical tackle sales and import trends.
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.
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.
The 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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