Participation:
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Anglers outnumber golfers nearly two
to one.
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Nearly 50 million people fish in the
United States each year.
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There are 16.8 million boats in use
on U.S. waterways.
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Florida ranks number one in terms of
numbers of adult anglers. California and Texas rank second and third,
respectively.
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Top ten boat sale states also are
the top 10 fishing states: FL, MI, TX, MN, CA, WI, LA, NC, NY and SC.
Economics:
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Recreational fishing contributes more than $108 billion to the U.S.
economy.
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If it were a "corporation,"
sportfishing would rank 13th in the Fortune 500 list of America's
largest businesses in terms of revenue, placing fishing just above
Texaco and DuPont.
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570,000 new boats - all types - were
sold in 1998.
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$19 billion in overall retail
spending on boating in 1998.
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Recreational fishing supports 1.2
million jobs in the United States.
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$8.5 billion spent on new boats and
motors in 1998.
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Recreational fishing creates
salaries and wages totaling about $28 billion, which is roughly
equivalent to almost half of United States entire military payroll.
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Recreational fishing contributes
$3.1 billion in federal income taxes, which equates to nearly a third
of the entire federal budget for agriculture.
Social & Demographics:
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About 58 percent of U.S. anglers
practice catch and release.
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Women make up about 33 percent of
freshwater anglers.
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The top three reasons people fish
are for relaxation, to be close to nature and to spend time with
friends and family.
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About 85 percent of freshwater
anglers start fishing at age 12 or younger.
Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service
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