Keep America Fishing's Goal and Purpose for Florida

Keep America Fishing's Goal and Purpose for Florida
Access to the resource is a critical element in having successful recreational fishing. Recreational anglers, and boaters, have always been in the forefront of fisheries conservation in the United States financing countless conservation and restoration projects through license fees, motorboat fuel taxes and the federal excise tax on fishing gear. At nearly $7.5 billion, Florida boasts more economic output from sportfishing than any other state. At $4.1 billion, sportfishing’s annual retail sales are a major contribution to Florida’s economy.

The goal of Florida’s sportfishing advocates and anglers is to maximize the conservation benefit to the marine environment while minimizing unwarranted closures of Florida coastal waters to sportfishing under the National Park Service’s Everglades General Management Plan (GMP) and future management plans for other Florida Parks.

The purpose of pursuing this goal is to:

• Maintain and improve the conservation of Florida fisheries and associated resources in order to improve the overall health of the ocean and adjacent waterways.
• Assure that any process for closing Florida’s fisheries to sportfishing takes into account both biological and economic information.
• Increase sportfishing opportunities in Florida from their current economic and participation levels.
• Maintain access for Florida’s recreational anglers.

Florida Saltwater Recreational Fishing Facts

• $7.54 billion economic output
• $4.4 million in retail sales
• Supports over 75,700 Florida jobs
• Pays over $2.3 billion in Florida salaries and wages
• Over 2,002,000 saltwater anglers

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the sportfishing industry’s trade association, is working to ensure that anglers' and boaters' voices are heard as marine and aquatic management plans are developed. You can help ASA in its efforts to minimize recreational fishing closures by donating to the Keep America Fishing Fund.