KeepAmericaFishing

While many people recognize the recreational and economic benefits of fishing, the significant conservation benefits often go unnoticed. For each fishing tackle purchase, each gallon of boating fuel consumed and each fishing license purchased, money is distributed to state fish and wildlife agencies for conservation efforts.

Through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, passed in 1950 at the request of the sportfishing industry, special excise taxes on fishing gear and boating fuel have contributed billions of dollars for fish and wildlife conservation.

Did you know...

• More Americans fish than play basketball (24.0 million) and football (8.9 million) combined.
• Three times as many Americans fish as play tennis (10.8 million).
• More American women fish than play basketball (7.5 million), volleyball (6.4 million) or softball (5.9 million).
• The National Sporting Goods Association ranks fishing number 11 out of 45 recreation activities. It is outranked by exercising, camping, swimming, bowling, bicycle riding and hiking.
• If fishing were ranked as a corporation in the Fortune 500, it would outrank Sears, Pepsi, Apple and Intel.
• The more than one million jobs supported by anglers are more than the number of people employed by Home Depot, Target and General Electric combined.
• The total sales in the fishing industry roughly equal United Parcel Service’s 2010 revenue which is ranked 44 in the Fortune 500.
• Fishing as a leisure-time activity ranks higher than playing golf, target shooting, hunting with firearms, backpacking and wilderness camping, baseball, mountain biking and skiing.
• The number of jobs supported by anglers could employ all attendees of the last seven Super Bowls – TWICE!
• There are five anglers for every viewer of the 2010 Indianapolis 500.
• The economic activity generated by sportfishing is greater than the gross state product of 23 states.

The Economic Facts of Fishing

• America’s anglers and boaters are one of the largest contributors to conservation and job creation in the country. Each year, America’s nearly 40 million anglers generate:
  • $600 million for fisheries conservation and water access improvements through special federal excise taxes.
  • $45.3 billion in retail sales.
  • $125.0 billion in overall economic output.
  • $16.4 billion in state and federal taxes.
• Recreational fishing in America supports over one million jobs.
• The amount of federal tax revenues generated by anglers spending in 2006 – $9 billion – is roughly equal to the entire 2006 budget for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Data & Statistics

Click on the surveys and report to learn more about the numerous economic and conservation benefits of recreational sportfishing.

• Sportfishing in America
• Angler Participation
• AnglerSurvey.com