Following up on decades of flagging participation in outdoor sports, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has some good news for fishermen and the fishing industry. Fishing participation in the U.S. is up nearly 20 percent over the last 10 years.
This comes from the recent release of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s initial report of the 2016 National Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation national survey. The survey, conducted every five years in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, also shows that anglers also increased their overall spending by 2.4 percent during the past five years.
Overall, fishing participation increased 8.2 percent for individuals 16 to 65 years of age over the last five years. This is the highest level of participation since 1991. Revenue from equipment purchases to all trip expenditures also increased from $45 billion to $46.1 billion in the last five years.
To see a press release on the report that lays out numbers on increases in participation in hunting, fishing and wildlife activities, go to www.doi.gov.