The Economic Impact of Freshwater Fishing in Florida

In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau did a "National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Related Recreation" (4.2MB) to determine the amount of participation and economic impact of these outdoor activities nationwide.  The study was conducted under a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is the benchmark for this type economic analysis and allows unbiased state comparisons (2.6MB).  There is also a more detailed Florida report (7MB). Southwick Associates has provided a summary of the national economic impacts of recreational fishing (211KB) in various categories that again justify Florida's status as the Fishing Capital of the World.  The Fish and Wildlife Service also provides a summary brochure .

Based on the 2006 National Survey, Florida again ranks number one in In-State Anglers (2.8 million vs. #2 Texas with 2.5 million), Angler Expenditures in State ($4.4 billion vs. #2 Texas with $3.4 billion), Angler-supported jobs (75,068 vs. #2 Texas with 59,938), State and local taxes generated by sport fishing ($440 million vs. #2 Texas with $392 million).

Of the 2.8 million anglers fishing in Florida, 1.9 million were resident and 0.9 million were non-resident (tourists).  Anglers averaged 17.2 days per year fishing in Florida, for a total of 46.3 million days of quality outdoor recreation.  Of those, 24.4 million days were spent in fresh water by 1.4 million anglers and, 23.1 million days were spent in saltwater by 2.0 million anglers.

Nonresident anglers spent over $1 billion in direct retail sales in Florida--not mentioning the other dollars they spent on tourism while in Florida.  The next highest state for non-resident angler spending was Wisconsin with less than $0.6 billion  No wonder Florida is the "Fishing Capital of the World."   A further breakdown based on the detailed economic analysis by Southwick and Associates includes the multiplier or ripple effect on the community caused by these sales and visitors.

• Saltwater Fishing - $5.1 billion, 51,588 jobs
• Freshwater Fishing - $2.4 billion, 23,480 jobs
• Total Fishing - $6.1 billion (some anglers don't specify fresh or salt so the total is less than the sum of freshwater and saltwater), 52,945 jobs
• Generated $358 million in Federal tax revenues
• Generated $316 million in state and local tax revenues

Freshwater Recreational Fishing License Sales:

License sales can be highly variable between years and are influenced by factors such as gasoline prices, the economy and weather conditions.  It is important to note that only about half of Florida anglers actually have to purchase a license due to various exemptions, so these numbers do not reflect participation.

In addition, the number of certified fishing license holders reported for Federal Aid in SportFish Restoration is less than the number of anglers (only license holders are counted), or total fishing privileges (since one person may hold multiple licenses). The certification reports can be found on the Federal Aid site. 

Freshwater License Sales summary for FY 2010-11:

Complete Fishing/Hunting License sales summaries for the last fiscal year (2010-11)  and previous years (2009-10) (2008-09)  (2007-08) and (2006-07) are also available with a more detailed explanation

Click chart for an enlarged printable chart of license sales

Hourly Expenditures:

The following hourly expenditure analysis is based on 2001 data (the latest broken down to this level of detail).  You can use an inflation calculator to update these figures to the current year.  In 2001 dollars freshwater fishing in Florida was estimated to generate $1.057 billion in retail sales, which produced an economic impact of $1.962 billion.  This economic boon to the state of Florida sustained nearly 20,000 jobs and provided recreation for 1.316 million anglers (resident and non-resident), who spent 20.840 million days fishing.

Black bass anglers fished a total of 12.2 million days in Florida, for an average of 9.3 days per angler in 2001.  Black bass continue to be the most popular sport fish in the nation in terms of fishing effort.  In Florida black bass anglers fish an average of 19 days each year.  Nationally, an average angler spent $337 in trip-related expenses (food, transportation, bait, ice, etc.), $106 for fishing equipment (rods, reels, tackle boxes, etc), $18 for auxiliary equipment (clothes etc.), plus an average per year of $255 on special equipment (boats etc.), for a total of $716.  Bass anglers spent significantly more with a total of $949 in trip related expenses annually (See USFWS/Black Bass Report; 1.1MB).

Southwick Associates also compiled some very interesting economic comparisons for the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and for the American Sportfishing Association that puts this in perspective, for instance: "Annual spending by Florida anglers is five times greater than the cash receipts from the state's orange crop ($4.08 billion vs. $786 million).

Based on the survey done in 1996 (the last time this detail was available) an average angler spent $18.20 per hour fishing (high was for non-resident bass anglers at $43.89 and low was for resident cane pole fishermen at $5.94 per hour).