Most cite increased video game use and other indoor activities as the reason kids just don’t seem to be getting outdoors as much as they did in the past.  In addition, people are working more in order to maintain desirable lifestyles and thus spend less time participating in outdoor leisure activities.  Whatever the causes, it’s no secret that fewer people are fishing and hunting now than just a decade or two ago, and a recent AP article reveals some stunning numbers that confirm this notion.

Sales of Vermont hunting and fishing licenses have dropped more than 20 percent over the last 20 years, leaving the Fish and Wildlife Department pleading with lawmakers for extra funding.

Arkansas hunting license sales dropped from about 345,000 in 1999 to about 319,000 in 2003.Pennsylvania sold about 946,000 hunting licenses in 2006, down from just over a million in 1999, and a peak of 1.3 million in 1981.

Oregon had 100,000 fewer licensed anglers last year than in 1987, and 70,000 fewer licensed hunters.

West Virginia sold 154,763 resident hunting permits in 2006, a 17 percent decrease from 1997.

There’s no question these aren’t the only states that have experienced such declines.  When comparing results from creel surveys I conducted in northern Maine to numbers from a decade before, it appeared that people simply weren’t fishing as much.  Older folks were dying out and weren’t being replaced by the next generation.  Growing up I’d heard about the congregations of anglers that would once crowd in front of the inlets of local lakes to fish for smelts.  The smelts are still there, but in many areas, the crowds aren’t.

Fewer people participating in outdoor activities ultimately means that fewer licenses dollars are available to fund state fish and wildlife agencies, which rely on license proceeds for a good portion of their budgets.

Many states are beginning to take extra steps to introduce youngsters to the outdoors in hopes that they will become regular participants in these activities and support fish and wildlife management in the coming years.

Most fishermen have probably long been aware of the importance of recreational fishing to the U.S. economy, but recent reports are beginning to show just how big the industry is. 

I was amazed at the findings of the recent American Sportfishing Association study that showed that sportfishing generates an estimated $125 billion in overall economic output, and supports over 1 million jobs!

Read the report (pdf) here. 

In a report recently released by the conservation group California Trout, a private firm has concluded that fishing represents a major part of California’s economy.  The report states that anglers in California spend over $2 billion on fishing-related expenses annually. 

What’s even more interesting is the predicted economic benefit that would result from increasing fish populations in particularly fisheries.

For instance, the report states:

 If salmon populations were increased in the Klamath River, each additional fish caught by anglers would be worth $200 to the economy.  Approximately every 1,000 fish caught recreationally generates four jobs in the area. 

These are really interesting numbers, especially since they come at a time when government and the public sometimes have to make decisions about political issues related to fisheries.

The report recommends that increased state funding be targeted to activities that sustain and restore fisheries and habitats for their ecological values and benefits to people. It states that restoration of compromised fisheries would result in improved economic opportunities from fishing and other water-based recreation, as well as other benefits such as ecosystem health and biodiversity.  

If you’re not from California, doesn’t this make you wonder about the value of your own state’s recreational fisheries, and how much benefit could be derived from increased investments in natural resources?

You can download the full report below:

The Value of Recreational Fishing in California

In the interest of disclosure, I should mention that California Trout provided funding for this study.

Check out the Cal Trout Press Release here.