Angling Participation on the Rise

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a synopsis of the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-associated Recreation, and it shows a substantial increase in recreational fishing participation: nearly 20 percent in the past decade.

The survey, conducted every five years in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau, also indicates that overall fishing participation increased 8.2 percent for individuals 16 to 65 years old over the last five years, the highest level of participation since 1991. Revenue from equipment purchases to all trip expenditures also increased from $45 billion to $46.1 billion during the same period.

“Dedicated efforts by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF), state fish and wildlife agencies, the recreational fishing industry and independent programs have made increases in recreational fishing possible,” said Glenn Hughes, vice president of industry relations of the American Sportfishing Association, which developed tools and materials for the recreational fishing industry to further assist in the effort, with the emphasis on effectively reaching anglers through recruitment, retention and reactivation practices.

“We’re excited to see the fruits of our efforts validated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s latest report,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “The results show that RBFF has had a positive impact on fishing and boating since its inception, and we only plan to build upon these numbers.”