Commercial and Recreational Fishing add 200 billion to US economy

U.S. commercial and recreational saltwater fishing generated more than $199 billion dollars in sales and supported 1.7 million jobs in the US in 2012, according to a new economic report released by NOAA’s Fisheries Service.

The report, Fisheries Economics of the United States 2012 provides economic statistics on U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries and marine-related businesses for each coastal state and the nation.

The US commercial seafood industry including harvesters, seafood processors and dealers, and seafood wholesalers and retailers—generated $141 billion dollars in sales, $39 billion dollars in income and supported 1.3 million jobs in 2012, the most recent year included in the report.

The greatest portion of the nation’s landings revenue generated by the commercial fishing industry was in Alaska at $1.7 billion dollars, followed by Massachusetts and Maine.

The five states that generated the most jobs from fishing in 2011 were California, Massachusetts, Florida, Washington, and Alaska.

Recreational fishing generated over $58 billion in sales impacts, nearly $20 billion dollars in income, and supported 380,000 jobs in 2012.

Nearly 11 million recreational saltwater anglers across the U.S. took 72 million saltwater fishing trips and spent $4.6 billion on fishing trips and $20 billion on fishing-related equipment.

Saltwater recreational fishing generated its highest economic effect in sales impacts and jobs in West Florida at $9.1 billion dollars in sales and 75,000 jobs.

East Florida came is second at $4 billion dollars in sales and 34,000 jobs followed by Louisiana, New Jersey and North Carolina.

Fisheries Economics of the United States 2012 is available online : We have posted the link on the news page at oysterradio.com and on the Oyster Radio facebook page.

http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/publications/feus/fisheries_economics_2012

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