| 12 May 2008
Rob Southwick and his son enjoy a summer day fishing for snook in SW Florida. Rob drives down from Jacksonville and spends a few days. This is the ripple effect at work
When you bend a rod on Snook, you're spending big money.
Ripple Effect
According to the recently National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, more than 87 million Americans in 2006 hunted, fished or observed wildlife and collectively spent about $120 billion in pursuing outdoor recreation, which is as much as they spent on spectator sports, casinos, motion pictures, golf courses and country clubs, amusement parks and arcades combined.
Ed Hopkins is a Building Contractor While his skill is building homes, his passion is fishing. On most weekend mornings, he tows his boat 50 miles to his favorite fishing spot. On the way, he stops to buy gas for his truck, pick up sandwiches and soft drinks for lunch on the water and stock up on some fishing supplies. That means a trip to his local tackle retailer where he'll purchase a couple of new lures and a spool of fishing line. Although Ed certainly isn't thinking of this, his expenditures are rippling out through the local economy, much like the spreading ripples of a stone tossed in a lake.
Ed's day on the water helps support salaries and wages in his local community. While individual expenditures may seem insignificant, when multiplied by nearly 40 million anglers nationwide over the course of a year, the economic effect is enormous.
Salt Water Fishing in Florida By the Numbers
- Ripple effect -- $5,123,992,575
- Salaries wages and business earnings -- $1,568,389,759
- Federal Tax Revenue -- $378,902,841
- State and Local Tax Revenue -- $311,265,319
- Jobs -- 51,588
Each saltwater sports fishing trip on Florida's Water is valued at an average of $350.00 Dollars
Capt Saki with John and Theo of Snookers in Tarpon Springs enjoy a day on the water catching snook. The 1.4 million snook fishing trips in SW Florida in 2005 equaled $490,000,000 in spending
If enough money is spent-as in the case of sportfishing-businesses benefiting from the rippling cycle will add employees whose wages and salaries, when spent, will support still more jobs. Taxes will be generated, too. Economic multipliers, while subtle, can be immensely powerful. That's why and how the 2006 spending numbers of America's nearly 40 million anglers had an overall economic impact of $125 billion and supported over one million jobs nationwide.
These aren't just jobs as fishing guides or sporting-goods clerks, but include telephone linemen to truck drivers whose wages are supported in part by the dollars spent on fishing. The remarkably simple activity of Ed's weekend fishing trip truly is an economic driving force in this nation's economy.
Even Telephone lineman and truck drivers wages are supported in part by the dollars spent on Salt Water Fishing in Florida, snook are in the top five species targeted by Florida Anglers
These recently released numbers from American Sportsfishing Association and Southwick & Associates's, indicate that the combined value of saltwater fishing trips in Florida is 7 billion dollars.
Snook Anglers along the SW Florida Coast spend $490,000,000 fishing for snook. Three Counties enjoy the greatest windfall from this natural resource, Sarasota, Lee, and Charlotte.
Growth in these areas demand land to expand. Shopping Centers, Gated Communities, golf courses, housing and streets. The question is balance. When natural resources are displaced the money they produce is gone. Yes, anglers care when nursery habitat is destroyed in order to turn a shallow feeder creek into a highway to the big water by a dredge. Florida has lost as much as 60% of the needed juvenile habitat required for game fish production. By the way, when juvenile snook are doing well in their nursery habitat then so are tarpon, redfish, and a host of forage fishes, blue crabs and pink shrimp. We all have to live on the planet together but we do need to strike a balance.
Informed anglers working together can shape a better future for Florida. A sane approach to stewardship starts with you. No matter what your profession, you have influence within your sphere as an angler to make a positive difference. Keep informed and Keep participating
The direct investment cited comes from fishing license sales which are a primary funding source for most state fish and wildlife agencies. In 2006, license sales came in at approximately $600 million. Special federal excise taxes and import duties on fishing gear, pleasure boats and boat fuel added up to another $600 million in 2006, under the long-running Sport Fish Restoration Act. That money is apportioned to the states and is likewise critical in supporting state fisheries programs and access areas for recreational boaters.
