Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Economic Activity Generated by Missouri Anglers


Fishing catches more than just a fistful of dollars in the Missouri economy.

Using data from the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, all fishing in Missouri by anglers 16 years and older generates $772,090,940 in retail sales each year.

The expenditures have an economic impact of $1,561,999,764 (that’s over $1.5 billion) support 13,870 jobs with $340,274,506 in earnings, and generate $38,755,026 in state sales taxes.

Black bass fishing has the largest economic influence at over $560 million ($560,823,740) in overall economic impact, followed by crappie fishing with $242,102,174, then trout fishing with $240,096,201, and fishing for catfish with $156,831,989.

Nonresident anglers contribute $130,435,326 to the overall fishing expenditures, and their expenditures generate $254,296,023 in overall economic impact. The expenditures of nonresident anglers support 2,438 jobs and $7,318,285 in state sales taxes.

On the average, each angler in Missouri spends $635.49 each year. Resident anglers spend more each year per person, at $680.82, than do nonresidents, who spend $478.71 per person.

Missouri resident trout anglers spend the most per person each year, on the average, at $662.92, followed by black bass anglers with $537.89. Panfish anglers spend the least amount per person each year, at $144.51.

When I was a boy, $144.51 would have purchased quite a pile of cane poles, bobbers, and worms. Instead, I often used my grandfather’s cane pole, or sometimes just a long stick, with a cotton twine line and a steel hook. The bobber might have been relatively new. I pulled a bunch of bluegill from a farm pond with that type of rig.

When my own boys were young, we managed to spend more for the same kind of fun, using child-sized Zebco rods and reels, plastic PowerBait, and cool-colored bobbers. With two boys, they kept me pretty busy keeping hooks baited, lines untangled, and rods pointed towards the water. Our trips to the store certainly helped the Missouri economy, one bobber at a time.

Obviously, current generations of Missouri anglers are also making trips to the store for poles, line, bobbers, and bait, with a positive effect on the Missouri economy.

More information about the economic impacts of fishing, hunting, and wildlife-related recreation, in addition to participation and demographics information, is in a report entitled "The 2001 Economic Benefits of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Watching in Missouri" available at: http://www.southwickassociates.com/freereports/default.aspx

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