ALEXANDRIA, VA (June 28, 2012) – Fishing remains the most popular recreational activity in the country with more and more people trying out the sport every day according to a new study released this month by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) and The Outdoor Foundation. According to the 2012 Special Report on Fishing and Boating, for the first time in the history of the report, fishing added more participants (8.8 million) than it lost (eight million), bringing the total of Americans who fished to 46.2 million, or 16.2 percent of the population.
”We’re extremely pleased to see for the first time in several years, more people coming into the sport than dropping out,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “This indicates our efforts are positively influencing participation, enticing newcomers and past participants to get out on the water.”
“Fishing and boating are among the most important ‘gateway’ activities that often lead people, especially youth, to pursue other recreation experiences,” said Christine Fanning, Executive Director of the Outdoor Foundation. “We’re thrilled to partner, once again, with the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation on this important research project.”
The fourth annual report provides detailed information on boating and fishing participation by gender, age ethnicity, income, education and geographic region.
KEY FINDINGS
Fishing Participating
Hispanic American Fishing Participation
Youth Fishing Participation
Boating Participation
“Increased participation leads to increased fishing license sales and boat registration renewals, both key sources for funding state fish and wildlife conservation, and boating infrastructure programs,” added Peterson. “We hope to keep the momentum going so the joys of fishing and boating can be experienced by generations to come.”
The methodology and full study is available online at RBFF.org.
About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing™ campaign and Anglers’ Legacy™.