National Fisheries Update Boasts Economic Gains,
Two Improved Fish Stocks

Annual reports measuring the economic impact of domestic commercial and recreational saltwater fishing are out, showing gains in rebuilding of the nation’s federally managed fisheries.

Taken together, the two reports, Fisheries Economics of the United States 2012 and the Status of U.S. Fisheries 2013, also show the importance of fisheries in the U.S. economy, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The reports, released April 29, show that fishing is big business and culturally important in our country, said Eileen Sobeck, head of NOAA Fisheries.

The economics report documents how commercial and recreational fishing supported some 1.7 million jobs in 2012, the most recent year for which data are available, a gain over 1.6 million jobs in 2011. The commercial fishing industry, including harvesters, processors and dealers, and wholesalers and retailers, generated $141 billion in sales, $39 billion in income, and supported 1.3 million jobs in 2012 in fishing and across the broader economy.

Recreational fishing generated $58 billion in sales, $19 billion in income, and supported 381,000 jobs in 2012 in fishing and across the broader economy.

The annual economics report also breaks down sales, income and job figures for each coastal state, including Alaska, California, Florida, Massachusetts and Washington. The five states generating the most recreational fishing jobs were Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina and Texas.

The other new report, Status of U.S. Fisheries 2013, also show improvement in U.S. fisheries through rebuilding of stocks. The two stocks rebuilt in 2013 include Sacramento River fall Chinook salmon and Southern Atlantic Coast black sea bass.

The Status of U.S. Fisheries 2013 is online at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisheries/status_of_stocks_2013.htm

Fisheries Economics of the United States 2012 can be found at http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/publications/feus/fisheries_economics_2012.