Angler Expenditures & Economic Impact Assessments

NOAA Fisheries has collected expenditure data from saltwater anglers since 1998 and just completed a national survey of saltwater angler expenditures. Results from expenditure surveys are used to assess how marine recreational fishing contributes to the economies of these coastal communities, coastal states and the national economy, overall. For example, NOAA Fisheries estimates that in 2009 saltwater fishing generated $50 billion in sales impacts, contributed $23 billion to GNP, and supported 327,000 jobs in the marine recreational fishing industry and across the broader economy. 

Although not a replacement for cost-benefit studies, regional economic impact models may also be used to estimate the economic impacts of different management alternatives.