California celebrated boating and fishing in June 2019
February 18, 2020
STATEWIDE—The first nine days of June 2019 served as California Fishing and Boating Week, coinciding with a national campaign of a similar title (National Fishing and Boating Week) at the same time. Legislators in Sacramento approved a resolution last spring to declare California Fishing and Boating Week, June 1-9, 2019.
The resolution, which was filed with the Secretary of State’s office on June 13, 2019 – a whole four days after the nine-day “week” was over – listed several interesting facts about boating and fishing in the United States. It declared boating and fishing as “cherished American traditions,” promoting “family values and unity … [and] wholesome recreation and outdoor lifestyles.”
More than 141 million Americans (71.1 million adults, 70.5 million children) engage in boating activities each year, according to the resolution.
Recreational boating, as an industry, contributes $170.3 billion to the national economy, the resolution added. This includes direct, indirect and induced spending. The U.S. recreational boating economy also supports more than 35,000 businesses and 691,000 jobs (direct and indirect).
The United States manufactures 95 percent of boats sold in the country, according to state legislators.
Our fishing economy is supported by 49 million anglers and, according to the 2019 resolution, helps “generate a total economic output of $125 billion and 802,000 jobs.”
“Anglers and boaters are stewards of the environment, contributing $1.6 billion in excise taxes annually to the federal Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which funds habitat conservation and restoration efforts, preserving our natural resources for future generations,” the resolution stated. “Sport fishing is vital to California’s tourism economy, with 2 million anglers spending $2.9 billion while fishing, supporting $5.2 billion in economic output and 37,000 jobs.”
The annual economic impact of recreational boating on the California economy, according to the resolution, is $13 billion, 41,125 jobs, 2,820 businesses and 745,641 registered boats.
National Fishing and Boating Week was acknowledged in the resolution as “a fantastic opportunity for families to spend time together on the water” and “a special week, filled with events nationwide that provide families an opportunity to reconnect, create new memories, and have fun together on the water.”
