Economy

[Jennie@ifish]

I would like some facts, and don't know where to find them, or if they have been done.
Which user group makes the biggest impact on our economy?
Sportsfishermen getting their quota, or a test fishery of tooth entanglement with their quota?
Sports fishermen... gas, motels, oil, food, tackle, purchase of boats, trailors, tags, etc...
Gillnetting... boats, tackle, nets, Coast Guard fees, sales from dealers to restaraunts to grocery store purchase etc?

I am very curious about this. Have there been any studies done?

Jen

[Pilar]

Jen,
There is a group surveying sport fishermen at the coast launch sites. I was interviewed 3 weeks ago when I went on the last Ocean trip. They ask about how often you go, where you buy and how much you spend. I believe the group is the Pacific fisheries council and may be affiliated with NMFS. I will be contacted by them when they follow up the study.

They are trying to get a picture of how sport fishing affects the coastal economy and specifically how season closures affect the coastal towns. When I learn more about this I'll post the info.

[Joe Schwab]

Jennie, Look up Alaska Sportfishing Association. This organization has some eye popping statistics taken from sales tax records, and business records. There was also a study done some years ago and my memory fails me as to who did it. It seems it was Univ. of Wisconsin on the economic impact of sport fishing vs. commercial fishing. The numbers come out way in favor of sportfishing. Some local lodge and guide owners in Soldotna and Kenai provided records that showed for every Kenai King taken approximately $800 to $1000 was spent in the local economy by the clients. It has always been obvious to me that spreading a resource out to thousands of people through sportfishing generates far more money to the economy than taking those same fish and catching them in gillnets by a select few who then sell often to overseas markets at which time the buck stops to flow. We all know how a sportfishermen thinks. He is going to spend every dime he can spare usually in local businesses for tackle, bait, gas and boating equipment. This money circulates around town several times quickening the economy. Ask any local who lived here when the good old days of ocean sportfishing drove the tourists to ports by the thousands. When has sportfishing dominated the news like this spring run? I talked to one gillnetter who thinks the tangle net fishery is a joke. And he sounded like he was not the only one who felt that way in the commercial community. Maybe its time for an initiative petition to declare Spring Chinook a game fish just as was done with steelhead. With all the publicity in place who knows? images/icons/cool.gif images/icons/grin.gif

[Grits]

I had the same thought today as I stopped and got gas and ice in Tillamook, ate dinner on the way home and of course stopped and got some cheese. It really hit me how much money we sportsmen put into the economy. I think if we stopped sportfishing there would be a large hole in the economy but can't imagine the same would be true for the commercial/indians. Maybe I have found my topic when I start working on my doctorate.

[HarpMan]

Contact Liz Hamilton of Northwest Sportfishng Industry Association she has all the info, especially related to Oregon.
NSIALIZ@aol.com

[Jennie@ifish]

Thanks, Marty!
I also e mailed Liz about it..
I will go read!
Jen

[smilesforu]

Jen
There have been studies done. I posted some links on my site a few months back I will see if I can find them. I think it was the ASA who did the study and it really favored the sporties.

[ 04-15-2001: Message edited by: smilesforu ]

[smilesforu]

Found it images/icons/grin.gif First one is the ASA study, The second one is how commercial and sporties compare.

ASA study (http://www.asafishing.org/newsroom/newsletter/jan98/economy.htm)

Commercial vs sporties (http://www.johnssportinggoods.com/BERRC/HOMEPAGE/NEW.HTM)