THE American Sportfishing Association has voiced its support for a report recognising the outdoor recreation industry as a significant contributor to the U.S. economy.
The report, federally funded by the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, was released recently by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. It notes that the outdoor recreation industry has a U.S. GDP contribution of 2.2 percent and an annual gross economic output of $731 billion.
This economic contribution is greater than other key economic sectors, including the mining, utilities and chemical products manufacturing industries. In addition, with 4.55 million jobs, the outdoor recreation sector generates similar employment as other major job creators in the United States, including hospitals, transportation and warehousing and educational services.
Of special note is that recreational fishing and boating contributes $38.2 billion to the annual economy – the largest of the core outdoor recreation activities.
