Image via WikipediaWASHINGTON -- The fisheries program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,in association with state agencies and other conservation organizations,
contributes $3.6 billion to the nation’s economy and supports 68,000 jobs
across the country, according to a new report issued by the agency.
“The report confirms once again that fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreational activities are an economic engine for our country,” said
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “When we invest in restoring fish
and wildlife habitat and creating opportunities for people to enjoy
outdoor recreation, we are investing in economic growth and jobs for the
American people.”
Overall, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation contribute an estimated
$730 billion to the U.S. economy each year, Salazar noted. One in twenty
U.S. jobs are in the recreation economy – more than there are doctors,
lawyers, or teachers.
The report, Conserving America’s Fisheries, An Assessment of Economic
Contributions from Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Conservation, shows that
each dollar invested in the Service’s Fisheries Program, combined with its
partners, generates about $28 in economic contributions and value.
The economic contributions generated are evidenced at sporting goods
stores, marinas, guides and outfitter services, boat dealerships, bait
shops, gas stations, cafes, hotels, and many other enterprises.
“Since 1871, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program has been
a leader in managing species, conserving habitat and sustaining the
biological health of America’s aquatic resources,” said U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “These resources are inextricably tied
to the health and wealth of our nation. These benefits are ecological,
scientific, aesthetic, recreational, commercial, subsistence, social,
cultural – and economic in nature.”
The report – the first time that Service economists have analyzed the
economic contributions of the nation’s fisheries programs – finds that a
total of 68,000 American jobs are associated, directly or indirectly, with
the fisheries conservation programs and projects.
The report also shows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish
Hatchery System alone generates $900 million in industrial output and $550
million in retail sales. National Fish Hatchery programs generate 8,000
jobs and $256 million in salaries and wages.
Meanwhile, the National Fish Passage Program works with partners to reopen
an average of 890 miles of river habitat annually, which has a economic
value of $483 million and supports 11,000 jobs. That is more than $542,000
in economic benefit per stream mile restored.
The Service’s Fisheries Program plays a vital role in conserving America’s
fisheries, along with key partners from states, tribes, federal agencies,
other Service programs, and private interests.
The fisheries program consists of almost 800 employees nationwide, located
in 65 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices, 70 National Fish Hatcheries,
9 Fish Health Centers, 7 Fish Technology Centers and a Historic National
Fish Hatchery and Archives.
The program supports the only federal fish hatchery system, with extensive
experience culturing more than 100 different aquatic species.
These employees and facilities provide a network that is unique in its
broad on-the-ground geographic coverage, its array of technical and
managerial capabilities, and its ability to work across political
boundaries and embrace a national perspective.
For a copy of the report, or to see the summary of the report titled Net
Worth: the Economic Value of Fisheries Conservation, please visit
http://www.fws.gov/FHC/.
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