What do 50 million Americans have in common? According to the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, that commonality is they all fish. And that number has been increasing almost every year since 2007.
Youth participation in fishing is up, Hispanics go fishing more often than the general population, and females make up 35 percent of total anglers numbering 17.9 million.
“Thanks to the strong improvements in recruitment and reactivation, fishing participation is up again this year,” said
Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation President and CEO Frank Peterson. “Better yet, the key audience segments we feel are tantamount to the future of fishing continue to see gains in overall participation and participation rate.”
Not everyone who is a fisherman continues fishing. Nine million people quit fishing in 2019.
Why do so many people love to fish? The study, conducted by Responsive Management, reveals that anglers look at fishing as a way to escape the day-to-day grind. They also love being close to nature and, of course, they love fresh fish for the dinner table.
That last one certainly points to the need to maintain clean water for fish and people. You look at the Arizona fishing regulations and you will see a number of our lakes with recommended restrictions on human consumption of some fish species. This is usually due to levels of the heavy metal mercury being too high in the tissue of the fish in question. In Arizona, mercury levels in our waters are due to natural sources, mining activities and power generation air pollution that ends up in our water. Fortunately for us in Flagstaff, trout are not on any restricted list.
The study also reveals nearly 1/3 of Americans are very interested in fishing while the major obstacles to their participation are access, litter and water quality. The major complaint by non-anglers is that fishing is too boring. To that, I say take up fly fishing.
To address the access issue, urban fishing programs have become very popular and the Arizona Game and Fish Department has urban fishing programs in many Arizona communities permitting people to fish with very little drive time. Frances Short Pond is part of the urban fishing program for Flagstaff.
Sadly, the study also revealed that 15 percent of those fishing have never bought a fishing license. This cheats the agencies that make fishing possible and increases costs for those who follow the rules.
March is here, our state waters are warming up and the fish are becoming more active. Get out there, wet a line, and do so safely by doing a risk assessment before you go. Consider the weather, the clothing you’ll need to stay warm in March and cool in July. Take drinking water, food, and always wear your personal flotation device if you are on the water in a small craft. And lastly, leave the lake or stream cleaner than you found it. Pick up trash, even if it is not yours.
March 02, 2021 at 02:35AM
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Wolf's Den: We love to fish, so keep water clean - Arizona Daily Sun
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