Both commercial and recreational fishermen are using high-tech gear to locate and capture their prey as fishing has played vital role in their lives. In an effort to quantify the economic impact of fishing, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has published a volume called “Fisheries Economics of the U.S., 2006,” a year in which saltwater fishing contributed approximately $185 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than two million jobs.
It is reported that out of the $185 billion in sales, the commercial fishing industry was responsible for $103 billion, compared to $82 billion for the recreational fishing industry, or 55.6 to 44.4 percent. It is also mentioned that nationally, commercial landings had an ex-vessel value of $4.1 billion in 2006, as compared to $3.6 billion in 1997, a decline of three percent when adjusted for inflation.
Landings of American lobster increased from 82 to 92 million pounds between 1997 and 2006 and the price per pound increased from $3.29 to $4.27 on average.
At the same time the number of recreational fishermen increased from 8.9 to 13.6 million between 1997 and 2006, and they took more trips, 87.1 to 68.5 million. In 2006, 43 million trips were aboard private or rental boats, up from 34 million trips in 1997, 40 million trips were on shore (29 million in 1997), and 3.8 million were aboard charter or party boats, down from five million in 1997.
It is found that nationwide, anglers harvested 2.6 million striped bass in 2006 (up from
1.5 million in 1997) while the released 25.9 million (15.9). The harvest of summer flounder (fluke) fell from 7.1 to 4.2 million fish in the report’s period, while release increased from 12.8 to18 million fish.
In Massachusetts, total landings revenue from commercial fishing jumped from $224 to $437 million between 1997 and 2006, with sea scallops accounting for almost the entire increase ($47 to $234 million). Because of the thriving sea scallop fishery, shellfish made up 74 percent of total landings revenue. Cod, haddock, and flounders accounted for approximately half the total finfish landings, in terms of revenue, both at the beginning and end of the report period.
The report also contains the details of species that has been killed in all this period and also the bycatch that dwindle some fish stocks.
