Sportfishing
in America
WHAT IS THE AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION?
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) is the sportfishing industry’s trade association committed to representing the interests of the entire sportfishing community.
We give the industry a unified voice, speaking out on behalf of sportfishing and boating industries, state and federal natural resource agencies, conservation organizations, angler advocacy groups and outdoor journalists when emerging laws and policies could significantly affect sportfishing business or sportfishing itself.
ASA invests in long-term ventures to ensure the industry will remain strong and prosperous, as well as safeguard and promote the enduring social, economic and conservation values of sportfishing in America.
ASA also gives America’s 60 million anglers a voice in policy decisions that affect their ability to sustainably fish on our nation’s waterways ™ through KeepAmericaFishing, our angler advocacy campaign.
ASA also represents the interests of America’s nearly 60 million anglers who generated $48 billion in retail sales with a $115 billion impact on the nation’s economy creating employment for more than 828,000 people in 2011.
DRIVE PAST ANY LAKE, river or beach and odds are you will see people, even entire families, gathered along the shore or in boats fishing. Fishing is, after all, one of America’s most enduring pastimes; something in which people of all ages can participate and an activity that millions of families and friends enjoy each year as a way to have fun together and spend time in the outdoors. But fishing is more than just the thrill of the catch or a peaceful – and sometimes adventurous – escape. It’s the foundation of an industry that supports more than 800,000 jobs involved in the manufacture, sale or provision of angling products and services, such as hotels, tackle retailers, boat builders, restaurants and more. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation identifies fishing as one of the most popular outdoor recreational activities in the United States. As many as 33 million people aged 16 or older participate in the activity, and spend $48 billion annually on equipment, licenses, trips and other fishing-related items or events. These funds help create and support more than 828,000 jobs in the United States at a time when many industries are still coping with a challenging economic climate. In some rural areas, the dollars brought in through recreational fishing help support entire communities.
This is
Anglers support more than
in the U.S.
828,000 JOBS
2 • www.ASAfishing.org