It’s no secret that California’s fishing participation rate and licenses sales are in a desperate state. Fortunately, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) recognizes that inaction does not serve the interests of recreational anglers, nor the department. This recognition could not be more timely.
In September of 2017, a new report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed that 101.6 million Americans — or 40 percent of the U.S. population (16 years old and older) participated in wildlife-related activities, such as hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching. This national report, which comes out every five years, revealed an 8 percent increase in angler participation from 2011-16, and a 2 percent increase of expenditures made by anglers from $45 billion to $46.1 billion. Sadly, the number of anglers and their economic contribution would have been significantly greater if California’s declining participation rate would simply stop its slide. ..
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