JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

FRESHWATER
Recreational Fishing and Licenses
Why & what for?
F
Fishing has provided recreation for at least 3,000 years
going back to a time when Pharaohs enjoyed the sport
for recreation and the challenge, not just for food. Anglers
still tell researchers they fish to relax and to get away
from everyday stresses; to spend time with family and
friends; and to enjoy the outdoors. Reasons such as to be
challenged, to catch a limit of fish or to try to catch a trophy
are typically secondary reasons. In other more eloquent
words, Henry David Thoreau said, “Many men go fishing
all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are
after.”
Something else that many anglers don’t know is the
“why” and “what for” of fishing. Thaddeus Norris, in his
1864 publication “The American Angler’s Book,” was among
the first to specifically refer to the need for conservation.
Even then it was obvious that without careful management
and stewardship, our fisheries resources could not
withstand the changes in habitat and various forms of
fishing pressure, both commercial and recreational.
Consequently, the public started calling for government
management of these shared resources and turned to
fishing licenses to pay for scientific management and
enforcement.
In Florida, counties independently collected their
own fishing license fees until 1925 when the State
Department of Game and
Fresh Water
Fish sold
the first
statewide
fishing
licenses
to support
conservation.
The prices were
$2 for out-of-county
residents, free for county residents, and $5 for out-of-state
anglers. Back then $2 could buy what $23 buys today. As
of October 2007, the $15.50 fee resident anglers pay for a
fishing license remains below the national average cost for
a fishing license. Their license enables anglers to fish as
often as they want (on average about 17 trips per year), for
as long as they want, to harvest their own meal (in many
by Bob Wattendorf
cases) and to help ensure the safe, sustainable future of their
sport. In comparison, the average court fee for playing tennis in
2006 was $16-$20 (nonpeak; RacquetSportsIndustry.com) and a
membership typically cost $768 per year. A round of golf costs
$45-64 per game, which lasts about four hours whereas bowling
costs about $3.50 per game and lasts 20 minutes. So by most
any standards, fishing is still an outstanding recreational value.
It is made all the more worthwhile because your purchase of a
license is an investment in the safe and sustainable future of a
lifetime recreation that is an American tradition connecting us
back to our roots and to nature. Maybe that helps explain why
recreational fishing is enjoyed by more Americans than play
both golf and tennis combined.
Florida remains the “Fishing Capital of the World,” with
more anglers than any other state--2.8 million, of whom 1.4
million fish in freshwater (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated
Recreation, 2006). Anglers enjoyed 46.3 million days of
recreational fishing in Florida in 2006 (the second highest
state was Texas with 41.1 million days),
and 24.5 million of the
days spent fishing
in Florida were in
fresh water (vs.
23.1 million in
salt water). The
recreational fishing
impact to Florida’s
economy in 2006
was $7.5 billion (the
second highest state
was California with
$4.8 billion). In addition,
Florida is the number one
fishing destination for tourists
with 885,000 anglers visiting and
spending over $1 billion (No. 2 was Wisconsin with 381,000
anglers spending $0.6 billion). To almost all of us though, it
isn’t the numbers or dollars that matter, it is the quality of life
and living that is associated with recreational activities and
living in a healthy environment that is most important.
To conserve our natural aquatic resources for their own
well– being and for the pleasure of our residents and tourists,
16 2008-2009 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission