Contacts
Terri Edwards (413)253-8324
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this year granted to 13 eastern states and the District of Columbia a total of $44.5 million through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program, according to Marvin Moriarty, Northeast Regional Director for the Service.
?Through the Sport Fish Restoration Program, anglers directly support the conservation of sport fisheries by paying taxes on tackle and motor boat fuel,? said Moriarty. ?A proportion of the dollars they spend ultimately helps fund sport fish programs in their state.?
Since the passage of the Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1950, more than $4 billion has been provided to state fish and wildlife agencies through this innovative program, said Moriarty. Amendments to the Act in 1984 increased the financial return to the states.
According to Moriarty, states use the Sport Fish Restoration Program funds for fisheries research, aquatic education programs and equipment, and sport fish facilities such as boat ramps.
Sport fishing in the Northeast is a $10 billion industry supporting 100,000 jobs according to ?Sportfishing in America: Values of Our Traditional Pastime,? a report published in 2002 by the American Sportfishing Association (www.asafishing.org). Anglers in the region in 2001 invested $78 million in sport fishing licenses.
?The conservation of nationally significant fisheries is one of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?s foremost responsibilities,? said Moriarty. ?We work with many state fish and wildlife agencies and conservation partners to recover threatened and endangered species such as wild Atlantic salmon, to restore runs of American shad and other coastal fisheries, and to protect vital habitats for native fish species.?
The Service will host fishing events at many national wildlife refuges as part of National Fishing and Boating Week, June 5 to 13. For more information on events, including free fishing days in each state, visit www.WaterWorksWonders.org.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?s Northeast Region encompasses 13 states from New England to Virginia. The Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. To learn more about the Service, visit www.fws.gov.
-FWS-
Table 1: Sport Fish Restoration Act Apportionment to Northeast States ? fiscal year 2004
|
State |
Apportionment |
|
Connecticut |
$2,605,270 |
|
Delaware |
2,605,270 |
|
District of Columbia |
868,423 |
|
Maine |
2,605,270 |
|
Maryland |
2,605,270 |
|
Massachusetts |
2,605,270 |
|
New Hampshire |
2,605,270 |
|
New Jersey |
2,605,270 |
|
New York |
6,630,580 |
|
Pennsylvania |
6,628025 |
|
Rhode Island |
2,605,270 |
|
Vermont |
2,605,270 |
|
Virginia |
4,325,856 |
|
West Virginia |
2,605,270 |
|
Total |
$44,505,584 |
Table 2: Economic Benefits of Sport Fishing in the Northeast ? 2001
Source: Sportfishing in America: Values of Our Traditional Pastime, American Sportfishing Association, 2002.
|
State |
Economic Output
|
Number of Jobs |
Certified Paid License Holders |
Collected License Fees |
|
Connecticut |
$389,375,629 |
3,097 |
171,100 |
$2,251,645 |
|
Delaware |
112,253,889 |
1,036 |
22,859 |
234,113 |
|
Maine |
541,188,350 |
6,109 |
262,003 |
5,974,860 |
|
Maryland |
1,063,396,570 |
1,1020 |
386,430 |
6,183,213 |
|
Massachusetts |
888,486,177 |
8,169 |
163,019 |
4,222,758 |
|
New Hampshire |
316,568,146 |
3,123 |
158,920 |
3,859,833 |
|
New Jersey |
1,423,621,649 |
12,553 |
181,053 |
5,010,887 |
|
New York |
2,068,763,922 |
17,568 |
1,056,841 |
13,910,714 |
|
Pennsylvania |
1,615,513,600 |
14,611 |
1,082,850 |
19,454,282 |
|
Rhode Island |
172,660,051 |
1,736 |
36,851 |
488,114 |
|
Vermont |
166,974,800 |
1,845 |
122,992 |
2,359,313 |
|
Virginia |
1,213,253,238 |
11,238 |
647,775 |
9,458,469 |
|
West Virginia |
179,517,111 |
2,038 |
284,822 |
4,754,972 |
|
TOTAL |
$10,151,573,122 |
94,143 |
4,577,515 |
$78,163,173 |
|
