More than 98 million Americans 16 years and older engaged in some recreational activity related to fish and wildlife in 1991, pumping $59.5 billion into the Nations economy, the initial findings of the l99l National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation revealed.
"Quite simply, wildlife is wildly popular," said Service Director John Turner. "Americans always have found fun and relaxation in the great outdoors and that tradition continues today. But just as important, wildlife-related recreation significantly benefits our economy, creates jobs, and enhances our standard of living."
Spending on wildlife-related activities accounts for 1 percent of the Gross National Product and creates thousands of jobs across the country, Turner noted.
Fishing continued to be one of the Nations favorite pastimes, with 34.8 million anglers at least 16 years old spending an average of 14.5 days each fishing in 1991. Fishermen spent $25.3 billion on trip-related costs, equipment, and other expenditures, averaging more than $700 apiece.
More than 30 million people went freshwater fishing, while 8.7 million people went saltwater fishing. The Great Lakes, one of the most widely fished freshwater areas, attracted 2.5 million people.
Meanwhile, nearly 14 million Americans 16 and older hunted an average of 17 days each in 1991. They spent some $l2.3 billion on their activities and equipment, or $900 apiece.
Nearly ll million hunters sought big game such as deer and elk on l28 million days. Roughly 7.5 million hunters pursued small game, including squirrels and rabbits, on more than 76 million days.
Three million migratory bird hunters spent 22 million days hunting for birds such as doves and waterfowl. And l.4 million hunters spent l9 million days hunting other animals, including raccoons and woodchucks.
More than 76 million adults participated in nonconsumptive wildlife-related activities including feeding, observing, and photographing wildlife. Thirty million people, or 39 percent of this total, made outings away from home to participate in these activities. Seventy-four million, or 97 percent, were able to enjoy nonconsumptive wildlife-related activities within a mile of their homes.
More than 65 million enthusiasts, or 86 percent of the residential nonconsumptive participants, fed birds and other wildlife. Nearly 55 million, or 72 percent, enjoyed watching wildlife, and 17 million, or 22 percent, photographed wildlife.
Another l5.6 million people, or 20 percent, visited public parks or natural areas to enjoy wildlife, and almost l4 million, or l8 percent, maintained plantings or natural areas for the benefit of wildlife.
The U.S. Bureau of Census interviewed l28,000 households in the United States to determine participants in wildlife-associated activities.
From this initial phase, 68,000 individuals were selected to be interviewed by telephone three times at four-month intervals during l99l.
Previous surveys only interviewed participants once during the survey year. The methodology was changed for the current Survey in order to improve the accuracy of the data.
The change was made because people recall detailed information concerning expenditures and days of activity more accurately when interviewed more than once a year. Therefore, information contained in the l99l Survey is not directly comparable to past surveys.
The Services final report will take the change into account when examining past Survey results to identify trends in participation and expenditures.
The last National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation was in 1985.
The l99l Survey was paid for through excise taxes on sporting arms, ammunition, fishing equipment, pleasure boats, and motorboat fuels which go into the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration and Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration accounts.
Preliminary State data will be available in December l992. The final National report will be available in May l993 with individual State reports available four to six months later.
NOTE TO EDITORS: A summary of highlights from the 1991 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife Associated Recreation is attached. Additional data will become available when the final survey report is released.
The following highlights are contained in the preliminary report of the 1991 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation:
o More than 98 million Americans 16 years old and older participated in fishing, hunting, and nonconsumptive wildlife-related activities in 1991. This represents 51 percent of the adult population.
o More than 39 million people 16 and older fished and hunted in 1991. They spent $41 million on food, lodging, transportation, equipment, and other expenses related to fishing and hunting.
o Nearly 35 million people 16 years and older went fishing in 1991. They spent an average of 14.5 days each fishing and spent an average of $728 on the sport. Some 30.4 million anglers went freshwater fishing while 8.7 million went saltwater fishing.
o Anglers spent $11.7 billion in 1991 for fishing trips, $9.2 billion on equipment, and $4.1 billion for licenses, stamps, tags, permits, land leasing and ownership, membership dues and contributions, and magazines.
o Nearly 14 million people 16 and older went hunting in 1991. They spent an average of 17 days each hunting and spent $900 on the sport.
o Hunters spent $3.4 billion for trip-related expenses, $5.1 billion on equipment, and $3.7 billion on magazines, membership dues and contributions, land leasing and ownership, and licenses, stamps, tags and permits.
o More than three-quarters of hunters, or 10.7 million people, hunted big game such as deer or elk; 54 percent, or 7.5 million, hunted small game such as rabbits or squirrels; 21 percent, or 3 million, hunted migratory birds such as doves or waterfowl; and 10 percent, or 1.4 million, hunted other animals such as woodchucks and raccoons.
o In 1991, 76.5 million people 16 and older participated in nonconsumptive activities for the primary purpose of feeding, observing or photographing wildlife. They spent $18 billion on these activities.
o Nearly 66 million people fed birds and other wildlife around their homes. Fifty-five million observed wildlife near their homes while 15.6 million visited public parks or natural areas near their homes.
o Thirty million people took trips to observe, feed or photograph wildlife. Of these, 24.7 million observed, fed or photographed birds while 22.5 million sought out land mammals. Ten million observed, fed or photographed fish.
Expenditures by nonconsumptive users include $7.5 billion on trip-related costs, $9.6 billion for equipment, and $1 billion on dues and contributions to wildlife-related organizations and magazines.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 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 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 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 Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
