Anglers weigh in £1.4 billion
Anglers pump a phenomenal £1.4 billion into the English economy every year, according to a study conducted by the Environment Agency.
This income supports up to 27,000 full time equivalent jobs, and highlights the huge contribution anglers make to the economy.
The study, titled ‘A Survey of Freshwater Angling in England’, is the first major investigation of its kind since 2005, and results were gathered after a review from 10,000 rod licence holders.
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust, outlined just why the results are so significant.
He said: “These figures confirm that angling makes a huge contribution to the economy, alongside the many benefits it brings to the health and wellbeing of millions of people each year.
“The Angling Trust, working with the Environment Agency, are focused on the protection and growth of angling, not only as an important contributor to our economy, but also to our society as a whole.”
The survey also discovered other interesting facts, such as the amount of days spent fishing every year, as well as the nation’s most targeted species.
An almighty 19 million days are spent coarse fishing, making it England’s most popular form of angling.
Incredibly, seven million of these days are spent fishing for carp, making them the nation’s most popular species.
These impressive figures are supported by investment of rod licence income, as Kevin Austin, Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment at the Environment Agency, believes.
He added: “All income from fishing licence sales is used to fund our work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries.
“This includes improving habitats for fish, facilities for anglers and tackling illegal fishing. We also work with partners such as the Angling Trust, Get Hooked on Fishing, the Canal and River Trust and the Angling Trade Association to encourage people to give fishing a go.”
Key Stats from the survey
£1.4 billion contributed by freshwater anglers annually into the economy
27,000 jobs supported
10,000 licence holders surveyed
Average annual angler expenditure
£400 on tackle
£110 on club or syndicate fees
Type of water fished
70% lakes, ponds and reservoirs
30% rivers and canals