Fishing participation way up

By Dan Armitage, OCJ outdoors writer

Back in 2016, anglers were dropping out of the sport faster than new participants were joining. Since that time, efforts by state agencies have been critical in driving increases in fishing participation. In fact, the 2024 Special Report on Fishing reported a record-high 57.7. million Americans went fishing, surpassing participation rates even from the peak years during the COVID shutdown.

Part of the credit goes to a critical tool in the process known as R3 (Angler Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) spearheaded by the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)’s President’s Task Force. Angler R3 efforts include recommendations for state agencies to help improve their effectiveness and efficiency to ensure a strong future for fishing participation and subsequently, conservation dollars.

In partnership with AFWA, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) annually implements the State Angler R3 Scorecard, a self-assessment tool for state agencies to assess progress on Angler R3 Recommendations.… Continue reading