A new landmark study has revealed almost a third of people in Western Australia go fishing and spend $2.4 billion a year on fishing-related activities.
The report delves into what recreational fishers spend on trips to get to their favourite fishing spot – everything from bait, ice and food, to boat and travel expenses.
The Economic Dimensions of Recreational Fishing in Western Australia report, undertaken by Economic Research Associates, found the biggest spend was for food and drink, with recfishers spending a whopping $605 million a year.
Fishing and tackle shops turnover about $159 million a year from recfishers on gear expenditure, while spend on bait and ice topped $244 million. The report also found the average annual spend of boat-based fishers is $13,559 (not including the boat purchase), while the average shore-based fisher spends $2,253 per year.
The WA Government has been delivering on its election commitments and made significant investment towards new recreational fishing opportunities in the past two years. This includes funding for rock fishing safety, the commercial buyback of fisheries in the Peel-Harvey Estuary and Derby, a new metropolitan artificial reef, a 12-month lobster season and funding to upgrade boating facilities.
The report was funded through the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund, which uses money from fishing licences to fund projects that benefit recreational fishing in WA.
Source: WA Government
