PHOTO COURTESY RBFFResearch by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and Southwick Associates shows that female anglers represent a significant revenue opportunity for the recreational fishing industry.
The study found that a 10% increase in female angler participation could provide an additional $1 billion in revenue. It’s estimated that each female participant is worth nearly $1,000 in annual revenue for the industry.
“We know through research that recruiting and retaining female anglers is critical to growing fishing and boating participation overall,” RBFF president and CEO Dave Chanda said in a statement. “Increasing female participation is also good for business, and the industry stands to benefit greatly from focusing more on this growing audience.”
The study found that women in the South and Midwest spent around $3.5 billion each annually (more than $7 billion total) on fishing. In the Midwest, female anglers each spent an average of $1,106 annually, and their counterparts in the South spent an average of $796 per person.
The research also showed that female saltwater anglers in 2021 spent more per capita than female freshwater anglers — $6.6 billion versus $3.7 billion.
Women also spent more on saltwater fishing gear and other expenditures compared with freshwater, 35% to 22%, respectively.
