Ever wonder how big an industry our fishing, hunting and wildlife watching industry is ? 4.5 Billion dollars a year. Here’s a quick run down of where we are, even with the catch as diminished as it is. Back in the 70s, I would venture it was 10x this, as hunting and fishing were much bigger, and wildlife viewing (like whale watching) was much smaller. Maybe, some day, all our efforts to revive the stocks will lead us back to a massive, sustainable harvest with no runs on the Endangered Species List. (thanks to Bob L. for pointing out that this is a total of all three industries.
Facts about fishing in Washington — and fishing for votes
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110916/BLOG48/709169941/-1/News