Freshwater angling is growing in economic importance in B.C. and the Thompson-Nicola region is among the hot spots, a new report says.
The economic impact report, commissioned by Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C., states that freshwater fishing's economic impact has grown to more than $546 million a year in direct spending, an increase of $23 million annually since 2005.
In relative terms, anglers spend three times more on equipment than downhill skiers and add almost as much as cruise ship passengers to the provincial economy.
Participation is also growing, a trend that is expected to continue, the report says.
Using data from the 2010 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada, the report shows that the number of anglers in B.C. grew by six per cent from 2005.
Benefits of the expanding industry are concentrated in certain regions. The Thompson-Nicola region, with 18 per cent of the economic impact, is second only to the Lower Mainland.
The region also placed second in total fishing package expenditures, with almost $4 million spent on lodge, guided charter boat or fly-in fishing packages. Direct economic benefits in the region total $99 million.
Results of the study show that the industry remains strong despite the economic slowdown in 2008, said Don Peterson, president of the Freshwater Fisheries Society.
"It's positive news for the province as a whole," Peterson said. "A significant number of B.C. anglers live in urban areas and fish in rural areas, which represents a transfer of economic activity from urban to rural."
