FLORIDA NUMBERS MAKE THE ECONOMICS CLEAR

Ocean recreation is a big part of a Florida’s thriving economy. The state is one of the diving hot spots on the US mainland, and is also developing into a famous shark diving destination. Divers from all over the world flock to Florida in hopes of seeing bigger marine creatures like turtles, sharks, and rays. Florida is considered the (recreational) fishing capitol of the world. 

• Fishing, tourism, and ocean recreation on the Florida coastlines supports 609,899 jobs and contributes $34.7 billion in GDP. 

• Florida is #2 in newly certified divers in the United States. 

• Diving and snorkeling bring in a whopping $11 billion in GDP, and divers spend $628 million annually. 

• Coral reefs in the Caribbean (including Florida) generates $2.1 billion in revenue a year. 

• 4.24 million snorkelers visit a year, and 4.56 million divers. Together, this accounts for 26,000 full-time jobs, contributing $909.4 million to the Florida economy every year. 

• In 2009 residents learning to dive in Florida contributed about $20 million in additional sales of equipment, education and travel to the local economies. 

• If we are talking specifically about sharks, 1/3 of all divers in Florida seek experiences with the possibility of seeing sharks. And 1/5 of all divers intentionally seek shark encounter dives. 

• In an independent study by Oceana in 2016 and 2017, they found that while Florida brings in $221 million a year for their shark diving industry, the ENTIRE United States only brings in $1.03 million a year in shark fin sales.

• These activities translate into nearly 3,800 full-time jobs.

Maintaining current business levels and future growth in shark diving will rely on healthy and abundant shark resources. Continuing declines in shark populations along the US coasts could have significant business implications for Florida’s dive operators (Gallagher and Hammerschlag 2011). 

RECREATIONAL FISHING IS A BOOMING INDUSTRY IN FLORIDA

The potential impact on shark populations is self-evident and shows why it will be so important to convert recreational fishing for sharks more and more to catch-and-release methods. According to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Florida is #1 in the nation in saltwater anglers (2.4 million), selling 1,779,030 licenses to residents and non-residents in 2016-2017. In those same years, recreational fishing generated $20,821,879 in revenue. Saltwater recreational fishing generates $8 billion a year for the state, supporting 114,898 jobs. For more information from the FWC click here.