Today, NOAA Fisheries released its 2022 Fisheries Economics of the United States report, one of the agency’s flagship products. It takes a detailed look at the economic performance of commercial and recreational fisheries on a state, regional, and national basis.

New this year is a slimmed-down version designed to improve the user experience while maintaining key information. The report is in a more accessible, engaging format that focuses on national-level information with select regional and topic highlights. The entirety of the datasets will be posted to Fisheries One Stop Shop database later this month.

Key takeaways from the report include:

• In 2022, U.S. commercial and recreational fishing supported 2.3 million full- and part-time jobs in fishing and across the broader economy generating $321 billion in sales impacts, and contributing $149 billion to gross domestic product.
• Total landings revenues in 2022 decreased 16 percent to $5.9 billion in inflation-adjusted (real) 2022 dollars, primarily the result of falling prices, but remains in line with the 10-year average.
• Recreational fishing generated $138 billion in sales impacts marking a 22 percent increase from 2021 to 2022 and remains an important part of the U.S. tourism sector and coastal economies.

The 2022 Fisheries Economic of the United States report showed U.S. commercial fishing, seafood industry, and recreational fishing continue to play an essential role in our coastal economies.