Fisheries Economics of the United States

The Fisheries Economics of the United States report is NOAA Fisheries’ annual snapshot of the economic performance and trends within the nation’s fishing and seafood sectors. This comprehensive report provides key data for U.S. commercial and recreational fisheries, including: 

• Commercial landings, revenue, and price trends
• Recreational fishing effort, participation rates, and trip expenditures
• Industry employment, sales, income, and value-added impacts

It complements two other annual reports—Fisheries of the United States and Status of Stocks. Together, they offer a complete picture of both the ecological and economic dimensions of our marine resources.

With decades of data, Fisheries Economics of the United States highlights trends that inform policy development, support industry stakeholders, and enhance public understanding of the financial significance of our nation’s marine life.

This page provides key highlights from the latest report. The data in this report is preliminary and subject to revision as we get more information from regional partners. For the most up-to-date data, search our online statistics database. 

Key Economic Measures in Fisheries

Fisheries Economics of the United States reports commonly used economic measures to illustrate the impact of the U.S. fisheries. Here’s what these terms mean in the context of this report. 

Sales

The total revenue generated across the supply chain. For the seafood industry, this includes all transactions from the first sale of fish by commercial fishermen to processors, wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants. For recreational fisheries, sales include spending on fishing trips, such as charter fees, bait and tackle, fishing gear, and related tourism expenses.

Income

The wages, salaries, and earnings of people working in fishing-related industries. This includes those directly involved, such as commercial fishermen and charter boat operators, as well as workers in supporting sectors like seafood processing, retail, and tourism.

Value-Added

The new economic value created at each stage of the supply chain in fishing-related industries. This figure includes wages, business profits, and tax revenue. Unlike sales, which count the total value of all transactions, value-added focuses on the economic contribution of each step in the process. It is similar to how gross domestic product (commonly known as GDP) is measured.

Jobs

The number of full-time and part-time positions supported by fishing industries. This includes employment in fishing, seafood processing, charter operations, and indirect sectors such as distribution, food service, and fishing gear manufacturing.

Overall Economic Impact of Marine Fishing Activities

In 2023, U.S. recreational fishing and the seafood industry—including commercial fishing—supported $319 billion in total sales impacts and 2.1 million full- and part-time jobs nationwide.

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Commercial Fishing and Seafood Industry Economic Performance 

In 2023, the seafood industry—including commercial fishing—played a significant role in the economy, generating: 

• $173.4 billion in sales throughout the supply chain
• $43.9 billion in income for workers across seafood-related sectors
• $69.2 billion in value-added impacts
• 1.4 million full- and part-time jobs in fishing-related industries

Seafood importers generated the largest sales and value-added impacts, corresponding to the large volume of U.S. seafood imports.  

Recreational Fishing Economics Performance

Recreational saltwater fishing is among the nation’s favorite pastimes, and it remains a key contributor to the national economy. In 2023, saltwater fishing for leisure or subsistence generated: 

• $145.4 billion in sales impacts
• $47.1 billion in income from workers across recreational fishing-related sectors, including charter boat operations and bait retail
• $78.4 billion in value-added impacts
• 694,041 full- and part-time jobs in recreational fishing-related industries

Across the United States, the largest contributor to these economic impacts came from the purchase of rods, reels, boats, special clothing, and other durable fishing equipment.