Table 3.6  U.S. Marine Recreational Fisheries by Region, 1981-1998

  North Atlantic Mid-Atlantic South Atlantic
  Fishing Fish Fish Fishing Fish Fish Fishing Fish Fish
Year trips caught weight trips caught weight trips caught weight
                   
  number million number million number million
  (in millions) pounds (in millions) pounds (in millions) pounds
                   
1981 5.76 36.98 68.79 14.01 100.82 118.56 8.55 44.48 37.87
1982 7.04 46.75 85.71 15.50 81.15 105.42 13.63 64.15 48.53
1983 7.10 35.20 68.38 18.57 125.02 124.65 14.46 62.99 65.20
1984 5.32 24.58 39.63 15.76 101.11 100.53 15.09 59.77 50.05
1985 7.07 41.08 59.43 14.74 90.85 79.40 15.32 67.18 59.96
1986 7.48 49.89 81.97 18.84 153.94 135.53 14.90 59.42 53.56
1987 5.78 34.29 55.17 14.72 99.92 116.72 16.95 50.30 51.56
1988 5.74 25.72 39.73 14.90 77.90 85.89 18.82 56.08 54.85
1989 5.23 24.58 33.10 12.17 64.58 76.97 16.36 46.05 46.35
1990 5.54 18.65 28.89 13.35 84.59 56.80 13.57 40.78 35.77
1991 6.80 26.69 35.63 15.98 126.00 65.19 17.39 54.95 47.66
1992 5.70 17.74 21.17 12.22 75.03 47.33 16.74 54.09 45.00
1993 6.23 20.99 24.30 15.29 97.57 55.08 16.80 50.89 37.35
1994 6.28 25.88 23.92 16.24 94.95 45.86 19.93 72.17 50.09
1995 6.51 21.98 19.79 15.58 88.52 58.87 18.75 65.24 50.44
1996 6.76 23.43 21.29 16.50 86.42 55.74 16.82 51.26 43.76
1997 7.63 23.78 19.32 17.23 96.55 60.24 17.00 58.30 49.32
1998 7.40 23.47 17.41 14.31 83.62 46.49 15.90 52.02 na
                   
  Gulf of Mexico1 Total Atlantic & Gulf Pacific2
  Fishing Fish Fish Fishing Fish Fish Fishing Fish Fish
Year trips caught weight trips caught weight trips caught weight
                   
  number million number million number million
  (in millions) pounds (in millions) pounds (in millions) pounds
                   
1981 12.06 87.39 53.00 40.38 269.67 278.22 11.00 51.00 na
1982 13.42 113.33 75.70 49.59 305.38 315.36 11.00 53.00 na
1983 19.98 146.17 80.92 60.11 369.38 339.15 11.00 44.52 na
1984 19.64 133.87 71.75 55.81 319.33 261.97 10.00 46.84 na
1985 15.42 101.20 65.45 52.55 300.30 264.23 9.90 43.18 na
1986 19.04 144.08 96.56 60.26 407.32 367.62 11.03 55.31 na
1987 16.09 101.56 66.54 53.54 286.08 289.98 9.97 47.54 na
1988 19.74 130.95 70.85 59.20 290.65 251.31 12.42 51.22 na
1989 15.62 113.91 66.90 48.38 249.11 223.32 9.45 41.29 na
1990 13.31 106.38 51.55 45.77 250.40 173.00 na na na
1991 18.17 177.34 79.77 58.34 284.98 228.24 na na na
1992 18.08 145.03 68.93 52.74 291.88 182.40 na na na
1993 17.43 147.33 68.52 54.75 316.78 185.24 6.89 30.92 20.94
1994 17.50 148.86 63.57 59.95 341.85 183.44 7.19 27.17 17.92
1995 17.12 135.78 73.06 57.96 311.53 202.16 7.22 27.61 24.31
1996 16.32 118.63 64.57 56.40 279.73 185.35 7.77 34.05 23.19
1997 18.10 139.82 79.31 60.95 318.44 208.19 7.19 29.00 26.01
1998 15.90 124.96 na 53.00 284.00 177.45 7.00 28.00 17.55

Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries of the United States 1998 (GPO, Washington, DC, 1999).

Notes:  na = not available. 1Does not include Texas. 2Does not include Washington for 1993-1996. Data for the South Atlantic for 1998 are estimates.

Last Updated on Saturday, April 15, 2000