National Marine Fisheries Service

01/17/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/17/2025 15:13

2024 National Recreational Fishing Highlights

NOAA Fisheries made significant strides in 2024 to advance and promote sustainable recreational fisheries and fishing opportunities across the nation. Our work was guided by the National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Policy and associated implementation plans . At the suggestion of anglers, we updated the Policy in 2023 to better reflect the interests of the recreational fishing community. The combined recreational implementation plans identify nearly 150 agency commitments, affirming our dedication to sustainable and accessible recreational fisheries for the benefit of the nation.

Our work in 2024 helped to:

  • Strengthen and enhance data collection and partnerships
  • Improve fish habitat
  • Educate new anglers
  • Support sustainable recreational fisheries, among other actions, through collaboration and community

These accomplishments demonstrate our dedication to fostering a thriving recreational fishing sector and healthy marine resources for future generations. Read on for more information and see highlights from all of our regions.

National Highlights

Engaging anglers, scientists, and managers to advance the National Policy for Saltwater Recreational Fisheries was the hallmark of NOAA Fisheries Recreational Fisheries Initiative in 2024. The RecFish Initiative and the Office of Habitat Conservation partnered again in 2024 to restore habitats important to the recreational community through collaborations with the National Fish Habitat Partnerships and anglers. Projects in South Carolina, Oregon, and Hawaii engaged anglers and students from traditionally underrepresented communities to foster learning, restore habitat, and improve data. Veteran , family, and youth participation shined at five events with NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the National Park Trust.

Education and scientific understanding were important aspects of our work. We co-hosted a seminar on Emerging Challenges and Solutions in Marine Recreational and Non-Commercial Fisheries with Dr. Andy Danylchuck, UMass Amherst, at the American Fisheries Society annual meeting. We co-sponsored the 7th International Billfish Symposium with the International Game Fish Association. We also joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a formal partner on the Sport Fishing and Boat Partnership Council .

Critical to public confidence, sound science, and fisheries management was our work to collaboratively strengthen the state-federal recreational fishing data collection partnership. Led by the Office of Science and Technology, the intent is to improve scientific accuracy, precision of catch and effort estimates, and credibility while better meeting regional data needs. We hosted 15 listening sessions with the public, state, and regional partners. The inputs from these and other discussions will inform how we collaboratively reshape the data partnership over the next year. We also tested improvements to the Fishing Effort Survey to enhance recreational fisheries data quality and will analyze data from the year-long study in early 2025.

National Implementation Plan Progress

39 individual commitments

  • Projects completed/ongoing: 52 percent
  • Projects initiated/in-progress: 45 percent
  • Projects not started: 3 percent

Looking Ahead

NOAA Fisheries will continue executing our regional and national recreational implementation plans to advance the National Policy for Saltwater Recreational Fisheries in 2025. Angler engagement, collaborative research, and recreational data improvement will remain priority focus areas. We will continue collaboratively working to strengthen the state-regional-federal recreational data partnership with a series of regional workshops. We will begin planning for the 2026 National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit, informed by scoping discussions with the recreational fishing community in the spring of 2025. As always, we will work to ensure that the perspectives of anglers are understood, their voices are heard, and that they are included in the fisheries science and management processes that guide their passion and pursuits.