8143

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8143
• Author: Sousa, R. J., F. P. Meyer and R. A. Schnick.
• Title: Better Fishing Through Management\
• USFW Year: n.d.
• Copyright Material: NO

Introduction
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Americans love to go fishing! In fact, we love it so
much that each year, over 60 million people go fishing.
That's more than one fourth of the total U. S. popula-
tion. We spend 987 million days and over $28 billion
annually in pursuit of America's favorite pastime.
During the past ten years, our population has grown by
20 million people-5 million of whom also want to go
fishing. As the population grows, the demand for quality
fishing also increases. Unfortunately, the number of
available ponds, lakes, and rivers is limited and other
interests, such as navigation, industry, boating, etc., also
compete for the available water. Fishing is but one use
for an already over-taxed resource.
State and Federal agencies are faced with a dual
problem-how to protect the aquatic environment from
over-exploitation and, at the same time, satisfy the desire
of Americans to go fishing. Since the likelihood of
creating new water areas is very low, fishery agencies
have but one alternative in dealing with the situation.
They must provide optimal management of the existing
resources to assure that the needed environment con-
tinues and to ensure that our fisheries are not destroyed
by over-use. Careful management will be required if our
waters are to provide the quality fishing we want and still
ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the
same privilege. In this case, the science of "having our
cake and eating it too" is known as fisheries manage-
ment.