Added on Thursday, June 23, 2011  Fish Post

Releases – June 23, 2011

Of the 231.5 million adults living in the United States in 2010, 32.4 percent—or 75 million—participated in recreational boating, according to findings from the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s annual Recreational Boating Statistical Abstract.

This is the highest proportion of participation in recreational boating since 1999, when 33.4 percent of adults were boating participants, according to the NMMA. These 75 million boaters represent an increase of 14 percent from the recessionary year of 2009, which saw 65.9 million boaters.

There were 1,118,130 total power- and sailboats sold in 2010 (not including canoes and kayaks) a 4 percent decrease, compared with 2009.

New power- and sailboat unit sales totaled 188,230 in 2010, a decrease of 10 percent, compared with 2009’s decrease in unit sales of 35 percent, signaling that the rate of decline in new-boat sales is slowing.

There were 929,900 used boats sold in 2010, a decrease of 2.4 percent, compared with 2009, a likely result of continuing pent-up demand for boats and consumers looking for lower price points in the used market.

In the new-boat market, sales of outboard boats, often small fishing or water sports boats, fared best, declining 4 percent, compared with 2009. There were 112, 800 new outboard boats sold in 2010. In the used market, sales of sterndrive boats, typically boats of less than 26 feet, remained steady, increasing .03 percent, compared with 2009. There were 175,800 used sterndrive boats sold in 2010.

Overall, recreational boating retail expenditures for boats, engines, trailers, accessories, and services totaled $30.4 billion in 2010, a 1 percent decline from the previous year.

The NMMA also reported that aftermarket accessory sales increased 6 percent, to $2.4 billion (from $2.3 billion in 2009), and spending per boat averaged $147 for 2010, also up 6 percent from 2009.

The NMMA notes that there are an estimated 17 million boats in use in the United States.

“Despite decreases in new-boat sales last year, the industry remains alive and well, as existing boaters took to the water in record numbers and had a willingness to spend on their boats and boating outings,” NMMA president Thom Dammrich said in a statement. “Increases in participation and spending on the aftermarket equal good news for the industry, as it tells us boating remains a recreational activity Americans aren’t willing to forgo in times of economic recession.”

Dammrich also said boaters expect to get in the water this year, despite rising gas prices.

In August 2008, at the start of the recession, when gas prices were last above $4 a gallon, the NMMA and Michigan State University’s Recreational Marine Research Center conducted a survey of 2,211 powerboat owners who went boating between January and July of 2008. The survey found that 99 percent continued to go boating in 2008 despite rising fuel prices. In fact, boating participation increased 6 percent in 2008, to 70 million (from 66 million in 2007).

“We expect boaters to continue boating this summer, as economic indicators which impact boating habits, such as consumer confidence and consumer spending, are faring much better than they were three years ago, when we last saw $4-per-gallon fuel prices,” Dammrich said.

The Columbia Field Office of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries will close June 27, and it is not scheduled to reopen.

The office is slated for closure in all versions of the proposed state budget, and the division does not anticipate this line item will change once a final budget is approved.

Staff that works out of the Columbia office will transfer to other division offices.

Recreational fishermen may purchase licenses online at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission website at www.ncwildlife.org/License or from a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission service agent. A list of agents can be found on the Wildlife Commission website at www.ncwildlife.org/Apps/WildlifeServiceAgent/Search.asp. Many bait and tackle shops sell recreational licenses.

Commercial fishermen may renew their licenses at any of the other division license offices or through the mail. License applications and renewal forms can be downloaded from the division website at www.ncfisheries.net. Commercial fishermen may also call the Morehead City Division Headquarters at (252) 726-7021 to request an application packet.

The closest division offices to Columbia are: Manteo Field Office, 1021 Driftwood Dr., Manteo, (252) 473-5734, or Northern District Office, 1367 U.S. 17 South, Elizabeth City, (252) 264-3911.

The toll-free telephone number from the Columbia office will be transferred to the Manteo Field Office on June 27.

Anglers headed to the coast for the busy July 4 week should purchase their saltwater fishing license before they leave home to avoid potential long lines at tackle and bait shops, sporting good stores, and other wildlife service agent locations along the coast.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s website, www.ncwildlife.org, is the fastest and easiest way to purchase your license. You can also purchase a license by: calling the Wildlife Resources Commission at (888) 248-6834, and the hours of operation are 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., 7 days a week; visiting a local Wildlife Service Agent, and most are located in bait-and-tackle shops, hunting and sporting good stores, and larger chain stores; visiting one of five Division of Marine Fisheries offices located along the coast (for locations, visit the agency’s website, www.ncfisheries.net). 

A Coastal Recreational Fishing License (CRFL) is required for anyone 16 years and older to fish recreationally in the state’s coastal fishing waters, which include sounds, coastal rivers, and their tributaries out to three miles into the ocean. Recreational anglers who catch fish from three miles to 200 miles offshore also need this license in order to transport fish back to the shore. 

Prices for the CRFL vary depending on residency, age, duration, and type of license purchased. For residents, the annual cost for a CRFL is $15; for a 10-day license, $5.

For non-residents, the annual cost for a CRFL is $30; a 10-day license is $10. 

For more information on the CRFL, including a comprehensive list of all available licenses, or to download a document of frequently asked questions, visit www.ncwildlife.org/license.

Forty volunteers from PenderWatch & Conservancy, North Carolina Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), and the School of Marine Sciences of the University of North Carolina—Wilmington built 198 feet of oyster reefs on an important but badly eroding island at the mouth of Mill Creek in Hampstead in Pender County, NC, on June 11.

The reefs were built using 930 mesh bags of oyster shells that PenderWatch collected at its six shell drop-off/collection sites in Pender County over the past two years. The five reefs that were built are the first of twelve reefs that PenderWatch has permission to build under its CAMA Major Permit. The groups plan to build a total of seven reefs before November.

The reefs will stabilize the island from erosion caused by boat wakes from the Intracoastal Waterway, filter polluted water from stormwater runoff, as well as jump start new, bigger natural oyster reefs, which will rejuvenate the waters. The reefs will attract not only oysters but also a wide variety of other marine life, will benefit recreational and commercial fishing, and will generally help to develop healthy fish resources in Pender County. 

PenderWatch volunteers who visited the reefs two days after they were built reported seeing many baby crabs and minnows already swimming around the new reefs.  

“We at CCA NC were extremely impressed with PenderWatch’s ability to attract the many volunteers who came out Saturday to help build the reefs,” said Stephen Ammons, Executive Director of CCA NC. “Helping refurbish habitat by creating oyster reefs is one of the many aspects CCA NC can help with in restoring and protecting North Carolina’s marine resources.”

Supervising marine biologist Pat Donovan-Potts of PenderWatch stated, “We expect large numbers of oyster spat to recruit to the reef within the next few weeks. Those spat will reach maturity in three years, and new spat will continuously attach to the shells in the reef over the next few years. Each adult oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water every 24 hours, so we are providing habitat and improving water quality at the same time.”

West Marine recently awarded one of its prestigious annual Marine Conservation Grants to CCA NC and PenderWatch to help fund this project. The Marine Conservation Grants are awarded to outstanding non-profit organizations throughout the U.S. who are working to improve and protect marine habitat. 

“We are proud to support recreational boating and fishing groups and marine environmental groups who are working together for abundant and healthy fisheries,” said Randy Repass, Chairman of the Board and Founder of West Marine.