Industry Perspective on Sport Fish Restoration

American manufacturers of sport fishing equipment have been major partners to the management and conservation of America’s fishery resources. The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration (SFR) program, established in 1950, serves as the backbone for conservation funding in the United States and is a  critical funding pool for a diverse set of important state and national recreational fishing and boating programs, including fisheries management, habitat conservation, water and boating access infrastructure programs and angler and boater outreach, among others. American manufacturers pay a 10 percent tax on their sportfishing equipment, including rods, reels, lines, lures, other tackle, nets and more.  These excise taxes have averaged $100 million annually and represented 15 percent of the receipts into the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund over the last five years (FY 2007-2011).  As a key partner in the SFR program, the sport fishing industry is committed to ensuring that these funds ultimately benefit their customers – United States anglers and boaters.  The industry understands that the healthy sport fish populations and aquatic habitats and the recreational opportunities provided by the SFR program are necessary for its long-term economic viability. American Manufacturers willingly pay the excise tax on fishing tackle because they understand that this money is invested in fishery conservation programs that directly benefit their businesses.