This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Angling reels in £113m for economy
15/03/2004
Angling is worth £113 million a year for Scotland's
economy and supports almost 3,000 jobs, according to a
report,
The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in
Scotland, produced by Galsgow Caledonian
University and Cogentsi Research International.
The report includes the results of surveys of anglers
and fishery owners throughout Scotland, which was divided
into seven regions for the purpose - Dumfries and Galloway,
Borders, Central, North East, Highlands, Western Isles, and
Orkney and Shetland.
Deputy Environment and Rural Development Minister Allan
Wilson said:
"Angling is reputedly Britain's biggest participative
sport. For a long time, there has been a perception that
angling was important to the Scottish economy. This report
makes that perception a reality.
"With an annual expenditure of £113 million and 2,800
jobs being supported, most of them in rural areas, the
sport of game and coarse angling, not only helps foster an
appreciation of our country's natural resources, but also
brings clear economic benefits to Scotland, particularly
rural Scotland.
"This report underlines the value of the work being done
by the Executive and its Agencies to understand the biology
of Scotland's freshwater fish and the work undertaken to
protect and improve Scotland's rural and freshwater
resources, which plays such an important role in providing
the necessary environment in which the sport of angling can
prosper.
"We are grateful for the cooperation of so many
organisations and individuals with an interest in angling
in providing the information necessary to allow completion
of this important work.
"The Executive gave a commitment in our Partnership
Agreement to continue to promote access for anglers to
watercourses. We all know how valuable our fish are in
natural heritage terms, and we know how much we should be
promoting this sport. This report has shown us just how
much a sustainable angling sector can add to Scotland's
economy too.
"The recent consolidation of the Scottish salmon and
freshwater fisheries legislation, some of it more than a
century old, gives us the opportunity to look afresh at the
legislative framework underpinning the sport. New
legislation is planned, within this Parliament, to address
issues such as fishing methods, access and management.
"I want to see the further development of sustainable
fisheries for game and coarse fishing. I look forward to
engaging with all those interested in the future of angling
in Scotland in the coming months."