Declining Sportfishing Industry Hurts Lake Ontario Counties
Many of the New York counties near Lake Ontario are suffering due to spending declines and lost jobs. A recent study by Cornell University has predicted that fishing trips on Lake Ontario could decline by as much as 32 percent by 2012 compared to 2007. New York’s largest sport fishery is Lake Ontario. As recently as 2007, the industry had around 1000 jobs and generated over $42 million in spending by tourist fishermen in the counties of Oswego, Orleans, Niagra, Monroe, Jefferson, Cayuga, and Wayne. There was also significant spending by out of county fishermen. Tourism officials do not need to read a study to know how much the industry has struggled, and are scrambling for different ways to compensate for the decline. An additional concern is that the younger generation doesn’t seem to be participating in shows. It appears that there are only older men shopping for new rods and reels. This is troubling to those concerned about the future for the industry.
