Survey: Ten million people in France went fishing in the past 12 months

The body that represents the fishing tackle trade in France has produced the most comprehensive survey ever carried out on the industry in the region.

Groupement de l’Industrie Française d’Articles de Pêche (GIFAP) says that its findings reveal the economic weight of the industry, the number of practising anglers and their spending habits and its importance to tourism. GIFAP found that 21% of the French population – ten million – said they had been fishing in the last 12 months.

The most popular types are fishing are:

• Predator/trout 37%
• Sea 26%
• Carp 20%
• Match 14%
• Fly 3%

The value to the economy of the fishing market in France is €550m – including taxes – and accounts for 7,000 direct jobs. It reports that there are 700 specialised retailers selling fishing tackle in the country.

Manufacturers and importers are responsible for than 600 brands.

See the full report on the GIFAP website here