Recreational fishing 2016

In Finland, the number of recreational fishermen totaled 1.5 million in 2016, while in 2014 the number stood at approximately 1.6 million. Of the Finnish population, more than one in four – 28% – is engaged in recreational fishing. Of Finnish males, approximately 34% are recreational fishermen, while 19% of females go fishing.
The catch made by recreational fishermen increased slightly compared with 2014. The whitefish and pikeperch catch, together with the roach catch, increased the most. Instead, perch and pike catches decreased. However, they accounted for nearly half of the total catch of 30 million kilos.
Net fishing accounted for less than 40% of the catch, while in 2000, net anglers caught one half of the total catch. Fish caught using a spinning rod or by trolling accounted for nearly 26% of the total catch.
The information is based on a survey with a sampling of 7,500 people living in the various parts of Finland, whose names were obtained from the Population Register. A survey form was posted to them in early 2017. In addition, a sample of those who failed to respond to this survey was interviewed by phone.