LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The pandemic has put a strain on many businesses.
But some industries are booming, and that includes fishing and boating - especially here in Florida.
New data from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation shows that during the pandemic more Floridians have decided to take up both sports.
The foundation looked at license sales data and boat purchases.
Across the country, there’s been an increase of more than three million fishing licenses compared to last year.
In our state, people are fishing a lot more than they were last year, as Florida resident fishing license sales are up almost 17 percent.
This may be because people are finding new hobbies.
"People are getting in the outdoors, they're finding activities that they need and want to get back into, just so they're not cooped up in the house and feeling claustrophobic"
While more Floridians are fishing, non-resident license sales are down in our state.
At the start of the pandemic, many states saw significant deficits due to all the travel restrictions in place.
The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation says that when it comes to rebounding, we are recovering.
