On May 5, 11:21 pm, Garrison Hilliard <garri...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> POSTED: 4:55 pm EDT April 28, 2008
>
> SANDUSKY, Ohio -- Concerned about the declining number of people
> fi****ng, Ohio's wildlife leaders are handing out free fi****ng poles to
> kids and teaching them how to snag a walleye.
>
> Those are just a couple of the programs designed to build a new
> generation of anglers.
>
> The number of fi****ng licenses sold has dropped dramatically over the
> past two decades.
>
> During the 1980s, about a million Ohio residents held fi****ng licenses
> each year. Two years ago the number was down 662,867.
>
> "It just seems like a heck of a large segment of young folks are out
> of touch with the natural world," Ray Petering, the Ohio Division of
> Wildlife's executive administrator of fish management. "They're
> content to play video games and stay inside all day."
>
> It's not just Ohio that is seeing a drop in fi****ng.
>
> Wildlife officials say the declining number of fi****ng and hunting
> licenses nationwide is the hottest topic among natural resources
> agencies across the country.
>
> Ohio's natural resources department has increased its outdoor
> education programs, including hunting and fi****ng education courses.
>
> "We're trying desperately to maintain that connection to the
> outdoors," Petering said. "The decision to hunt and fish is an
> individual decision. We just want to make sure that these young folks
> at least have some exposure to these outdoor activities."
>
> Some activities, such as camping, hiking and bird watching, are
> growing in popularity, he said.
>
> The number of fi****ng licenses sold did go up two years ago following
> a good hatching year for fish in Lake Erie in 2003.
>
> "Lake Erie is the primary driver of license sales," Petering said. "We
> really bucked a state and national trend when we showed an increase
> and everybody else had a decrease."
>
> Jack Tibbels, who owns Tibbels Marina and Charter Service in
> Marblehead, said families are the ones who need to help promote
> outdoors activities.
>
> "The grandfathers are out here in great force, taking their grandkids
> fi****ng because they've done it," he said. "That's all we do. We go
> someplace hunting and we take them with us."
>
> http://www.wlwt.com/news/16038859/detail.html
Here in Florida, Its the same thing. A big decline in the number
of fi****ng licenses
being sold and a lot fewer young folks out fi****ng.
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