Florida TaxWatch: Fishing Boosts Florida's Economy by $5 Billion

Florida TaxWatch released an economic study on Tuesday which finds Floridas fishing industry leads to $5 billion annually for the Sunshine State. The study finds that more than half of that comes from indirect sales and expenses. More than 1.2 million tourists have already come to Florida to fish so far in 2013.

"Florida's unique location and variety of fishing opportunities position the state as the world leader in sport fishing tourism," said Dominic Calabro, the president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch, on Tuesday.

"Sport fishing has a direct impact on Florida's economy," said Jerry Parrish, Florida TaxWatchs chief economist and the executive director of the TaxWatch Center for Competitive Florida. "The impact of fishing on industries outside of tourism is often overlooked."

The study can be read here.