Post pandemic, what will the future fishing megatrends? Do any of us know?
Here are a few interesting insights into what the next 10 years may have in store. With a lack of opportunity to go out and fish, all that is left to do is plan and prepare for future expeditions.
While scouring the web for news and updates regarding latest travel restrictions and destination lockdowns. I couldn’t help noticing that even the most reliable sources of news and information are still unsure of what the future holds and can only offer theories and predictions to the general public.
There has been a big ease in lockdown measures in most countries and international travel has somewhat achieved the first few baby steps towards a new “normal”, which is good news for us travelling anglers. But I can’t help but dwell on what will we be dealing with after another 10 years.
Last year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (or MIT) published a list by futurist Andrew Winston of the biggest megatrends that will impact the world by 2030.
For decades, MIT has produced some of the world’s greatest innovators, entrepreneurs and startups while building a world-renowned research and engineering culture.
They have also produced dozens of Nobel laureates as well, so when they share some predictions, I’m all ears. Andrew Winston has consulted for big companies like McDonald’s, Apple, Bank of America, Walmart, HP, Disney and Cisco, proving his credentials and pedigree with aplomb.
Here is his list along with how they affect our fishing future:
Demographics: There will be about 1 billion more of us, and we will live longer.
The world should reach 8.5 billion people by 2030, up from 7.3 billion in 2015. The fastest growing demographic will be the elderly, with the population of people over 65 years old at 1 billion by 2030.
Most of those new billion will be in the middle class economically, as the percentage of citizens in dire poverty continues to drop (a rare sustainability win).
This will result in a big win for the recreational fishing community in my opinion. Initially, newcomers to the sport may cause unintentional harm as part of the growing pains of getting into the sport, but the increase in population and lifespan will lead to a greater number of experienced and responsible recreational anglers further leading to a well-cared for environment.
We can be pessimistic about it and foresee further damage and destruction to the environment, but I am confident in the new generation. Fishing tackle sales will also grow exponentially as more consumers demand more products. Expect new and innovative brands and products soon!
Urbanization: Two-thirds of us will live in cities.
The urbanization of our populations will increase, creating more megacities as well as small- and medium-size metropolises. By 2030, more than two-thirds of the world will live in urban centers.
This will be both good and bad for fishing in general. Good for inland megacities as there will be less people populating remote and pristine locations, minimal human footprints and damage, resulting into healthy natural environments fit for reproductions and proliferation of animal life.
Bad for coastal megacities as more people equals to more pollution. Surely waste management technologies will have been evolved by then, which keeps me optimistic.
Urbanization by 2030 will also result in improvements in terms of infrastructure in the hard to reach places, making fishing trips to far flung places easier, more accessible and hopefully cheaper too.
Transparency: Our world will become even more open — and less private.
The amount of information collected on every person, product, and organization will grow exponentially, and the pressure to share that information — with customers and consumers in particular — will expand.
This is extremely good for consumers of fishing products and services. Accurate technical reviews of the products we wish to purchase will be readily available and trustworthy. No more second guessing our purchases.
Researching which charter operator or fishing guide is best in which destination becomes fast and easy. We are currently getting a good taste of what will happen in 10 years as we are already in the age of free information, albeit not all sources are trustworthy.
In time, all information will be open and accessible to all but will negatively affect our privacy in the process. I don’t mind less online privacy, as long as I’m catching fish.
We could all just wait and see where these historic waves take us. But I prefer that we all work proactively to ensure that a better, thriving future is the one we choose.
Resource Pressures: We will be forced to more aggressively confront resource constraints.
Water will be a stressed resource, and it seems likely that many cities will be constantly in a state of water shortage. We will need more investment in water tech and desalination to help. Recycling will be a bigger deal as virgin resources will be harder to source.
Expect more plastic or synthetic materials in the future fishing tackle market, especially in the fishing reels department. Metals will be a commodity that is harder to source by 2030, and most high-quality reels have metal components.
Hopefully, tackle manufacturers invest in and develop technology involved in creating synthetic materials for gears, shafts, bearings and other components to a point where earth-metals are no longer a must in fishing reels and other equipment.
Technology Shifts: The internet of things will have won the day, and every new device will be connected.
Affordable Artificial Intelligence will achieve human levels of intelligence. AI and machine learning will plan much of our lives and make us more efficient, well beyond choosing driving routes to optimize traffic.
A “robot” world we’ve only imagined and projected onto movie screens will become a reality.
As a fishing guide, I don’t fear losing my job to a robot anytime soon. No amount of technology can drive boats, find fish, and tie knots effectively for maximum fishing pleasure.
Automation in certain aspects of the fishing realm will be a treat. Automatic line spooling, automatic reel cleaning, hook sharpening, etc. Automate the mundane and tedious, yes.
But fishing success will always rely on time and experience. There will be a vast improvement in weather forecast technology, resulting in more accurate forecasts for better fishing results, so another win for the fishing community here.
Global Policy: There’s an open question about how we’ll get important things done.
Global problems require globally unified responses, yet it seems less and less likely that nation states will be able to effectively govern collectively, let alone collaboratively. As a result, it will be up to business to take the lead on solving these issues.
Although global leaders are less likely to cooperate for global change, anglers and outdoorsmen and women are more likely to work together for a better future for the environment.
As guardians of the environment, people who love and enjoy the outdoors have a unified goal of keeping the earth clean and happy for future generations to enjoy.
Politics, poverty, inequality, resource shortages and such may be out of our hands, but we can at least help maintain the climate and keep our earth healthy.
Populism: The rise of nationalism and radicalism may increase … or it won’t.
The rise of nationalism may increase, with xenophobia continuing to grow. Different philosophies, views and cultures. We may see deeper trenches dug in between nations, or maybe the opposite can happen.
As described a couple of times above; anglers are highly likely to have a unified view of how to sort important fishing issues out, but are very unlikely to have the similar take on other aspects like politics and the sort.
A balance must be struck lest international relations will be as tense and fragile as the fishing line that connects us to our fish.
Expect more plastic or synthetic materials in the future fishing tackle market, especially in the fishing reels department. Metals will be a commodity that is harder to source by 2030, and most high-quality reels have metal components.
Hopefully, tackle manufacturers invest in and develop technology involved in creating synthetic materials for gears, shafts, bearings and other components to a point where earth-metals are no longer a must in fishing reels and other equipment.
Source: MIT.edu
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