SENECA — Fishing is the cornerstone of the state’s more than $2 billion wildlife-associated recreation industry in South Carolina, a new federal government report shows.

The report is based on a 2006 survey that monitored spending by outdoor enthusiasts participating in fishing, hunting and wildlife-watching excursions in the Palmetto state.

Fishing fanatics, both residents and nonresidents, spent $1.4 billion in 2006, an increase of 120 percent since the previous study undertaken in 2001.

Those numbers have to be encouraging to Upstate tourism officials who have three fishing havens in lakes Hartwell, Jocassee and Keowee in their own backyards that they can promote. The opportunities to build an auxiliary network of hospitality services around this booming industry appear to be endless.

The outdoor bonanza does not end with fishing. Wildlife-watching expenditures also are off the charts with $551 million spent on that pastime in the state, an increase of more than 88 percent over the $292.3 bird watchers spent in 2001.

However, while fishing and wildlife-watching activities skyrocketed, hunting nose-dived. Hunters spent $279 million in 2006, a decrease of 19 percent from the $348 million they dished out in 2001.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service undertakes a survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife-associated recreation every five years for every state.

According to the 2006 South Carolina survey, 1.7 million U.S. residents 16 years and older participated in wildlife recreation in the state. Of those, 810,000 were anglers, 208,000 were hunters and more than 1 million were wildlife watchers.

The $1.4 billion spent by anglers included $526 million for trip-related expenditures such as transportation, lodging and food. They also spent $726 million on equipment in South Carolina.

Fishing fans also spent another $153 million on other items such as magazines, membership dues, licenses, permits and stamps.

The number of wild bird observers is also growing. In 2006, 809,000 people observed birds and spent $551 million in such activities. Bird watchers spent $115 million in trip-related expenditures and another $281 million on equipment such as binoculars and special clothing.

The survey showed that 44 percent of the $279 million spent by hunters in the state was on trip-related expenses and 40 percent on equipment.