It's World Oceans Day, and we're highlighting an area of the economy which can help us make the oceans a better place for people and wildlife.
A tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in the Bahamas, where shark and ray ecotourism is booming.
Tourism is one of the world's largest industries, and in marine ecosystems, this often includes activities like diving or snorkeling with wildlife, or viewing wildlife from boats.
Despite the best of intentions, however, at its worst, marine ecotourism can sometimes be harmful to the wildlife involved, for instance by adversely affecting foraging behavior, causing excess stress, and habituating animals to the presence of humans (potentially increasing the likelihood of negative human-wildlife interactions). At the same time, when done well, marine ecotourism can be extremely beneficial. It can provide sustainable jobs for locals of course, and shift economies away from extractive activities, which benefits wildlife and the environment too.
The Bahamas is an excellent example of a country successfully embracing sustainable marine ecotourism. Often referred to as the "Shark Diving Capital of the World," shark and ray related tourism brings in over $100 million annually to the Bahamian economy. In fact, a single reef shark in the Bahamas is estimated to be worth around $250,000 over its lifetime, which is orders of magnitude more valuable than if it was fished. In recognition of the importance of sharks and rays to the economies of local communities, in 2011, the Bahamas prohibited all commercial shark fishing in the country's waters.
Community participation in the development of ecotourism strategies is key to their success. We look forward to working with our partners and helping to develop sustainable marine ecotourism projects to benefit both the people that rely on the oceans, as well as all of the ocean's inhabitants.
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