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Published in Summer 2001
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Whale watching
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An opportunity to conserve biodiversity through sustainable tourism
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Unknown only a few decades ago, commercial whale watching has rapidly become a billion-dollar global business—well over half of it occurring in the three countries of North America. Properly conducted, this leisure activity represents a valuable opportunity to build sustainable tourism. In light of concerns about the possible effects on cetaceans, the CEC is working with stakeholders to formulate criteria for the sustainable development of the industry, writes Gisela Heckel.
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By Gisela Heckel
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A great diversity of marine mammals find their home all along the coasts of North America, including whales, dolphins, sea lions, seals, manatees, sea otters and polar bears. This is, of course, a reflection of the huge variety of marine and coastal habitats in our region.
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| Photo: Margie Costello |
| Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). |
Some whale species cover tremendous distances in their yearly migration. The longest migration by any mammal in the world is that of
the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). This cetacean mates and gives birth to its young each winter in the coastal lagoons of Baja California Sur in Mexico, and during the summer feeds in the Bering Sea in Alaska, United States. Thus it lives in one of the 14 largest and most important ecological areas recently defined by the CEC—from Baja California to Bering [see “CEC setting biodiversity priorities.” Trio, Winter 2000–2001]. As with other migrating species, if any part of the gray whale's home range suffers some type of deterioration, its population can be negatively affected.
Because marine mammals have charismatic appeal, when ecological disasters such as oil spills strike, public attention focuses on the immediate harm to these animals even though the long-term effects are actually much more serious and extensive. Most of these animals represent the final link in complex food chains and can therefore serve as indicators of the health of an entire ecosystem. Pollutants such as pesticides remain in the tissues of organisms and progressively accumulate throughout the food chain, so the last consumer acquires the greatest concentration of pollutants, which may affect its reproductive capacity.
But pollution is not the only problem confronting whales. Even though the International Whaling Commission declared a moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986 (excepting limited hunting by aboriginal peoples and for scientific purposes), some countries are pressing for the ban to be changed to allow hunting of whales whose populations are sufficiently abundant and whose reproduction has been shown to be healthy. Other threats to whales include scarcity of food resulting from climatic changes, collisions with boats, and uncontrolled growth in whale watching.
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| Photo: Margie Costello |
| Whale-watching tour boat. |
The last 10 or 12 years have seen whale watching by tourists grow exponentially. Between 1994 and 1998, the number of communities in North America involved in whale watching increased from 122 to 183.
By 1998, the number of whale watchers in the three countries had reached 5.5 million, and the industry witnessed its most spectacular growth increase in Mexico, where it expanded 800 percent between 1994 and 1998. The potential effect of this increased activity on cetaceans is starting to cause concern in the international community. While short-term changes in whale behavior have been proven (increased swimming velocity, changes in direction and changes in respiratory rhythm), the long-term effects on biological parameters such as energy expenditure and reproductive rates are uncertain.
On the other hand, properly conducted, whale watching can be an important economic activity in coastal regions that have this natural resource, today and in the future. A number of communities—Tadoussac, Quebec, Canada; Lahaina, Hawaii, USA; and San Ignacio, Mexico, for example—have been transformed by the substantial economic benefits brought by this rapidly expanding industry. In some cases, whale watching may have developed precisely because whale hunting is on the decline. In Iceland, for example, whale watching increased by 250 percent between 1994 and 1998. According to a survey of visitors, it is probable that this growth would not have occurred had Iceland reinstated whaling.
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| Photo: Pablo Cervantes |
| Gray whale (Eschrictius robustus). |
In addition, in many regions of North America, whale-watching tour operators contribute to the environmental education of tourists. They describe the species being watched as well as their habitat and the importance of conservation. Tour operators themselves have become sensitized and when they go back to fishing (as they do in many places when whales are not in season), they are more careful in the way they navigate their boats and in their fishing practices.
Like other forms of ecotourism, whale watching can be a genuine example of sustainable tourism, provided it is carried out responsibly. Many countries, including Canada, Mexico and the United States, have adopted regulations and navigation guidelines for whale watching, adapted to each species and location. The aim is to keep disturbance to these extraordinary creatures to a minimum, thus helping them to survive and ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy this productive activity.
The CEC's role in the development of sustainable tourism
Under the programs of Conservation of Biodiversity and Environment, Economy and Trade, Biodiversity the CEC has implemented a project to explore the role of sustainable tourism and its relation with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in North America. The CEC promotes dialogue between stakeholders in the three countries, looking for ways to use sustainable tourism as a tool for conservation—in other words, as a vehicle for education, a financial mechanism, and a means to engage local communities and entrepreneurs in the management and conservation of MPAs. The concept of sustainable tourism has been defined, and guiding principles and criteria for sustainable practices in the tourist sector laid down.
To put these guiding principles and criteria into practice, the CEC has set up a pilot whale-watching project in one of its priority regions, the area extending from Baja California to Bering. A workshop in March 2001 was attended by stakeholders from the three countries (tour operators, financiers, environmental educators, academics and government representatives) who discussed the socioeconomic, educational, legal and scientific aspects to be considered in the sustainable development of whale watching. Participants concluded that since the tourist industry poses both environmental challenges (particularly because tourism operations are often sited in pristine natural areas) and opportunities, it should be given higher priority within the CEC’s programs.
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