Assessing the sustainability of whale shark tourism: a case study of Isla Holbox, Mexico.

• Main Author: Ziegler, Jackie
• Other Authors: Dearden, Philip
• Format: Others
• Language: English; en
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Sustainability; Marine tourism; Whale shark; Conservation; UVic Subject Index::Humanities and Social Sciences::Social Sciences::Geography
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/3191

Sharks are among the most threatened taxonomic groups worldwide. Shark tourism is viewed as a potential means of protecting threatened species, while also providing a sustainable livelihood for local communities. Whale sharks are one such species. Whale shark tourism has grown rapidly in the last twenty years. It is worth an estimated US$66 million and is available in over 15 countries worldwide. However, the management of this industry varies greatly from site to site, from little to no regulations in Thailand to license caps and interaction guidelines in Australia. Further, the long-term sustainability of whale shark tourism is dependent not only on local scale management, but also global scale issues affecting the targeted species. This study assesses the current status and future sustainability of the whale shark tourism industry on Isla Holbox, Mexico. Specific areas of focus include: (1) tourist motivations and satisfaction with the environmental and tour features offered, (2) shark tourist specialization, (3) a comprehensive assessment of the site’s sustainability using Duffus & Dearden’s (1990) Wildlife Tourism Model, and (4) an assessment of the whale sharks’ vulnerability to global scale threats (e.g. marine pollution; global climate change). Methods included a questionnaire provided to whale shark tour participants on Isla Holbox from June to September, 2008 (n=392, response rate=90%), in-water observation of human-whale shark interactions, and the application of a semi-quantitative climate change vulnerability framework. Results suggest that the industry on Holbox is reaching its tipping point if changes are not made to improve its management policies and design. Industry issues include: (1) crowding due to poor control of the industry’s growth (visitation and number of operators), (2) significant impacts on the whale shark population due to poor compliance with interaction guidelines, and (3) the inequitable distribution of benefits within the community, including significant economic leakages. The results of the vulnerability assessment to large-scale threats suggest that global climate change could have a significant impact on the size and distribution of whale shark aggregations in the future. Thus, the majority of whale shark tourism activities, which are based on whale sharks aggregating in vulnerable habitats, may be unsustainable in the long-term regardless of management approach. The type of users and format of tours on Holbox further supports an increased vulnerability to climate change. This study provides a significant contribution to understanding the sustainability of marine wildlife tourism activities targeting threatened species within critical habitats through the assessment of whale shark tourism sustainability using an integrated, multidisciplinary model that addresses both the social and biological dimensions of sustainability. It also includes the first comprehensive assessment of whale shark vulnerability to global climate change based on habitat type and its implications for whale shark tourism activities targeting this species at seasonal aggregation sites. In addition, this study also provides a greater understanding of tourist motivation and satisfaction within marine wildlife tourism, and shark tourism in particular and a first look at shark tourist specialization and its links to environmental impacts and management preferences.