Exploring the impact of innovation in promoting sustainable tourism development: The role of key stakeholders on the top of the south aquaculture and seafood trail in Nelson/Marlborough, New Zealand

Contemporary tourism planning recognises that an integrated and sustainable development approach includes the participation of local communities and residents. Community level innovation and leadership is also important in creating and implementing new ideas as part of the development process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate stakeholder perspectives regarding community capacity to link tourism and aquaculture opportunities in the Nelson/Marlborough Region on the South Island of New Zealand. In 2005 the Marine Farming Association developed and published the “Top of the South Aquaculture and Seafood Trail” as a brochure for tourists to promote a positive image of aquaculture in the region. The Trail integrates local tourism providers, restaurants, accommodations, seafood retail, as well as harvesting and processing businesses (mussel farms) as part of a themed driving route. There is a strong economic dependence on aquaculture and tourism in the region with both industries generating a combined $402 million annually in the Nelson Region alone. In conducting the research, 22 local stakeholders were interviewed regarding their perceptions about strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities associated with the Trail as part of a mixed method, case study approach. The results demonstrated that tourism in the region was well developed, that there were weaknesses in networking and collaboration, that there were gaps between perceptions of the aquaculture and tourism industries and that the role of the university has been important in building community capacity for research and strategic planning linked to the trail

Investigating Marine Recreational Fishing Stakeholders\u27 Perspectives Across Three South Carolina Coastal Regions: The First Step Towards Collaboration

Collaborative endeavors are increasingly utilized to assure active involvement of local stakeholders in natural resource planning and management. In order to enhance collaborative capacity and involve marine recreational anglers in resource management, the South Carolina Sea Grant Extension Program conducted semi-structured interviews in three coastal regions of South Carolina in order to determine: 1) the main problems associated with marine recreation fishing and 2) key non-regulatory solutions to those problems. Top themes for problems and non-regulatory solutions across each region as well as implications for Extension and outreach opportunities are included

Tourism and Local Character in South Carolina: A Stated Preference Based Demand Analysis

This study attempts to quantify tourists’ demand for regional character on vacations to the South Carolina (SC) coast. Preferences for authentic elements such as the destination’s local flair and the local ownership of restaurants were measured using stated-preference choice modeling. This technique forces individuals to make tradeoffs between hypothetical trips based on attributes such as number of activities, amount of locally owned restaurants, degree of local flair, and price. The results of the survey (n=240) indicate a statistically significant demand for local flair and local restaurant ownership, although the demand plateaus after reaching a moderate level

Training managers for 21st century fisheries : Queenstown, New Zealand, December 5-7, 2001

Published December 2004. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Preferences for Local, Wild-Harvested Shrimp Among Coastal Tourists in South Carolina

In 2004, United States (U.S.) shrimp landings comprised 11% of shrimp available to the domestic market. Asian and South America shrimp imports to the U.S. began reaching record levels in 2001, following European Union tariffs on Asian shrimp. The increased import supply resulted in drastic decline of ex-vessel and wholesale prices for domestic shrimp in the Southeast U.S. Consequently, the profitability and number of participating vessels throughout the Southeast U.S. have decreased. At the same time, U.S. per capita shrimp consumption has reached a record high. Despite new tariffs on imports from six countries and recently imposed limited entry to improve efficiency, the shrimp industry in the Southeast U.S. must become more competitive. In response, the Southeast U.S. states have formed a regional trade association and have been working to establish domestic, wild-harvested shrimp as a premium, higher-priced brand for the U.S. marketplace. One potential target market is coastal tourists. Tourism is a significant industry in South Carolina and the four largest coastal counties generate 56% of the state's total domestic travel expenditures. Successfully marketing premium shrimp to tourists depends upon quality certification, building linkages between local fishermen, restaurants, retailers, and tourism organizations, and probably, educating consumers who are visiting the region. While studies have explored seafood preferences of consumers, few have focused on tourists. The 2004 South Carolina Coastal Tourism survey was designed to identify regional tourist market segments and examine tourist preferences, subjective knowledge, beliefs, and consumption behavior regarding South Carolina shrimp. This paper explores selected results, focusing on the influence of tourists’ subjective knowledge about the shrimp fishery and shrimp preparation on their preferences for shrimp attributes (e.g., origin, freshness, reputation) and the influence of these preferences on their shrimp purchasing behavior at the coastal destination. The results demonstrate that South Carolina coastal tourists have a low level of subjective knowledge about shrimp. Therefore, the ability of coastal tourists to discriminate among shrimp attributes (especially related to origin) may be limited. Recommendations suggest that the tourism and seafood industries, retailers and restaurants on the South Carolina coast should engage in a collaborative marketing strategy focused on educating South Carolina coastal tourists about local, wild-caught shrimp product

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Marine farming and tourism

The Marine Farming Association of New Zealand developed and published a tourist trail brochure in 2005 with the purpose of upholding the positive image of aquaculture among residents and tourists on the Top of the South Island. Another objective was to strengthen the collaboration between tourism and fisheries stakeholders in promoting the region as a seafood destination. In 2009, the NZTRI research team interviewed a total of 24 local businesses in the region. This article presents the results from the interviews and a short written survey. The research team independently analyzed and transcribed audio-recordings to identify major emergent themes that explore the relationships between tourism and marine farming linked to the Top of the South Aquaculture and Seafood Trail. Results show that businesses recognized that promoting locally caught seafood increased the competitiveness of New Zealand seafood and tourism products. They also recognized that cooperation was important to building shared knowledge and community level acceptance of marine farms and tourism in the coastal zone

Marine farming and tourism

The Marine Farming Association of New Zealand developed and published a tourist trail brochure in 2005 with the purpose of upholding the positive image of aquaculture among residents and tourists on the Top of the South Island. Another objective was to strengthen the collaboration between tourism and fisheries stakeholders in promoting the region as a seafood destination. In 2009, the NZTRI research team interviewed a total of 24 local businesses in the region. This article presents the results from the interviews and a short written survey. The research team independently analyzed and transcribed audio-recordings to identify major emergent themes that explore the relationships between tourism and marine farming linked to the Top of the South Aquaculture and Seafood Trail. Results show that businesses recognized that promoting locally caught seafood increased the competitiveness of New Zealand seafood and tourism products. They also recognized that cooperation was important to building shared knowledge and community level acceptance of marine farms and tourism in the coastal zone