Shark-diving tourism as a financing mechanism for shark conservation strategies in Malaysia

This study estimated the economic value of the shark-diving industry in Semporna, the most popular diving destination of Malaysia, by surveying the expenditures of diving tourists and dive operators through the region. A willingness-to-pay survey was also used to estimate the potential of the industry as a financing mechanism for enforcement and management of a hypothetical Marine Protected Area (MPA) to conserve shark populations. The study showed that in 2012, shark-diving tourism provided direct revenues in excess of USD 9.8 million to the Semporna region. These economic benefits had a flow-on effect, generating more than USD 2 million in direct taxes to the government and USD 1.4 million in salaries to the community. A contingent valuation analysis indicated that implementation of a fee paid by divers could generate over USD 2 million for management and enforcement of the MPA each year. These findings suggest that shark diving is an important contributor to the economy of the Semporna region that could be used as a mechanism to assist financial resourcing for management and conservation strategies

Diving Tourism and Fisheries in Marine Protected Areas: Market Values and New Approaches to Improve Compliance in the Maldives Shark Sanctuary

Marine protected areas are probably the most prevailing instruments available to reduce the over-exploitation of marine resources. However, economic incentives and a lack of acceptance of regulations of fishers can lead to illegal fishing activities, causing further over-exploitation with negative consequences for livelihood and food security of communities. There are indications that in some places, dive operators reduce incentives for illegal fishing through contributing to the economic development of the area, surveillance activities and social programs. This project aims at exploring the relationship between the diving tourism industry and illegal shark fisheries in the shark sanctuary of the Maldives in order to understand the capacities and incentives of diving tourism to improve fishers’ compliance. I will use survey techniques to determine the financial revenue of the shark diving industry and examine the historical development of its socio-economic importance. Surveys will also explore whether illegal fishing activities influence the trip demand of tourists and analyse what different circumstances are most likely to motivate dive operators to address illegal fishing through certain actions. Finally, I will use a Bayesian Network model to investigate what effects dive operators’ actions have on fishers’ compliance, the condition of shark populations and ultimately the number of tourists visiting the area. Results can help to diminish user conflicts and improve compliance of fishers in the Maldives. Hence, this project can contribute to the conservation of shark populations with positive outcomes for the local economy, community and marine ecosystems. My findings can be applied to other places that face similar problems like the shark sanctuary in the Maldives

Dependency of commercial fisheries on kelp forests for valuation of ecosystem services

The world’s kelp forests cover over a third of the world’s coastlines and provide numerous benefits to humans. Understanding the values associated with kelp forests is essential for meeting international initiatives concerning ocean accounting and ecosystem assessments. The GEAK network is an international group of expert kelp forest ecologists and environmental economists working to synthesize the values and functions of kelp forests globally. The network has developed a common data collection approach and protocol to quantify the different ecosystem services (e.g., provisioning, regulating, biodiversity, and cultural) provided by kelp forests. This manuscript presents the guidelines for attributing proportional value of kelp dependent commercial and subsistence fisheries to different target species

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish: Overexploitation of the Regionally Endemic Galapagos Grouper Mycteroperca olfax (Jenyns, 1840)

The regionally endemic Galapagos Grouper, locally known as bacalao, is one of the most highly prized finfish species within the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). Concerns of overfishing, coupled with a lack of fishing regulations aimed at this species raises concerns about the current population health. We assessed changes in population health over a 30-year period using three simple indicators: (1) percentage of fish below reproductive size (L(m)); (2) percentage of fish within the optimum length interval (L(opt)); and (3) percentage of mega-spawners in the catch. Over the assessed period, none of the indicators reached values associated with healthy populations, with all indicators declining over time. Furthermore, the most recent landings data show that the vast majority of the bacalao caught (95.7%,) were below L(m), the number of fish within the L(opt) interval was extremely low (4.7%), and there were virtually no mega-spawners (0.2%). Bacalao fully recruit to the fishery 15 cm below the size at which 50% of the population matures. The Spawning Potential Ratio is currently 5% of potential unfished fecundity, strongly suggesting severe overfishing. Our results suggest the need for bacalao-specific management regulations that should include minimum (65 cm TL) and maximum (78 cm TL) landing sizes, slot limits (64–78 cm TL), as well as a closed season during spawning from October to January. It is recognized that these regulations are harsh and will certainly have negative impacts on the livelihoods of fishers in the short term, however, continued inaction will likely result in a collapse of this economically and culturally valuable species. Alternative sources of income should be developed in parallel with the establishment of fishing regulations to limit the socio-economic disruption to the fishing community during the transition to a more sustainable management regime

Dependency of commercial fisheries on kelp forests for valuation of ecosystem services

The world’s kelp forests cover over a third of the world’s coastlines and provide numerous benefits to humans. Understanding the values associated with kelp forests is essential for meeting international initiatives concerning ocean accounting and ecosystem assessments. The GEAK network is an international group of expert kelp forest ecologists and environmental economists working to synthesize the values and functions of kelp forests globally. The network has developed a common data collection approach and protocol to quantify the different ecosystem services (e.g., provisioning, regulating, biodiversity, and cultural) provided by kelp forests. This manuscript presents the guidelines for attributing proportional value of kelp dependent commercial and subsistence fisheries to different target species

Dependency of commercial fisheries on kelp forests for valuation of ecosystem services

The world’s kelp forests cover over a third of the world’s coastlines and provide numerous benefits to humans. Understanding the values associated with kelp forests is essential for meeting international initiatives concerning ocean accounting and ecosystem assessments. The GEAK network is an international group of expert kelp forest ecologists and environmental economists working to synthesize the values and functions of kelp forests globally. The network has developed a common data collection approach and protocol to quantify the different ecosystem services (e.g., provisioning, regulating, biodiversity, and cultural) provided by kelp forests. This manuscript presents the guidelines for attributing proportional value of kelp dependent commercial and subsistence fisheries to different target species