Responsible Shark and Ray Tourism
World’s First-Ever Best-Practice Guide for Tourism Operators Released by Project AWARE Foundation, The Manta Trust and WWF International
Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. – This World Wildlife Day, March 3, Project AWARE®, WWF and The Manta Trust are pleased to release Responsible Shark and Ray Tourism: A Guide to Best Practice, the world’s first-ever guidelines for shark and ray tourism operators. The Guide aims to provide practical, science-based guidance to help tourism operators, NGOs and local communities develop and maintain well managed tourism operations that help conserve shark and ray species, raise awareness for their protection, and benefit local communities.
Unsustainable exploitation of sharks and rays – mainly driven by overfishing – is widespread with one in four shark and ray species now threatened with an increased risk of extinction.
Yet across the globe, shark and ray tourism is increasing in popularity. Currently, around 400 well-established tourism operations focus on interacting with species of sharks and rays, and it’s estimated that this number could more than double over the next twenty years, generating over 780 million USD in expenditures around the world.
Dr Andy Cornish, WWF says, “Shark and ray focused ecotourism has great potential as a conservation strategy. If properly designed and managed, it can provide alternative direct and indirect economic benefits to local communities and economies. Yet sadly there’s limited practical guidance out there.”
Industry, researchers, authorities and the nonprofit community largely agree that best-practice guidance is urgently needed to ensure that tourism sites are established and operated in a manner that benefits sharks and rays, and local communities, while also inspiring awe, respect and a greater appreciation of the need to conserve these animals.
Isabel Ender, Manta Trust, adds, “Lack of best practice guidance can often leave operators confused about how to assess the impact and improve the sustainability of their operation. We sought advice from scientists and the industry to help bridge that gap and deliver a best practice guide – the first of its kind in the world.”
To support operators seeking to commit to best practice, a full suite of free, downloadable tools is available on all of the organizations’ websites.
“We’re excited to launch the guidance on this United Nations, World Wildlife Day,” adds Ania Budziak, Project AWARE. “Operators now have access to the latest science based guidance and practical, hands on tools like performance scorecards and checklists. We’re looking forward to helping local communities lead the transformation to a responsible shark and ray focused tourism around the world.”
For further informations: www.projectaware.org
Verwandte Artikel
Warane und Meer – Komodo erkunden mit dem Segelschiff „MV Pindito“
Tauchen im indonesischen Komodo-Nationalpark – das ist Unterwassersport der Extraklasse. Der Schweizer Tauchreisespezialist WeDive startet im Juli eine Safari in der Region. Und auf dem Schiff sind noch ein paar Plätze frei.
diving.DE stellt den Tauchbetrieb im Akassia Swiss Resort ein
Leider endet zum 30. November 2016 eine kleine Ära im südlichen Ägypten. Nach nunmehr 15 Jahren schliesst die Tauchbasis diving.DE Akassia, seit jeher im LTI Akassia Swiss Resort sowie Club Calimera Akassia Swiss ansässig, für immer ihre Pforten zur Unterwasserwelt.
Euro-Divers Worldwide am Stand F70
Auch im Jahr 2016 wird Euro-Divers wieder auf der Boot zu finden sein, und das Euro-Divers Team freut sich schon sehr auf den Besuch und das Wiedersehen mit seinen Gästen!
Euro-Divers bietet tolle Reiseangebote durch den Reisebüropartner Light and Blue GmbH direkt am Stand F70
