Ecotourism and its Impacts on Wildlife
Oliver Hillel Programme Officer, Sustainable Tourism
Global Ecotourism Conference, Oslo, Norway, 16 May 2007 tourism.biodiv.org
Session overview: Issues: Wildlife watching as part of ecotourism and its impacts on specific species; sustainable management of fishing and hunting. Guidelines for wildlife management in ecotourism. Presentations: •Oliver Hillel, Secretariat of the Conv. On Biological Diversity, introduction •Vitoria Riva de Carvalho, Cristalino Jungle Lodge - “Watching Wildlife: A Brazilian Amazon Example” •Kolje Zimmermann, Nordic Forestry Association - “Guidelines for Sustainable Hunting and Fishing as Part of Tourism Activities: Biodiversity Conservation and Tourism”
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The CBD was opened for signature in Rio in 1992 and, with 190 Parties, is the key international binding instrument covering biodiversity
CBD objectives Conservation of biological diversity Sustainable use of its components Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources tourism.biodiv.org
The CBD Guidelines on Tourism and Biodiversity (decision VII/14) cover •Vision and Goals •Objectives •Baseline information •Legislation and Control
•Impact Assessment •Impact management •Decision making •Implementation
•Monitoring, reporting •Adaptive Management •Notification •Education, awareness
Wildlife is covered in impact management, traffic in wildlife products/souvenirs, and in the need to provide information to visitors.
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Implementation tools: Biodiversity and Tourism Network: Open, webbased exchange platform to support implementation of the CBD Guidelines; User’s Manual: Managing Tourism & Biodiversity
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Research: ecotourism affects fauna and flora (species distribution, behavior, community structure, health, density) but absence of ecotourism also does‌
Case study: Calauit Game Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, Palawan, Philippines: 550 African megafauna since 1976, plus the largest and best protected area in the province, with 1,200 critically endangered Calamian deer‌, 80,000 visitors per year
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Ecotourism is NOT conservation, but sustainable use of biodiversity (like organic agriculture or certified forestry). It supports conservation. Wildlife in tourism situations requires MANAGEMENT – “no touch” policy can be damaging.
Several organizations developed guidelines (UNEP, IYE 2002’s Quebec Declaration, WWF, TNC, CI, CMS, Ecotourism Australia, TIES). The CBD’s is called Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines for the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity
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Addis Ababa Principles: • • • • • •
Sustainable policies and institutions to manage Local users empowered to be responsible and accountable Remove perverse incentives and market distortions Adaptive and interdisciplinary management Minimize adverse impacts ILCs: consider needs, contributions, equitable distribution of benefits • Incorporate costs of environmental management in products
http://www.biodiv.org/programmes/socio-eco/use/addis-principles.asp tourism.biodiv.org
CMS/TUI publication (Richard Tapper):
3 key questions: •Wildlife watching compatible with conservation? •Is there a realistic demand for tourism managed with these restrictions? Feasibility and business plans to meet expectations •How can local communities and stakeholders benefit from this tourism?
And: •How to control tourism beyond limits of acceptable change? •What are the alternatives?
Conclusions: •Research on impacts of tourism on ecosystems •Improve guide training, visitor education, planning and management tourism.biodiv.org capacities
Pristine nature? As long as use is sustainable, no “taboos”, please! Indigenous? As long as it is authentic and honest… Where is the exact “borderline” between park and theme park when you speak of: Monitoring Petting, feeding Veterinary care Hunting, fishing
Control of invasives (New Zealand) Culling top predators and herbivores Restoration of ecosystems Enhancing the experience of visitors?
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Conclusion: Careful analysis and case-by-case solutions Product: landscape, ecosystem or charismatic species? Watching or interacting? Volume of visitation versus contribution margin? End goal: conservation or sustainable use? It’s the experience, dummy! tourism.biodiv.org
To join or learn more about the Biodiversity and Tourism Network
http://tourism.biodiv.org Mr. Oliver Hillel Programme Officer Phone: +1 514 287 7009 oliver.hillel@biodiv.org
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