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Whale Shark Tourism Harms Coral Reefs (asianscientist.com)
Scientists in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Guam have found that whale shark tourism in Tan-awan, Oslob, the Philippines, has led to degradation of the local coral reef ecosystem. They reported their findings in Environmental Management. From a report: Oslob, a small municipality on the south coast of Cebu, the Philippines, has become a domestic and international tourism hotspot since 2011, attracting over 300,000 visitors to the village of Tan-awan in 2015. The mass tourism phenomenon is fueled by the year-round presence of whale sharks along the local shallow reef. This unusual aggregation is maintained by the local tourism association feeding the whale sharks with up to 50 tons of shrimps annually.
In this study, scientists from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the University of Guam, and the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) have demonstrated that whale shark tourism has had a detrimental effect on the local reef ecosystem off the coast of Tan-awan. They found that Tan-awan had higher macroalgae and lower coral density, as well as a less diverse coral community dominated by weedy corals and stress-tolerant corals, in comparison to a reference site further south of the coast.
[...] The researchers added that reef degradation in Tan-awan requires immediate attention, given that reef health underpins the ecosystem services afforded to the local communities, including the important tourism sector. As whale shark tourism is projected to grow continuously in the foreseeable future, the research team urges the need for local authorities to implement proper management strategies to mitigate the problems and risks associated with the rapid tourism development.
In this study, scientists from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the University of Guam, and the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) have demonstrated that whale shark tourism has had a detrimental effect on the local reef ecosystem off the coast of Tan-awan. They found that Tan-awan had higher macroalgae and lower coral density, as well as a less diverse coral community dominated by weedy corals and stress-tolerant corals, in comparison to a reference site further south of the coast.
[...] The researchers added that reef degradation in Tan-awan requires immediate attention, given that reef health underpins the ecosystem services afforded to the local communities, including the important tourism sector. As whale shark tourism is projected to grow continuously in the foreseeable future, the research team urges the need for local authorities to implement proper management strategies to mitigate the problems and risks associated with the rapid tourism development.
The problem is actually poverty. The locals are incredibly poor, and found that having a few whale sharks nearby meant that wealthy Westerners would come and give them lots of money to swim with the whale sharks. So when the choice was to live with a pristine coral reef in abject poverty, or let some damage happen to it but actually earn enough money to send your kids to school and buy some modern conveniences, the locals chose the heartless approach of putting their own lives ahead of the corals.
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
I've been there. It's a mass tourism at its worst. Thousands of tourists shuttled by small boats into a semi circle near shore. A small powerboat drags a chum bag behind it, stopping briefly next to each of the parked boats. A few chummed whale sharks obediently follow.
There is everything there from in-water fist fights for best location, to the usual tourist scams on shore, and of course dumping enormous amounts of trash of all kinds all over the site.
I did not expect it to be particularly good, but what happens there was beyond my worst expectations. Should really be shut down, but they can't do that as it's a poor country and locals have no other means to make a living.
The biggest problem is the Justice Systems will more likely punish people for breaking laws, vs trying to get them out of the catch 22 situations.
The purpose of the Justice System is punish those who break laws. Sometimes the punishment is harsh, others time you're let off with a warning. Regardless, it is not the responsibility of the Justice System to get people out of their situation. The JS can make recommendations on how to improve the person's life, but it is up to the person to act.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Mmmm... Whale Shark Lumpia...
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
A whale shark is not a whale, it's a shark.
"It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap