Social and Economic Aspects of Sea Turtle Conservation
373
AUD (excluding zero bids) per week. Beyond the economic impact of the Mon
Repos turtle-watch operation, Tisdell and Wilson (2001a; 2001b) also measured
effects on conservation behavior. Between 47 and 75% of survey respondents
reported that their Mon Repos visit would influence their future behavior regarding
the proper disposal of plastics and fishing gear, managing lighting near nesting
beaches, and avoiding products made from sea turtles.
Another example of an operation that seems to fit the Ceballos-Lascurin (1996)
ecotourism definition is Brazil’s Projeto TAMAR (an abbreviation for marine turtle
in Portuguese). TAMAR forms a network of 18 conservation stations along 1100
km of the Brazilian mainland coast and has objectives of sea turtle conservation,
community development, and education (Marcovaldi and Marcovaldi, 1999). Tours
to watch nesting sea turtles at night are only a small part of the TAMAR operation.
On the tours, visitors pay a small fee to be guided by a trained biologist. Although
nesting turtles are rarely seen, the interpretation given by educated guides and an
occasional release of hatchlings keeps the attention of visiting tourists (Vieitas and
Marcovaldi, 1997). Although the TAMAR program with its educational outreach is
highly regarded for its effect on conservation (Mast, 1999), a detailed socioeconomic
understanding of the operation has yet to be developed.
Many other examples of sea turtle ecotourism projects have been described, but
their effects on conservation, economies, and sociology have not been measured.
Examples include informally organized boat operators at Laganas Bay, Zakynthos,
Greece, who take tourists from the local resorts to see loggerheads in the water off
the adjacent nesting beaches (Margaritoulis, 1989), and local guides on nesting
beaches in French Guiana who work within an area that would otherwise receive
very few tourists and where few accommodations exist (Godfrey and Drif, 2001).
These examples point out challenges both in directing ecotourism programs in densely
visited areas and in managing the impacts of growing visitation in fragile habitats.
14.9 HOW MANY TURTLES?
As Harvard economists Metrick and Weitzman (1998) reminded us, “Decisions
about endangered species reflect the values, perceptions, uncertainties, and contradictions of the society that makes them.” Ever since Clark (1973) demonstrated 30
years ago that it is economically desirable under some circumstances to exploit
natural populations to extinction in order to maximize profit, many conservationists
have had an innate mistrust of economists and economic analysis. However, economists are not necessarily the enemies of conservation. A new generation of work
is providing economic justification for conservation of wildlife and biodiversity (e.g.,
Tisdell, 1991; 2002). The simple fact is that economists and other social scientists
are unlikely to be able to help us determine whether sea turtle conservation and
management are feasible and affordable until we can provide them with a clear idea
of our objectives (Metrick and Weitzman, 1998). This raises the questions of how
many sea turtles we need and what sacrifices we are willing to make (or ask others
to make) to obtain and keep that number of turtles. The answer to the first question
will depend on what we think we need the turtles for; the answer to the second is
beyond the scope of the present volume.
1123 book.book Page 373 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM
373
AUD (excluding zero bids) per week. Beyond the economic impact of the Mon
Repos turtle-watch operation, Tisdell and Wilson (2001a; 2001b) also measured
effects on conservation behavior. Between 47 and 75% of survey respondents
reported that their Mon Repos visit would influence their future behavior regarding
the proper disposal of plastics and fishing gear, managing lighting near nesting
beaches, and avoiding products made from sea turtles.
Another example of an operation that seems to fit the Ceballos-Lascurin (1996)
ecotourism definition is Brazil’s Projeto TAMAR (an abbreviation for marine turtle
in Portuguese). TAMAR forms a network of 18 conservation stations along 1100
km of the Brazilian mainland coast and has objectives of sea turtle conservation,
community development, and education (Marcovaldi and Marcovaldi, 1999). Tours
to watch nesting sea turtles at night are only a small part of the TAMAR operation.
On the tours, visitors pay a small fee to be guided by a trained biologist. Although
nesting turtles are rarely seen, the interpretation given by educated guides and an
occasional release of hatchlings keeps the attention of visiting tourists (Vieitas and
Marcovaldi, 1997). Although the TAMAR program with its educational outreach is
highly regarded for its effect on conservation (Mast, 1999), a detailed socioeconomic
understanding of the operation has yet to be developed.
Many other examples of sea turtle ecotourism projects have been described, but
their effects on conservation, economies, and sociology have not been measured.
Examples include informally organized boat operators at Laganas Bay, Zakynthos,
Greece, who take tourists from the local resorts to see loggerheads in the water off
the adjacent nesting beaches (Margaritoulis, 1989), and local guides on nesting
beaches in French Guiana who work within an area that would otherwise receive
very few tourists and where few accommodations exist (Godfrey and Drif, 2001).
These examples point out challenges both in directing ecotourism programs in densely
visited areas and in managing the impacts of growing visitation in fragile habitats.
14.9 HOW MANY TURTLES?
As Harvard economists Metrick and Weitzman (1998) reminded us, “Decisions
about endangered species reflect the values, perceptions, uncertainties, and contradictions of the society that makes them.” Ever since Clark (1973) demonstrated 30
years ago that it is economically desirable under some circumstances to exploit
natural populations to extinction in order to maximize profit, many conservationists
have had an innate mistrust of economists and economic analysis. However, economists are not necessarily the enemies of conservation. A new generation of work
is providing economic justification for conservation of wildlife and biodiversity (e.g.,
Tisdell, 1991; 2002). The simple fact is that economists and other social scientists
are unlikely to be able to help us determine whether sea turtle conservation and
management are feasible and affordable until we can provide them with a clear idea
of our objectives (Metrick and Weitzman, 1998). This raises the questions of how
many sea turtles we need and what sacrifices we are willing to make (or ask others
to make) to obtain and keep that number of turtles. The answer to the first question
will depend on what we think we need the turtles for; the answer to the second is
beyond the scope of the present volume.
1123 book.book Page 373 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM