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3.5.3 Economic Carrying Capacity – The Whale-Watching
Companies
This aspect of whale-watching carrying capacity refers to the economic contribution the activity makes to coastal economies around the world (Parsons et al. 2003;
O’Connor et al. 2009; Cisneros-Montemayor et al. 2010; Mustika et al. 2012). It
creates jobs and income for local communities. However, with the increase in numbers of operators in a specific locality, competition may lead to decreased economic
viability, for example. So, in analysing this aspect of carrying capacity, factors such
as number of jobs created as a result of whale-watching tourism, total income generated from tourism in the region and for the whale-watching operators can be considered (Parsons et al. 2003).
If tourist demand exceeds the capacity of the existing operators, then the activity
is below carrying capacity. If, on the other hand, there are more operators than tourists wanting to go whale-watching, then the economic carrying capacity is exceeded.
An evaluation of the demand for whale-watching in Praia do Forte region could
contribute to the assessment of the economic carrying capacity (Brumatti 2008).
3.5.4 Management Carrying Capacity – The Enforcement
Authorities
The management carrying capacity was proposed by Cifuentes (1992) and refers to
the existence of policies, equipment, personnel, funding, infrastructure and facilities
available in a Protected Area to support the sustainable and effective management
of the area and activities carried out within it. This author defines optimal management carrying capacity as “the best state or conditions the administration of a
Protected Area should have to develop its activities and reach its goals”. In Praia do
Forte, within the North Coast Continental Shelf PA, northeastern Brazil, the management carrying capacity can be considered one of the main limiting factors of
whale-watching carrying capacity.
3.6 An Integrated Framework to Assess Whale-Watching
Carrying Capacity
Based on the concepts presented herein we suggest an integrated framework to
guide the assessment of whale-watching carrying capacity that takes into account
the different elements of sustainable management and the main stakeholders
involved in any commercial whale-watching activity (Fig. 3.10). As proposed by
Higham et al. (2009), four key stakeholder groups were included: the commercial
tourism operators, the social sciences (visitors), the natural sciences (whales) and
3 An Integrated Framework to Assess the Carrying Capacity…
3.5.3 Economic Carrying Capacity – The Whale-Watching
Companies
This aspect of whale-watching carrying capacity refers to the economic contribution the activity makes to coastal economies around the world (Parsons et al. 2003;
O’Connor et al. 2009; Cisneros-Montemayor et al. 2010; Mustika et al. 2012). It
creates jobs and income for local communities. However, with the increase in numbers of operators in a specific locality, competition may lead to decreased economic
viability, for example. So, in analysing this aspect of carrying capacity, factors such
as number of jobs created as a result of whale-watching tourism, total income generated from tourism in the region and for the whale-watching operators can be considered (Parsons et al. 2003).
If tourist demand exceeds the capacity of the existing operators, then the activity
is below carrying capacity. If, on the other hand, there are more operators than tourists wanting to go whale-watching, then the economic carrying capacity is exceeded.
An evaluation of the demand for whale-watching in Praia do Forte region could
contribute to the assessment of the economic carrying capacity (Brumatti 2008).
3.5.4 Management Carrying Capacity – The Enforcement
Authorities
The management carrying capacity was proposed by Cifuentes (1992) and refers to
the existence of policies, equipment, personnel, funding, infrastructure and facilities
available in a Protected Area to support the sustainable and effective management
of the area and activities carried out within it. This author defines optimal management carrying capacity as “the best state or conditions the administration of a
Protected Area should have to develop its activities and reach its goals”. In Praia do
Forte, within the North Coast Continental Shelf PA, northeastern Brazil, the management carrying capacity can be considered one of the main limiting factors of
whale-watching carrying capacity.
3.6 An Integrated Framework to Assess Whale-Watching
Carrying Capacity
Based on the concepts presented herein we suggest an integrated framework to
guide the assessment of whale-watching carrying capacity that takes into account
the different elements of sustainable management and the main stakeholders
involved in any commercial whale-watching activity (Fig. 3.10). As proposed by
Higham et al. (2009), four key stakeholder groups were included: the commercial
tourism operators, the social sciences (visitors), the natural sciences (whales) and
3 An Integrated Framework to Assess the Carrying Capacity…