65
3.8 Recommendations
Based on the information presented in this study, we consider the current level of
knowledge of both the impacts on the whales and the quality and effectiveness of
the services provided for the whale-watching tourists in Praia do Forte is insufficient
to allow the calculation of carrying capacity for the activity. We can, however, make
recommendations on aspects that should be taken into consideration and specific
studies that should be developed in order to gather adequate information for the
future determination of whale-watching carrying capacity in Praia do Forte, the
North Coast Continental Shelf PA and other localities along the coast of Bahia:
– Maintaining the long-term monitoring of this activity, implementing specific
studies to assess the impacts of whale-watching on the whales, in particular:
behavioural studies from a land station (speed changes, path linearity, interbreath intervals, activity budgets) (e.g. Lusseau et al. 2009; Christiansen et al.
2013a, b), cumulative exposure (encounter rate) (e.g. Christiansen et al. 2015)
and bioacoustics studies to assess the potential effects of whale-watching vessel
noise on the whales communication and reproduction (e.g. Au and Green 2000;
Dunlop 2016)
Fig. 3.12 Whale-watching in Praia do Forte, as a partnership between the IBJ and local operators,
offers important awareness raising and education opportunities for the local community (a), tourists (c) and through the media (b), since whales are charismatic animals, capable of inspiring
people to care about the oceans (d) (Photos: Enrico Marcovaldi/Instituto Baleia Jubarte)
3 An Integrated Framework to Assess the Carrying Capacity…
3.8 Recommendations
Based on the information presented in this study, we consider the current level of
knowledge of both the impacts on the whales and the quality and effectiveness of
the services provided for the whale-watching tourists in Praia do Forte is insufficient
to allow the calculation of carrying capacity for the activity. We can, however, make
recommendations on aspects that should be taken into consideration and specific
studies that should be developed in order to gather adequate information for the
future determination of whale-watching carrying capacity in Praia do Forte, the
North Coast Continental Shelf PA and other localities along the coast of Bahia:
– Maintaining the long-term monitoring of this activity, implementing specific
studies to assess the impacts of whale-watching on the whales, in particular:
behavioural studies from a land station (speed changes, path linearity, interbreath intervals, activity budgets) (e.g. Lusseau et al. 2009; Christiansen et al.
2013a, b), cumulative exposure (encounter rate) (e.g. Christiansen et al. 2015)
and bioacoustics studies to assess the potential effects of whale-watching vessel
noise on the whales communication and reproduction (e.g. Au and Green 2000;
Dunlop 2016)
Fig. 3.12 Whale-watching in Praia do Forte, as a partnership between the IBJ and local operators,
offers important awareness raising and education opportunities for the local community (a), tourists (c) and through the media (b), since whales are charismatic animals, capable of inspiring
people to care about the oceans (d) (Photos: Enrico Marcovaldi/Instituto Baleia Jubarte)
3 An Integrated Framework to Assess the Carrying Capacity…