Global economic value of shark ecotourism: implications for conservation

• Published in: Oryx Vol. 47; no. 3; pp. 381 - 388
• Main Authors: Cisneros-Montemayor, Andrés M., Barnes-Mauthe, Michele, Al-Abdulrazzak, Dalal, Navarro-Holm, Estrella, Sumaila, U. Rashid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.07.2013
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Business metrics; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Data analysis; economic valuation; Economic value; Ecotourism; Employment; Expenditures; Fisheries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; marine ecotourism; overfishing; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Participation; shark conservation; Sharks; Tourism; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; shark conservation; fisheries; Economic value; marine ecotourism; Tourism; Vertebrata; Pisces; Conservation; Wild life; Chondrichthyes; Ecotourism
• ISSN: 0030-6053; 1365-3008; 1365-3008
• DOI: 10.1017/S0030605312001718

Amid declining shark populations because of overfishing, a burgeoning shark watching industry, already well established in some locations, generates benefits from shark protection. We compile reported economic benefits at shark watching locations and use a meta-analytical approach to estimate benefits at sites without available data. Results suggest that, globally, c. 590,000 shark watchers expend > USD 314 million per year, directly supporting 10,000 jobs. By comparison, the landed value of global shark fisheries is currently c. USD 630 million and has been in decline for most of the past decade. Based on current observed trends, numbers of shark watchers could more than double within the next 20 years, generating > USD 780 million in tourist expenditures around the world. This supports optimistic projections at new sites, including those in an increasing number of shark sanctuaries established primarily for shark conservation and enacted in recognition of the ecological and economic importance of living sharks.