Shark tourism is a $300 million dollar worldwide industry. Done right, shark tourism has long lasting positive effects on local economies, shark conservation, and regional fisheries.Fiji has been at the forefront of the evolution of commercial shark diving thanks to the tireless efforts of a few industry visionaries who pushed for change.
Worldwide, shark tourism efforts run the complete spectrum from "business only models" where the sharks are the subject of for profit enterprise, to a newer breed of operation that includes shark research, conservation and outreach.
Change to any industry comes slowly and is lead by risk takers and industry movers.
As a template for sites like Tiger Beach, Bahamas the set aside Shark Reef Marine Reserve Fiji model is in need a few regional champions.
Welcome to industry change.
Welcome to Fiji (click image)
2 comments:
Thank you!
it still completely baffles me why nobody seems to be interested in having Tiger Beach and other sites protected.
Instead, every shark kill spawns a hectic round of incestuous e-mails that start with common outrage and inevitably end up in petty bickering - and zero meaningful action.
Oh well - guess that who we are.
I read one such recent email. It sounded like a Amish knitting group clucking about the weather.
"Sad news"
"Terrible thing"
"What can we do?"
I am done with it.
We have an entire dive industry filled with (I hope) smart people.
It begins to defy reason that they cannot save/help the very resource they claim to make a living from.
Shark Free Marinas Initiative?
http://www.sharkfreemarinas.com/brief-history.shtml
This is not rocket science (maybe it is). You roll up your sleeves and get the damn job done.
It starts with "One".
You also use examples like Fiji as a template. You guys have even done all the work and brilliantly I might add.
You do not go to an NGO and beg for help, or create another useless shark petition.
As for the bickering? That's just the dive industry if you cannot handle "those without vision" - get out of the industry.
I would like to see Stuart Cove and UNEXO take the lead on this with the backing of the BDA.
I saw the internal Bahamas shark dive numbers a while back and you might be impressed with what shark tourism "mean$" to the region.
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