Linking livelihoods to improved biodiversity conservation through sustainable integrated coastal management and community based dive
tourism : Oslob Whale Sharks
protected in the Philippines under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, 1998
Whale sharks are protected in Oslob waters by Bantay Dagat sea patrols and 24 h a day at Tan-awan by Bantay Dagat and residents.
project set up as an alternative-livelihoods provision
TOSWFA fishers paddle tourists out from the shore to watch or snorkel with whale sharks in banca (traditional outrigger canoes); Whale sharks follow feeders, or swim through the interaction area, free to come and go .
177 local fishers benefits from this alternative livelihoods project
perception that whale sharks are now being protected from poaching.
Poaching is thought to have decreased due to the initiative
destructive fishing has decreased, while fish abundance, pelagic fish species and catch have increased. TOSWFA fishers, non-TOSWFA fishers, local government and Bantay Dagat report their perception that fish stocks have increased.
destructive fishing has decreased, while fish abundance, pelagic fish species and catch have increased. the project is reducing fishing effort, and changing livelihood strategies away from reliance on coral reef resources.
Challenges remain however. Visitor numbers grew quickly at Oslob Whale Sharks between 2012 and 2016, increasing from 62,703 in 2012 to 309,142 in 2016 (Fig. 3), a growth of 393% over the five year period (Fig. 4).
Tan-awan experiences negative impacts of coastal development, including chemical runoff from soap and shampoo in beachfront showers, inadequate sewerage at the visitor's centre, a lack of sewerage in coastal resorts and restaurants and rubbish discarded by tourists.
we found that Oslob Whale Sharks contributes to all nine factors required for sustainable integrated coastal management. Fishers and local authorities report their perception that whale sharks are protected from poaching and finning and destructive fishing has decreased, while fish abundance, pelagic fish species and catch have increased. Our findings further suggest that as there is little evidence that this type of tourism has any negative impacts on the biology or behaviour of whale sharks, Oslob Whale Sharks provides sustainable livelihoods and a delivery mechanism for sustainable integrated coastal management.
Oslob Whale Sharks produces three types of economic benefits; ticket income to Oslob and Tan-awan, alternative livelihoods and perceived improved fish catch
“the income [was] used to provide ... livelihood programs ... not only for Tan-awan but for the whole municipality. Aside from im- proving our district hospitals, providing infrastructure like opening schools, high schools and colleges ... we ... provide free medicines to our constituents, improved our rural health centres, we provide water system ... electricity for those that do not have ... purchase ambulance and many others. We cannot count the benefits we derived from these whale shark interactions ... for the whole of Oslob”.
“the income [was] used to provide ... livelihood programs ... not only for Tan-awan but for the whole municipality. Aside from im- proving our district hospitals, providing infrastructure like opening schools, high schools and colleges ... we ... provide free medicines to our constituents, improved our rural health centres, we provide water system ... electricity for those that do not have ... purchase ambulance and many others. We cannot count the benefits we derived from these whale shark interactions ... for the whole of Oslob”.
Educating dive tourists contributes to sustainable integrated coastal management by protecting coral reef resources from damage caused by diver's fins and tanks, or by divers touching and disturbing megafauna [7,48,78]. Although Ziegler et al. [49], suggested that the 5min briefing given to tourists at Oslob Whale Sharks is insufficient for education, research shows that this is not likely to be the case [50,51]. Divers who hear a pre-dive environmental briefing of one to two sen- tences, reminding them that they are in a protected area and that touching or taking corals or marine resources is prohibited, cause sig- nificantly less damage to corals [51]. Briefings with sketches and dia- grams of the kind in use at Oslob Whale Sharks reduce rates of diver contact with animals
Oslob Whale Sharks has improved capacity for law enforcement by financing training and sea patrols, paying honoraria to 16 of the 32 Bantay Dagat and Philippines National Police when they join sea pa- trols to apprehended armed illegal fishers who resist arrest and com- mercial vessels fishing illegally too close to shore at night without lights.
Community meetings supported by Oslob Whale Sharks income build participation with structural engagement in decision making institutions by the most marginalised; fishers, seniors, women, and puroks and sitios.
Conservation finance: the project is allowing the financing of protection of whale sharks, as well as the management of five marine reserves
Stakeholder consultation started with fishers, then broadened to the local government unit and barangay. Community groups including women, seniors, fishers and puroks and sitios2 are consulted at regular meetings that feed up through democratic processes to the office of the Mayor. National government departments including the Bureau of Fisheries and Agricultural Resources (BFAR), DENR and the Depart- ment of Tourism continue to monitor and engage with Oslob Whale Sharks. Oslob Whale Sharks contributes to economic returns by providing business income to Oslob and Tan-awan from ticket sales.
The generation of social and environmental benefits that are distributed equitably among stakeholders is a key factor in sustainable integrated coastal management
Lowe, J., Tejada, J., & Meekan, M. (2019). Linking livelihoods to improved biodiversity conservation through sustainable integrated coastal management and community based dive tourism : Oslob Whale Sharks. Marine Policy, 108, 103630. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103630
the Oslob whale shark project is based on the goal of improving biodiversity conservation through sustainable integrated coastal management. The project is developed in response to the urgent need to sustainably manage coral reef resources in less developed countries of the tropics