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Incofish

Incofish. WP 9 Impacts of Marine Ecotourism. WP9. IMPACT OF MARINE ECOTOURISM. Description of Work. Selected MPAs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific: Galapagos Marine Reserve (oceanic archipelago) Sanctuary of Flora and Fauna Malpelo (oceanic island)

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  1. Incofish WP 9 Impacts of Marine Ecotourism

  2. WP9 IMPACT OF MARINE ECOTOURISM

  3. Description of Work • Selected MPAs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific: • Galapagos Marine Reserve (oceanic archipelago) • Sanctuary of Flora and Fauna Malpelo (oceanic island) • Gorgona National Natural Park (continental island) • Machalilla National Park (coastal area) • Great differences in size, accessibility, level of studies, tourism infrastructure, number of annual visitors and management. • Efforts currently made to regulate marine ecotourism activities • Comparison between MPAs will allow to identify and evaluate approaches to sustainable marine ecotourism at local and regional levels

  4. Objectives • To provide scientific basis for the management of marine ecotourism in protected areas • Determine the most appropriate criteria to evaluate the impact of ecotourism in MPAs based on carrying capacity and/or limits of acceptable change • Design and define indicators that respond to those criteria • Identify and implement efficient, cost-effective monitoring protocols for the indicators • Assess human impacts on biological communities at specific sites through the application of the monitoring protocols • Elaborate/improve conservation and management strategies for the conservation and management of the MPAs

  5. WP 9: Deliverables

  6. March 06 to Feb 07 • Analize • Select and • Evaluate / test indicators in the 4 MPAs, • From and original list proposed during the first WP 9 workshop in Bogota

  7. Result of seperate selction and validation processes in the 4 MPAs • 9 criteria / 17 indicators Galapagos Marine Reserve • 10 criteria / 16 indicators Machlilla National Park • 9 criteria / 16 indicators Flora / Fauna Sanctuary Malpelo • 9 criteria / 14 indicators Gorgona Natural National Park

  8. 2. WP 9 Workshop GalapagosDecember 2006 • Definition of common criteria and indicators for all MPA’s with (hopefully) utility at a regional and possible broader level (to be validated) • 7 criteria y 14 indicators • For each indicator • Monitoring protocols created • Threshold values (“acceptable limits”) identifies within LAC concept. • Confusion in original plan: protocols delayed

  9. WP9 up to date with Deliverables.   • 2007 application and further testing of all agreed common indicators • Demonstrate viability • Confirm threshold values • Essential: work together with MPA administrations • Indicators must be continuously applied • Thresholds accepted • Appropriate management measures and corrective decisions making guaranteed. • Indicators not part of regional package, but important for specific MPAs will or can be applied according to the same principles for each specific area..

  10. Results • A proposal of definition for Marine Ecotourism was developed as a basis for defining indicators • Indicators were designed,tested, evaluated and selected for each MPA, separately • A regional battery of criteria and indicators was defined from the batteries selected for each MPA • The first scientific paper has been finished • A technical paper – regional code of conduct- is being produced • Solid relationships with administrators have been established • LACs and monitoring protocols have been defined

  11. Next steps • C&I System will be tested in year 2007 basing on MPA batteries • The regional battery will be tested at a theoretical level in four LMAs • Through new data a second analysis on the criteria and indicators will be made to consolidate the proposed list and the C&I system • Monitoring protocols for each indicator will be checked and the ranges of variation proposed will be adjusted • Management responses will be defined based on LACs • Information will be published under scientific and technical formats and will be shared with key actors in Marine Ecotourism

  12. Risks and opportunities • Management tools strongly dependant on specific administrations • So far no country/wide principles of application • Changes in MPA adminstrative staff may introduce insecurities • Strong dependance on a small group of technicians so far • Ecuador: • CDF: at the moment excellent cooperation and interaction with RMG and GNP technical staff – hopefully stable • ECOLAP : at the moment excellent cooperation with MNP administration. But no local Park staff with appropriate level of education/training availble. Dependance on private stakeholders. • Colombia: • Fundación Malpelo: strong link with Park admnsitration through delegation policies within Colombian PNN administration. Continuity guaranteed as long as this situation lasts. • Gorgona: is not formally part of WP 9, but has participated from the beginning throug Colombian PNN invitation within WP 9. Trainign personnel retired.Future particiaption insecure.

  13. Opportunities • Participation in 2. WP 9 workshop • Panama: Coiba • Costa Rica: • Cocos Island • Baulas National Parl • Good contacts and keen interest among administrators • Participation of WP 9 in Gorgona workshop of • CMAR project (support by CI) • Participation in CMAR (Marine Corridor) Group of experts on tourism

  14. Cooperation with other WP • So far limited to correspondence • Meeting during this week to explore possibilities for extended application of indicators

  15. Management tools • VERP, VIM, LAC and ROS analyzed • All are part of the same family of adaptive methods, but are different in stressing different swteps in the procedures, and devolopped one from the other • Galápagos, Malpelo and Machalilla : VERP (Visitor Expereince and Resource Protection) • Gorgona (???) only LAC as the best management alternative (they didn’t get it right yet).

  16. Publications • First scientific paper derived from WP9: • Contribution to the construction of a concept for management of tourism in marine ecosystems: review of the present scenario through study cases in four marine protected areas of the Eastern Tropical Pacific • A regional code of conduct for appropriate behavior during marine ecotourism activities, • Information to be provided to Fish Base in relation with target tourism species in the four MPAs. • Topics for two additional scientific papers • impact of tourism activities on the behavior of target species • results of the application of indicators and protocols and their value for global use • Technical document, • interpretation manual about target species in ecotourism in marine environments for the general public.

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