There is a considerable amount of research that indicates shark populations are in decline. The immense pressure caused by international fisheries who yield shark fin are equally as responsible as those that disregard sharks as by catch. This has raised a concern amongst the growing shark tourism industry [9]. Each year, increasing numbers of tourists seek out shark encounters. From simply watching from a far, to even diving with these creatures has become popular internationally. Shark tourism provides an economic resource in many destinations, which is an alternative to fisheries [1,6,7]. Alongside the economic benefits, there is potential for shark excursion operators to educate their clients about shark conservation. Education may lead to increased global awareness of shark conservation status, thereby increasing the value of shark tourism itself [8,6,3]. Shark tourism is, however, a controversial activity that is highly debated amongst conservationists; could this human interaction change sharks natural behaviors? There is a potential that economic factors could influence a change in how sharks are used as a resource. Therefore negative perceptions of shark tourism will need to be compared to the positive benefits. Additionally, the importance of education when interacting with sharks needs to be highlighted, in order to ensure safety when interacting with sharks. Acknowledging these factors could sustain a move away from the use of sharks as consumable commodities.

In contrast to shark finning operations, the shark tourism industry has shown rapid economic growth in recent years [2,6,12]. In 2013 the landed value of shark fisheries was estimated to be US $630 million per year and steadily declining [2]. In contrast, estimations show that in 20 years shark tourism may generate more than US $780 million globally, in total tourist expenditure. Taking into account indirect revenue gained from shark tourism via accommodation, transport etc., the exact monetary value is difficult to quantify. Nevertheless, trends in publications do show similar economic findings from the shark tourism industry. Shark diving in Fiji alone generates US $42.2 million annually, with US $4 million going directly to the community [13]. In many areas the use of sharks as a tourist attraction is an alternative economic resource to fisheries. A reality is gradually forming; sharks could be worth more as a live attraction than as a bowl of soup [4,6,7]. With increasing awareness of the economic benefits of shark tourism, how humans use sharks as a resource could change. It is evident that economic benefits are present in shark tourism, and although the industry is not without speculations, it is suggested that the monetary benefits do outweigh the perceived negative effects.

An area of concern that has been recently raised is that tourism operations could potentially change the natural behaviors of sharks [1,9]. There are shark tourism operations that feed sharks to increase the possibility of a shark encounter [1,4]. Over a four-year period, 103 bull sharks were directly observed and tracked by acoustic transmitters at shark feeding sites in Fiji. The outcome of this study displayed that similar movements and behaviors occurred on both feeding, and non-feeding days. Furthermore, sharks were found to have an unchanging annual movement pattern over the four years [1]. Another study followed 97 Caribbean reef sharks over 13.5 months in the Bahamas. It was found that few sharks actually consumed food at feedings, and movement patterns were consistent year round [9]. These studies recorded the sharks showing fidelity to a particular habitat, and that the shark feeding did not significantly influence shark behaviors in these areas. Studies of this nature are limited by focusing on a single shark species; it is uncertain whether a similar outcome would be present among other species of sharks [5,6]. Alike many other animals, characteristics between shark species cannot be expected to be the same. The main drawback with any study of this nature is that there is a lack of historical knowledge of shark behaviors [11]. Furthermore, the sharks studied have been subject to feeding for over 20 years, with little knowledge of how their behavior may have been prior to the tourist venture. Similar suspicions would be probable when studying other shark tourism ventures around the world.

Research suggests that shark tourism ventures could promote shark conservation and encourage education [1,3,9,12]. Throughout a shark excursion there is ample opportunity for tour leaders to educate their clients. Such opportunities include, when conducting a briefing prior to the excursion, debriefing after the dive and conversing during the trip [8]. Therefore, education may add value to the industry. Participants of shark tourism are generally interested in the animals, wanting to learn more about them [7]. The Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) provide resources for diving organisations to conduct fun, educational programs about sharks – for example, the AWARE shark conservation diver certification [10]. However, this course is an additional fee for participants and is currently not mandatory to complete before interacting with sharks, for both participants and trip leaders [8]. There is a potential for wildlife tourism to contribute to conservation, however, this is dependent on the education provided by the tourism operator [6]. In 2015 the educational aspects of shark tourism ventures were analysed on a global level [11]. With an anonymous survey, it was found that only 8% of shark tour operators worldwide educated their clients about shark conservation. Unfortunately, many shark tourism operators who were sent the survey did not respond, however, the findings do support the notion that formal knowledge of sharks should be mandatory, at least for the tour leaders, in order to increase the educational aspect of these trips [8]. Providing education is essential to eliminate the misconceived ideas about sharks, add value to shark tourism ventures, and promote conservation of this fragile species.

There is sufficient evidence that sharks could have a higher value as a tourism resource than as a consumptive commodity. However, in this industry, it is imperative that proper education is promoted. This is not only to ensure safe interactions with sharks, but to enhance understanding of sharks and improve their conservation status. Conservation is fundamental to further develop shark tourism, as sharks are the industry’s central attraction. Furthermore, education could prevent misconceived ideas from materialising about sharks, and rather focus attention on their conservation, realising their potential value as a tourism resource.

References

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8. Golby, C. (2015). Conservation Education in Shark Ecotourism (Unpublished Master’s thesis) Royal Roads University, British Columbia, Canada.

9. Maljković, A., & Côté, I. M. (2011). Effects of tourism-related provisioning on the trophic signatures and movement patterns of an apex predator, the Caribbean reef shark. Biological Conservation, 144(2), 859–865. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.11.019

10. Project AWARE Foundation. (2013). AWARE Shark conservation diver action kit [Website]. Retrieved May 12, 2015, from http://www.projectaware.org/resource/aware-shark-conservation-diver-action-kit

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12. Vianna, G. M. S., Meekan, M. G., Pannell, D. J., Marsh, S. P., & Meeuwig, J. J. (2012). Socio-economic value and community benefits from shark-diving tourism in Palau: A sustainable use of reef shark populations. Biological Conservation, 145(1), 267–277. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.11.022

13. Vianna, G., Meeuwig, J. J., & Pannell, D. J. (2011). The socio-economic value of the shark-diving industry in Fiji. Perth: University of Western Australia, (2011), 26. Retrieved from http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFiles/wwwpewtrustsorg/Reports/Protecting_ocean_life/shrks-fiji-economic-report.pdf\n