Tourists in Antarctica Cause of Major Concern

The 40,000 'eco-tourists' who visit the South Pole every year cause enormous greenhouse gas emissions. The visitors to the snow-covered landmass are endangering not just the Antarctic region by their actions, but also the rest of the world. Dutch researcher Machiel Lamers has investigated the impacts of increased tourism on Antarctica and how this impact could be curbed.

Tourism is a 'boom industry' in Antarctica. Where, a mere 20 years or so ago, just a few hundred tourists would set off towards the South Pole, more than 40,000 inquisitive souls journeyed to the southernmost point on Earth last winter. Then it was still summertime in Antarctica and the temperatures were bearable. While tourism has many advantages to offer the South Pole, the increasing influx causes horrendous pollution: the long trips made by many of the tourists produce shocking amounts of CO₂ emission. Machiel Lamers visited the South Pole and discussed the fragile future of the continent with other interested parties.

Tour operators hold the reins

Lamers spoke to scientists, policy makers, environmental groups and tour operators. Antarctica appears to be facing major challenges. The local environment is under pressure, more and larger ships are going there, tourists are perpetually looking for 'tougher, faster, more' and there's actually no-one to keep this all on the right tracks: the South Pole is managed by an international consortium of countries, but no-one is really in charge on the ground. There is no policy setting out any limits for tourism.

The nearest to anyone holding the reins are the tour operators. It is in their own interests not to have too many tourists coming at the same time: no-one goes to Antarctica to find six other shiploads of tourists there. Self-regulation is working well enough just now among the tour operators, but Lamers feels that the situation could easily change. The future is only likely to see even more people trying to get in on the action, and there's a chance that not everyone will be prepared to make concessions.

Many scientists who have spent a long time at the Pole are already seeing the consequences of increased numbers of tourists. Poorly prepared tour operators can end up getting a nasty surprise and, in the absence of breakdown services or the police, it's often the scientists -- and better-prepared tour operators -- who have to come to the rescue of tourists in distress, with all the consequences this has on their own work.

Long-term planning

Lamers believes that clear steps must be taken soon. The countries involved, including the Netherlands, must move rapidly to prepare a long-term plan. Lamers outlines a number of detailed future scenarios that might support this. For instance, what should happen if someone wants to build on a commercial basis in Antarctica? And who is responsible for stranded tourists?

The research done by Lamers shows that it is time for clear rules; vague agreements are not enough any more. Why, for example, do the same rules apply to the Antarctic Peninsula as to the Ross Sea? And how many tourists can Antarctica actually cope with?

The research by Machiel Lamers was funded by NWO and formed part of the Netherlands Polar Programme, an initiative to encourage outstanding scientific research in the polar regions. Adapted from materials provided by NWO (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research).

Experts to study feasibility of whale shark eco-tourism in Gujarat

If everything falls in place, Gujarat coast may emerge as tourist spot for watching whale sharks. Foreign experts have taken up a research project to study feasibility of developing whale shark eco-tourism in the state. The research programme is being undertaken under "Whale Shark Conservation Campaign" jointly carried out by Tata Chemicals Ltd, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the forrest department of Gujarat."As part of the research programme, Tata Chemicals will fund Rs 2 crore for five years research programme," said Alka Talwar, head, community development, Tata Chemicals.A five member team of experts from Australia and US have already started working on the study. "Australia and Philippines have developed tourism based on whale sharks. However, a lot more needs to be known about the accessibility whale sharks and the duration of their stay in Gujarat waters," said Dr. John Keesing of Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).Around 60 per cent of the whale sharks visiting Gujarat coast are female sharks and Gujarat could be one of the important breeding hub.In order to track the movement of whale sharks, these experts will use satellite tags. "Initially, we will place 6 such tags, which will transmit information about whale shark migration," he added.Tata Chemicals has taken up various environment conservation projects as part of its corporate social responsibility. Some of the initiative include Save the Asiatic Lions projects and Coral Reef Conservation.Under its Bio-diversity Reserve Plantation project, 80 acres plantation has been established for 124 species of flora such as grasses, ephemerals, shrubs and trees. Now, the company plans to scale up the acreage to 150 acres.

Divers threaten to boycott Sabah over shark finning

KOTA KINABALU: Sipadan conjures up an image of a serene, protected underwater world -- one of the world's top dive spots.
But just a half-hour boat ride away off Pulau Mabul, the blood of magnificent sharks, crudely finned and gutted by the boatload stains the sea red. Shark finning has been going on here for several years, and the stark contrast between Sipadan and Mabul has caused an uproar in the international diving community, with some threatening to boycott Sabah entirely.Finning is the inhumane practice of hacking off the shark's fins and throwing its still living body back into the sea.A diver said: "Why should we contribute to the decline of a beautiful area by supporting a place which does not protect its own resources?
"We strongly urge the resorts to lobby Sabah Parks to prohibit shark finning in the Ligitan island group area. "If the area is not protected, we will choose to dive in other areas of Southeast Asia where the marine life is protected with the money collected," the diver said. Fisheries Department director Rayner Stuel Galid said shark finning was not illegal in Sabah. He said those with a valid fishing licence had the right to fish in the area, provided they didn't encroach on protected areas."This includes fishing for sharks," said Galid, adding that the only protected species of shark under current law was the whale shark.He said local and foreign fishermen were fishing in the territorial waters of Indonesia and the Philippines so they were out of the jurisdiction of the department."Sipadan and the waters around Sipadan are off limits to fishermen, and we will work with all enforcement agencies responsible to ensure no fishing is done in these waters," said Galid. Asked to comment, Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said: "My ministry will relay our concern to the Fisheries Department and the Semporna district officer."We need to be sensitive to global views to protect our tourism. "A small mistake or inaction could have major repercussions for the industry."Nature lovers and the global conservation community are fast becoming an influential lobbying group who could hurt the state tourism industry if they decide to boycott Sabah in protest against such activities."

Galapagos face irreversible damage

Lonesome George is the last remaining survivor of a subspecies of giant tortoiseFamed for their unique biological treasures, the Galapagos Islands face irreversible damage unless tourism is curbed, according to conservationists. On the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, the director of the Darwin Foundation says there is only a decade to avoid an ecological disaster. In a BBC interview, Gabriel Lopez calls for limits on the level of visitors. Last year, the number of tourists reached a record of 173,000, a four-fold increase over the past 20 years. "The Galapagos is still the best preserved archipelago in the world. But what's at stake if current trends continue is that the Galapagos will be lost. Yes the Galapagos will still be there but the richness will be lost." The rising numbers have led to a boom in the construction of hotels and a surge in imports from mainland Ecuador. And the result is a sharp spike in the number of alien species arriving in this fragile ecosystem: 112 were recorded in 1900 but by 2007 the total had leaped to 1,321. Take a Galapagos tour At the harbour in the main town of Puerto Ayora, I watched dock workers transfer crates and sacks of rice and maize from cargo ships on to barges for the journey ashore. The airport on Baltra island, which serves the archipelago, sometimes handles half a dozen flights every day - the number has doubled in the last eight years. The aircraft cabins are sprayed before landing but evidently some insects are getting through. One of the most aggressive is the fire ant - tiny but with a powerful sting - an example in its own right of the evolutionary principle of survival of the vicious. Inexorable march In a field outside the village of Bellavista, insect specialist Henri Herrera scraped away leaf litter to reveal a seething mass of the tiny red creatures. "They're getting everywhere - it's a disaster. It could even mean that for some species the ants stop evolution." A balance must be found between economic needs and those of wildlife Fire ants are known to attack baby birds and young tortoises and their march from one island to another seems inexorable. Other threats include a parasitic fly which attacks young finches and mosquitoes - which could serve as a vector for diseases which are known to exist on the mainland but have not yet arrived here. The government of Ecuador has drawn up an action plan to curb this menace. Criticised by the UN agency UNESCO - which in 2007 listed the Galapagos as a world heritage site in danger - the authorities are now introducing tougher measures. The director of the Galapagos National Park, Edgar Munoz, accepts that invasive species pose the most serious risk to the islands but says the government's actions will tackle the threat. Some birds are threatened by invasive creatures "What we're hoping to accomplish is fifty more years in which any problems will be diminished." Earlier conservation efforts - to cull several islands of feral goats which eat the plants giant tortoises depend on - have proved successful but some experts warn that eliminating particular insects will be far harder. For Ecuador, a developing country, the Galapagos provides a major source of revenue. But a balance will need to found if the islands are to preserve what makes them so special.

By David Shukman Science and environment correspondent, BBC News

Tourism on Antarctica Threatening South Pole Environment; Solution Offered

Tourism on Antarctica is increasing and that can form a threat for the vulnerable South Pole area. Research from Maastricht University provides a possible solution: market the visitor rights to the highest bidder.

Tourism in Antarctica has grown dramatically. In 1985, just a few thousand people visited the area but in the season 2007/2008 more than 40,000 did the same. A number of parties are concerned about the effects of this rapid growth with respect to safety, the environment, the scale of tourism and the lack of financial resources for monitoring and enforcement purposes. They also have doubts about how this growth can be reconciled with the basic principles of the Antarctic Treaty System ATS.

Antarctica is not a sovereign state and so legislation is difficult. With strict guidelines and codes of conduct, the umbrella organisation of Antarctic tour operators, IAATO, has been able to dispel many of the concerns. However, this self-regulation is no absolute guarantee for a healthy tourism industry on Antarctica.

Visitor rights

One possible solution is that of marketable visitor rights, as is already used in the climate policy by means of trading in CO2 emission rights. First of all a maximum annual number of tourist days in Antarctica will be set. To ensure a smooth transition, this maximum will be set higher than the actual number of tourists days used. As soon as the demand for holiday days in Antarctica is higher than the maximum, the rights to the days will have a certain value.

By awarding the rights to the ATS, the income can be used, for example, for monitoring and enforcement purposes, issues for which there is little money at present. The visitor rights will be auctioned: sold to the highest bidder. Then the buyers are free to trade the rights further. This will ensure that the available 'space' in tourist days will be used for the most profitable forms of tourism. This system of marketable visitor rights could allow three objectives to be realised: the scale of tourism and with this its effects will be limited, an urgently desired new source of funding will become available for monitoring and enforcement, and the tourism trade in the Antarctic area will remain financially healthy.

Polar research

The study Sustainable Tourism in the Antarctic Peninsula: Future Pathways and Policies is being funded by the Netherlands Polar Programme. The assessment of grant applications and the realisation and coordination of the Polar Programme is the responsibility of NWO/ALW.


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Adapted from materials provided by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research.

Cambodia tries "delphino-tourism"

Cambodian 'River Guards' keep watch over a Mekong River treasure23 hours agoKAMPI, Cambodia (AFP) Ñ The absence of fishing boats on this stretch of the Mekong river, just a few kilometres (miles) north of the eastern Cambodian town of Kratie, means military policeman Em Pheap is doing his job.One of about 80 "river guards", he is part of a groundbreaking conservation effort which has been credited with helping pull the Irrawaddy dolphin back from extinction."There, there!" he pointed excitedly during a recent patrol on the river, shouldering his assault rifle and standing high on the back of the boat.The pair of dolphins, dark slivers on the horizon, broke the surface with a gentle exhale of breath heard over the murmur of the current running through the submerged trees in this vast monsoon season flood plain.The total number of Mekong dolphins is unknown, but marine specialists say the mammals remain some of the world's most critically endangered.With their pale grey skin and blunt beaks, they dolphins resemble porpoises more than their sea-going cousins.Their numbers already vastly reduced by Cambodia's drawn-out civil conflict -- dolphin blubber was used to lubricate machine parts and light lamps -- these graceful creatures are now falling prey to development and the attendant problem of over-crowding as this wild corner of the country opens up.The Mekong is one of only five freshwater habitats in the world for this species of dolphin, and Cambodia supports its largest remaining population, thought to hover around 100 congregating in a handful of natural deep-water pools."The Kratie-Stung Treng stretch of the Mekong is their last stronghold," said Richard Zanre, the World Wildlife Fund's freshwater programme manager in Cambodia, describing a river habitat running 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Kratie to Stung Treng, Cambodia's last large port before the Mekong crosses over into Laos.War and the ensuing lawlessness kept the region largely out of the reach of researchers for decades. But since around 2001, biologists and other wildlife experts have discovered an unexpectedly rich biosphere.At its core are the dolphins, "a flagship species for the conservation of the river," says the WWF.Desperate to revive a plummeting population, the government created the river guards, the first organisation of its kind and part of a conservation effort launched last year after a spate of mysterious dolphin deaths.But while the guards appear to have had some success in bringing dolphin numbers back up, they have been met with hostility and sometimes violence from local villagers who make their living along the river."The most important thing is to cooperate with the people," said Touch Seang Tana, chairman of the government's Commission for Mekong River Dolphin Conservation."Without the participation of the local people in conservation, we will not be successful."A spike in deaths among mostly dolphin calves last year left officials scrambling to re-think their conservation efforts as Cambodia prepared to launch one of its most ambitious tourism efforts to date: the Mekong River Discovery Trail.The Trail, which hopes to bring tourism and development to one of Cambodia's most-neglected regions, roughly follows the dolphins' habitat.The animals' survival is crucial to the plan's success, officials say."No dolphins means no tourism. No tourism means no development," Tourism Minister Thong Khon said last week as the Trail, a joint UN-Cambodian project, was announced.The solution, according to Touch Seang Tana, was to try to radically change the economy of the river to make dolphins more valuable alive than dead.Alternate means of livelihood would be introduced to villages along the river to take advantage of a booming tourism sector that has already benefited other parts of the country."My idea is... to try to get poor fishermen to change over to tourism," Touch Seang Tana told AFP. "I give them tour boats" to bring visitors to see the dolphins.Reducing villagers' dependence on fishing is hoped to also see a drop in the use of gillnets.Cheap and easy to use, gillnets are as efficient a killer of dolphins as they are of fish, said Touch Seang Tana, a marine scientist by training who blames this now illegal fishing method for "99 percent" of dolphin deaths.But getting local fishermen to risk their livelihoods for an animal that is of little value commercially or as food has been hard, he explained."I tried to invite them to meetings to explain our actions, even tried to pay them money... But they didn't come, they sent their pregnant wives," he said."We decided then that we'll confiscate (fishing gear) and then they came. They came with knives, they wanted to kill the river guards," he added."They want to kill all of the dolphins because they are keeping people from making a living."Since the introduction of the river guards, however, illegal net fishing, along with the use of explosives or electrical charges to catch fish -- practices that also inadvertently kill dolphins -- have dropped, said guard Em Pheap."Before it was a big problem, but now people are understanding more about this," he said.The WWF's Zanre told AFP that while the number of dying dolphin calves is still dangerously high, "adult dolphin mortalities have declined" as a result of conservation.Even before the Discovery Trail becomes a reality, its successes are evident in Kampi, where dolphins have become the local industry.Aside from the boats lining up for sightseers, nearly every house along the narrow tree-lined road shadowing the river hawks tiny dolphin carvings."Everyone earns the money, even the children, from dolphins. You can see their livelihood has changed -- you can see televisions in houses, some people even have motorcycles," Touch Seang Tana said."The dolphin is so important. I tell them 'The dolphin is everything for you' and now they can see that," he added."Its future is their future."