6.0 THE ROLE OF COMMUNITIES

Community is defined as the entire range of human interests within a spatial unit - which could be a town or village, an island or group of islands, in some cases even a region or protected area. The Workshop recognised that there are sub-units and minorities within the wider "community".

6.1 Community activities

Communities can benefit from an understanding of the academic and public advantages of well organised whale watching. There are practical things a community can do to help whale watch education:

  • Provide signs throughout the town to raise awareness.
  • Provide local knowledge about whales, local history and folklore to visitors.
  • Create educational brochures and materials.
  • Access regional and national funding to assist educational activities.
  • Build a conservation image around whales. In communities looking for an image, whales are a way to gain more recognition and to market the community to the world, as is happening in Húsavík, Iceland, and as has happened already at Kaikoura, New Zealand.
  • Assist and encourage local people, such as hotel representatives and store keepers, to be trained as guides, teachers and spokespersons.
  • Create festivals and make the most of existing local cultural events to highlight whale watching and education, including a method of local participation in such events.
  • Sponsor clean-ups or conservation events with an educational focus.
  • Create land-based interpretive areas and viewing platforms as an alternative and/or introduction to vessel- based whale watching.
  • Sponsor and encourage special whale watch trips for schools and other groups in the local community, nearby communities and urban areas.
  • Assist in the development of school programmes which can use whale watching (in some places communities have an influence on curricula which might then be expanded beyond the community).
  • Use local media - radio, television, newspapers and magazines - to cover whale watching events and activities and encourage responsible coverage.
  • Create special seasonal and long-term themes - e.g., "Whale Week", or "The Year of the Whale" -to unite the town and draw audiences and tourists from elsewhere.
  • Establish local reserves, sanctuaries or protected areas. Locals could be used as guides or enforcement officers, encouraging the strong community interest so important in making protective efforts successful.

Communities might pass local regulations which would reflect on their economy and seif-determination, such as mandatory regulations requiring local employment on boats and in subsidiary whale watch activities. This would help small communities to avoid being by-passed by large external whale watch operations.

6.2 Educating communities about whale watching

Each community has its own set of particular issues and sensitivities. Some, for example, will simply not be interested. Those which are interested in whale watching should identify local people who will take a lead and stimulate interest by pointing out the values and reasons why a community would want to establish whale watching. They can, for instance, note that whale watching has proved itself good for business, and good for the image of many communities, providing public and academic education and job opportunities. It can also be a stimulus to long-term conservation of the adjacent marine environment of a seaside community.

Conflicts in a community can arise between user groups. Such conflicts have often been dealt with by NG0s and governmental authorities and may even be viewed as an opportunity, not a problem. For instance, resolving such conflicts can lead to proposals for integrated coastal zone management. In this case, both local and international NG0s can assist by providing data and management plans to illustrate the efficacy of integrated management.

COMMUNITY-BASED WHALE WATCHING

A preliminary-list of communities which have already taken a role in the organisation, management and promotion of whale watch activities. Some of these are at the pioneering level.

  • Argentina: Puerto Pirámides, San Julian, Puerto Deseado
  • Australia: Hervey Bay, Byron Bay
  • New Zealand. Kaikoura
  • USA: Westport, Provincetown, Lahaina
  • Puerto Rico: Rincón
  • Japan: Ogata, Zamami, Ogasawara
  • South Africa: MTN Cape Whale Route, Hermanus
  • Norway: Andenes
  • Iceland.. Húsavík
  • Canada: Telegraph Cove, Tofino
  • Scotland: Moray Firth
  • Mexico: Guerrero Negro

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