This new activity is bringing economic benefits to many local communities, including ex-whaling communities, in both rich and poor countries. In some places it is pursued in its own right or in conjunction with fishing or diving enterprises; in others, it is part of the broader activity of ecotourism.
In the absence of codes of conduct or other types of rules, it is possible that whale watching could bring new dangers to whales. While cliff-top watching of some species as they migrate or linger close to shore cannot harm them, large numbers of boats approaching too closely, moving too quickly, or operating too noisily, may sometimes interrupt the breeding and feeding of whales and dolphins. Management authorities in various countries in which whale watching is now established are beginning to be interested in regulating it so that the joy of spotting a whale is preserved, even enhanced, while neither individual animals nor their populations are subjected to undue stress. Rules to regulate whale watching now exist in a variety of countries: these are summarised in working paper MWW/95/1. To date, there is almost no evidence of significant long-term negative impacts on cetacean individuals, groups or populations, but while studies continue, it is prudent to adopt a precautionary approach.
Nor is it in the interests of commercial whale watching operators to compete with each other to the detriment of both themselves and the whales. Ad hoc rules of behaviour have therefore been laid down in many places, limiting the distance a boat of a certain type may approach a certain species of whale, from what aspect, and so on. In addition, more general rules have become necessary to limit overall boat numbers, specify acceptable boat types and to determine where and when (seasonally and daily) the boats may operate.
The International Whaling Commission (IWC) has followed the development of whale watching for more
than a decade. At its Annual Meetings in 1983 and 1984, the Commission considered a Report on the
Non-Consumptive Utilization of Cetacean Resources, following the
Whales Alive
conference in Boston,
USA. That report dealt, inter alia, with aspects of whale watching. A related action by the IWC was its
adoption, in 1990, of a resolution on "...redirecting research towards non-lethal methods (and)
encouraging governments to base their research programmes to the maximum extent possible on non-
lethal methods." Such research can be conducted from platforms of opportunity such as whale watching
vessels.
At its 1993 Annual Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, the IWC resolved to "recognise whale watching as an expanding tourist industry which contributes significantly to the economies [of a number of countries]" and to recognise "the contribution which whale watching makes to education and to furthering scientific knowledge". Accordingly, the IWC formally expressed its desire "to encourage the further development of whale watching as a sustainable use of cetacean resources". A year later, by a resolution adopted at its Annual Meeting in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, the IWC acknowledged "that the regulation of whale- watching activities is a matter for the responsible coastal state, rather than for the Commission [but] ... that the Commission can provide advice to member and non-member governments on the regulation of whale watching and on the collection of useful data from whale-watching operations..." The IWC has charged a Working Group of its Members "to keep under review developments related to all aspects of whale watching" and has asked its Scientific Committee to provide relevant advice to that group. This subject is therefore at present on the Agenda of the Scientific Committee.
Following the Kyoto meeting of the IWC, representatives of various non-governmental organisations (ngos), as well as independent scientists involved in whale watching, began to review in depth what they might do to help ensure that future non-lethal 'use' of whales and dolphins through whale watching would be benign and sustainable. It was recognised that there were many aspects of such a task: educational, legal and administrative, technical, scientific, economic, social and ethical. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), an international ngo (ingo), conceived a plan for a series of international workshops in which these aspects would be examined sequentially and interactively. These workshops would be concluded with a conference on whale watching at which integration would be attempted. It was decided that, in view of the need both to improve existing rules in many situations and to devise reasonable new codes of behaviour or rules where whale watching is just beginning, the first aspect to be examined should be that of science.
IFAW and Tethys (a national ngo) agreed to co-sponsor this first workshop in the projected series. They were later joined by Europe Conservation (another ingo based in Rome, Italy). The sponsors established a Preparatory Committee, comprised of Carole Carlson, Sidney Holt, Erich Hoyt, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara and Vassili Papastavrou. After considering alternatives, the Committee decided to convene the workshop in the small hill-town of Montecastello di Vibio, in Umbria, Italy, and sought additional sources of funds and other collaborators.
Possible management objectives were identified by the participants during the course of the workshop. It was suggested that whale watching should not be allowed to change the whales' vital population characteristics such as birth rate and mortality. In addition, neither the whales' distribution and habitat usage nor their behavioural modes (such as feeding and mating) should be affected by whale watching. Whale watching, if permitted, should be conducted in such a way that it fosters positive respectful interactions between whales and whale watchers and does not result in an increase in irritability or overt stress of the whales. These goals can help define research to measure changes in vital rates, distribution, habitat use, behaviour, as well as stress.
This report is intended for use primarily by scientists who study cetaceans to assist them in offering advice to managers and in planning scientific research on cetaceans that is relevant to the management of whale watching. It is thus offered as a contribution to the scientific element of any such management process.
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