Reflections on the ecosystem services of whales and valuing their contribution to human well-being

Socio-cultural valuation of whale ecosystem services in Skjálfandi Bay, Iceland

“…Participants were also asked to answer a set of socio-demographic questions. The ten key whale ES were identified through the observations, analysis of the interviews, and the literature review by Cook et al (2020). The list and characteristics of the whale ES are outlined in Table 2 together with the methodological sources through which they were identified.…”

“…Ecosystem support (n=2) and existence value-related whale ES (n=3) were mentioned by two and three respondents respectively, and one respondent elaborated on the role of whales in spiritual experiences of local ecosystems (n=1) and inspiration for arts (n=1). This information was used in conjunction with the literature review and classification of whale ES by Cook et al (2020) to select ten 4 key whale ES that were later used in the socio-cultural valuation survey (see the list in Table 5).…”

“…Whales are known to inspire admiration, respect and awe due to their aesthetic characteristics, such as majestic appearance and large size (Cook et al, 2020). A whale watching guide noted: 'I've had people getting emotional on the boat, they're just so overwhelmed by what they're seeing' (I4).…”

“…Humans source multiple benefits from whales, including food, tourism, ecosystem regulation, aesthetic enjoyment and artistic inspiration (Cook et al, 2020;Malinauskaite et al, 2020a;Roman et al, 2014). Despite this fact, the ES of marine mammals have been lightly explored in the academic literature.…”

“…Despite this fact, the ES of marine mammals have been lightly explored in the academic literature. Notably, Roman et al (2014) and Cook et al (2020) formed inventories of whale ES, outlining their biological importance. There have also been attempts at economic valuation to assess the recreational value of whale watching (O'Connor et al, 2009;Parsons et al, 2003;Robertsen, 2013).…”