Slaughtering the Goose that Lays the Golden Egg: Are Whaling and Whale-Watching Mutually Exclusive?

Abstract

Tourism interests usually coexist in a delicate balance with other human interests (e.g. residential development and recreational interests) and activities (e.g. fishing, forestry and mining). Such interests and activities may be compatible or incompatible with tourism to varying degrees. Where incompatibility arises it must be carefully managed through compromise, spatial segregation or exclusivity. Conflicting interests between whale-watching and whaling is one topical such case. Events in recent years, such as the Icelandic government's decision to resume scientific whaling in 2003 have drawn considerable attention to this issue. This is a matter that received some attention at the meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in July 2006. In response to recent debate, this paper highlights the need for a better understanding of tourist views on issues of relevance to whale-watching, noting a number of increasingly topical questions that remain unanswered at present. In doing so it calls for empirical research into the values and views of tourists, actual and latent, on whaling and wider issues of animal welfare. Insights into precisely where tourists stand on issues relating to the whaling/whale-watching debate, and how that may bear upon demand for whale-watching in different national and regional contexts, has become a heightened priority in light of recent events.

Can whale-watching and whaling co-exist? Tourist perceptions in Iceland

“…Previous studies have investigated this issue (e.g. Parsons & Rawles, 2003; Cunningham et al ., 2012), but there are very few that have examined how whale-watch tourists may react if whaling occurs in their preferred whale-watching destination (Higham & Lusseau, 2007; 2008). Investigating the cultural and environmental values of this demographic may facilitate an understanding of the degree to which they will partake in whale-watching, in whaling nations (Higham & Lusseau, 2007).…”

“…Whilst some supporters of whaling believe that it is possible for commercial whaling and whale-watching to co–exist, thereby providing two sources of revenue (Moyle & Evans, 2008), several studies have suggested that the coexistence of these two industries is not feasible (Orams, 2001; Higham & Lusseau, 2008). As well as reducing whale populations overall, whaling can impact upon the local whale populations which support many whale-watching industries, for example by potentially causing whales to develop avoidance responses to boats (Hoyt & Hvenegaard, 2002).…”

Wildlife Tourism and Natural Sciences Knowledge: Challenges and Critical Factors

“…For those forms of wildlife tourism that include the possibility of feeding wild animals, other problems can arise, including impaired health and higher levels of aggression toward humans (Burns & Howard, 2003;Orams, 2002;Smith, Samuels, & Bradley, 2008). Negative effects can also occur due to conflicts among stakeholders, for example in the case of whale-watching tourism and traditional economic activities that are based on the same resources, in particular fishery and whaling (Higham & Lusseau, 2008;Parsons & Draheim, 2009). It has been observed that tourism, wildlife tourism included, can lead to negative effects on the local socio-cultural context, and, more generally, on the quality of life of the local communities (Mathieson & Wall, 1982b;Scheyvens, 1999).…”

The Negative Impacts of Whale-Watching

“…Indeed, whale watching in countries that are still actively hunting whales is arguably more lucrative than whaling [5][6][7]. Statements from politicians in whaling countries claim that whaling and whale-watching can coexist without impacting each other (e.g., [8][9][10][11][12]), but data suggest that whaling can inhibit whale-watching development or potentially reduce whale watching tourism revenues within a country [6,7,[13][14][15]. Whaling may even reduce tourism revenues in general, because of ethical boycotts of whaling locations by tourists [16].…”