[Coral-List] Sustainable Tourism!?

Quenton Dokken qdokken at gulfmex.org
Fri Dec 16 09:38:12 EST 2011


Good Morning,

The environmental impacts of tourism match or exceed the impacts of any
other industry regardless of where it occurs.  And, it is not just in-water
activities.  Just as importantly it is hotels, pathways and roads, on-shore
entertainment activities, marinas, restaurants, buses, taxis, etc.  I just
returned from Cozumel, Mexico and not once was I charged an environmental
conservation fee.  Recently, in a Gulf coastal state, Alabama I believe, my
hotel bill did have an "environmental" fee attached.  But, I could not help
wonder where that fee was spent.  I would bet that it was spent on marketing
to attract more tourist.

Hotels, taxi companies, restaurants, condominiums, etc. should all be paying
to sponsor habitat conservation.  And, not just take money from the customer
and pass it along.  These businesses should match customer contributions.
It is incumbent on NGOs to get these vested interests in natural resources
on board to protect the environment.

Quenton R. Dokken, PhD
President/CEO
Gulf of Mexico Foundaton, Inc.

Mail:
PMB 51  5403 Everhart Rd.
Corpus Christi, TX 78411

Office:
3833 South Staples
Suite S-214
Corpus Christi, TX 78411

361-882-3939 office
361-882-1260 fax
361-442-6064 cell
1-800-884-4175 toll free

qdokken at gulfmex.org
www.gulfmex.org 


-----Original Message-----
From: coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
[mailto:coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov] On Behalf Of
crdev at singnet.com.sg
Sent: Thursday, December 15, 2011 6:03 PM
To: Monika Franck
Cc: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov; Wang Fei
Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Sustainable Tourism!?

--- Monika Franck <monikafranck at email.com> wrote:

To All,

One means to address the cost of preserving the marine environment would be
to place an environmental levy on all recreational diving equipment,
underwater cameras and video units and etc.

If the recreational diving manufacturers and retailers profit from these and
others items to allow us to visit and document life beneath the sea, then
they should take the responsibility to help pay for the restoration and
protection of the marine environment.

And yes, the diving organizations should also do their part by also placing
an environment levy on each SCUBA diving license 


Charles Rowe

Seacil Artificial Reef creator
> Dear Wang Fei
> 
>  Regarding your email below, I have sent you a previous Coral List 
> email by Chad Scott who works on Koh Tao for Save Koh Tao Marine. He 
> would be able to give you a lot of information on whether there is a 
> difference between eco-dive operators and non eco-dive operators on 
> Koh Tao as they work with a lot of dive operators there.
> 
>  Also I think even if coral degradation rate is faster than a system 
> informing consumers on which destination is more sustainable to 
> support than another, it would still help to raise consumer awareness 
> toward sustainable consumerism, and will contribute toward work 
> against coral reef degradation.
> 
>  It has to be implemented correctly of course, and to be effective 
> consumers still need to be educated and understand what it means, just 
> like they have quickly come to understand a five star 
> rating/certification of hotels which is also a consumer information 
> guide already successfully in practice.
> 
>  I think it would take as long as it takes for all the various 
> stakeholders (such as divers, marine scientists, tourism 
> industry/agents, hotel owners, local coastal communities, governments, 
> sports fishermen.) to agree to an independently audited and 
> internationally recognised sustainable coral reef certification system 
> that would steer sustainable use of marine resources such as a coral 
> reef in this case.
> 
>  Enjoy your PhD; you have picked an interesting one.
> 
>  Best wishes
>  Monika
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Wang Fei
> Sent: 12/02/11 05:21 PM
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject: Re: [Coral-List] Sustainable Tourism!?
> 
>  Hallo Lister: ``Needed is an internationally recognized 
> indicator/certification system, similar to the 5 star status system of 
> hotels, to enable consumers of coral reef destinations to make 
> informed choices`` i agree 100 percent, But ! i am staying on a small 
> dive island called Koh Tao in the gulf of Thailand at the moment. The 
> plan of my phd study or this visit is too see whether ppl do have the 
> preference towards eco-labeled dive schools and if there is a 
> difference between eco-dive school divers to non. i realize it is easy 
> to say and image rather than apply and control.
> For example, the powerful family or person may control alot local 
> business.... their business may get green washed, but really grean?
> i do not say it is unrealistic to achieve this, i just wanna know 
> about how and how long many this take, if it is faster then the 
> coral's degradation rate.... just show corals around yesterday, it was 
> horrible here already. maybe i should google the establish history of 
> 5 !
>  star hotel system. by the way, if
> you are on Koh Tao or you know someone is working on Koh tao, please 
> contact me! fei.wang at zmt-bremen.de -- Wang Fei PhD Candidate Leibniz 
> Zentrum fi;5 Marine Tropeni0 ologie Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine 
> Ecology Fahrenheitstr. 8 D-28359 Bremen Germany Tel : (00)49
> - (0)421 - 23800-158 Fax : (00)49 - (0)421 - 23800-30 
> email:anita.flohr at zmt-bremen.de web: www.zmt-bremen.de 
> _______________________________________________ Coral-List mailing 
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