Case Study - Network for Business Sustainability

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Engaging the Community: A Knowledge Project “There are people who drop money in The Whale Museum because they sign up on one of these trips. I think there would not be all this thought and protection if there had not been whale watching tours.” Conclusion The purpose of the WWOANW guidelines and managing practices is to protect killer whales while providing opportunities for the public to observe them in their natural habitat rather than in an aquarium or zoo. While there are legitimate concerns about the rapid growth of whale watch touring and a need for monitoring and proper management, the tour operators and drivers feel they are working to make whale watching safe for whales in the long term so that this form of eco-tourism may be enjoyed by future generations. The Best Practices Guidelines developed by the industry are a positive factor in the conservation of killer whales. If it were not for the steps taken by the industry, an effective form of management might not be in place. DFO (Pacific Region) continues to perform an important monitoring role with respect to potential instances of harassment, which is prohibited by regulations under the Fisheries Act. However, it continues to provide support to the industry rather than assuming regulatory control. As a result, DFO (Pacific Region) has recognized the guidelines as a suitable model as evidenced by their participation with WWOANW to design programs that may increase compliance. Though private recreational boaters and non-member touring companies or individuals are not subject to the guidelines, member operators, Soundwatch, and M3 challenge other vessels’ inappropriate behaviour that might be due to ignorance rather than an intention to harm. Members of WWOANW take conservation efforts seriously. Their members understand that if there are no whales, there will be no industry. The whale watcher operators see their role, in part, as introducing the public to whales and to educate people to be respectful, to take action, and to conserve other marine species and the environment as a whole. They feel that their tours are an effective way to raise awareness of killer whales and issues relating to their biology, behaviour, and proper management. As gatekeepers of the whale watching experience, tour operators are in a unique position to transfer knowledge to the public about whales, their habitat and ocean conservation. Learning about killer whale biology and behaviour through the educational content provided on whale tours may encourage greater public support for whale conservation and their protection from potentially negative impacts. 12

Engaging the Community: A Knowledge Project References and Further Reading Baird, R.W. (1999). Status of Killer Whales in Canada. Species Status Report: Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). Canadian Field-Naturalist 115(4), 676-701. Erbe, C. (2002). Underwater noise of whale-watching boats and potential effects on Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) based on an acoustic impact model. Marine Mammal Science. 18(2), 394-418. Ford, J.K.B., Ellis, G.M., & Balcomb. K.C. (2000). Killer Whales. Vancouver: UBC Press. Hoyt, E. (2001). Whale Watching 2001. Worldwide tourism numbers, expenditures, and expanding socio-economic benefits. A special report for the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Conference held in Yarmouth Port, MA. Koski . K.L., & Osborne, R.W. (2005). The evolution of adaptive management practices for vessel-based wildlife viewing in the boundary waters of British Columbia and Washington State: From voluntary guidelines to regulations. Conference held in Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference. Lawrence, T.B., Phillips, N., & Hardy, C. (1999). Watching whale watching exploring the discursive foundations of collaborative relationships. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 35(4). Taylor, M. & Platter, B. (2001). Population viability analysis for the southern resident population of the killer whale (Orcinus orca). The Center for Biological Diversity. The Whale Museum (2005). The Whale Museums's Soundwatch Boater Education Program Activities Report 2005. Retrieved January 16, 2006 from Web site: http://www.whalemuseum.org/downloads/soundwatch/2005%20SW%20Program%20Activities%20Report.pdf The Whale Museum (2006). Whale Watching Guidelines. Friday Harbor, WA. Retrieved January, 16, 2006 from Web site: http://www.whale-museum.org/education/library/whalewatch/wwlinks.html Trites, A.W., & Bain, D.E. (2002). Short and long-term effects of whale watching to killer whales (Orcinus Orca) in British Columbia. Retrieved June 15, 2006 from http://faculty.washington.edu/dbain/whalewatch.PDF Wiles, G. J. (2004). Washington State Status Report for the Killer Whale. Olympia, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved May, 5, 2005 from Web site: http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversty/soc/status/orca/final_orca_status.pdf Williams, R., Bain, D.E., Ford, J. K.B., & Trites, A.W. (2002). Behaviour responses of male killer whales to a 'leapfrogging' vessel. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 13

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