Monitoring MPA visitor uses handbook

More documents

Recommendations

Info

5.15.2 Relevance of the Economicbenefits of visitor use indicatorThis indicator requires the development of a socio-economicstudy and aims to answer two key questions :• What are the economic benefits of visitor use (in termsof employment and added value) of the MPA for economicactivity in neighbouring areas.• To what extent can visitor use generate revenues tofund the cost of MPA protection?The scope of monitoring this indicator extends greatlybeyond the boundaries of the MPA. In the same wayas the issue of conservation, inclusion of this economicdimension is vital for the definition of sustainable tourismin the MPA.Multidisciplinary indicator implementation inLes Calanques National Park (France).The Liteau FHUVEL programme (Fréquentation Humaineet Vulnérabilité Écologique du Littoral - Visitor use andEnvironmental vulnerability of the Coast) for the 2009-2012 period primarily aims to develop a cross-disciplinarymethodology to assess the vulnerability of the remarkablecoastal ecosystems (coralline, Posidonia grass bedsand Trichoptera) and to identify the factors responsiblefor that vulnerability to prioritise conservation or evenrestoration needs. By crossing indicators, FHUVELinterlinks biological data with visitor and use data toidentify sociological and ecological tolerance thresholdsand move towards carrying capacity indicators.The workshop sites are expected to provide concretecontributions to help develop management and decisiontools for use in Les Calanques National Park, takingaccount of uses, social representations and the necessaryprotection of nature.Coralline formation, Les Calanques National Park (France).© Credit: Olivier BianchimaniThe benefit of an initial evaluation of visitoruse and biocenoses to assess the impactof a new development: the example of theTables diving site in the Posidonia grassbeds of Cap d’Agde marine protected area(France).The Tables site is a small, rocky submarine area onlya few hundred metres from the cliffs of Cap d’Agde. Itconsists of a set of volcanic tuff slabs with numerousfaults, caves and overhangs that are home to extremelydiverse fauna and flora greatly sought-after by divers.At the Tables site, the problem of visitor use (diving andmooring) and its impact was addressed relatively earlyon. Studies were initiated in 1999 (Musard, 1999; Payrot,2001) and evidenced the significant pressure generatedby deep-sea diving on certain coastal sites of Agdeincluding the Tables, with numbers in summer estimatedat 8,500 dives and some 850 mooring boats. Surveyswere also conducted with local diving clubs and theopinions obtained were unanimous about the problem of"overcrowding" in the Tables site. Plans were thereforemade in 2005 to install seven Harmony-type ecologicalmooring buoys at the site, following an initial analysis tobe able to subsequently monitor and measure the effectsof the new facilities on marine biocenosis restoration. Thewhite gorgonian seafan Eunicella singularis was selectedas the indicator species owing to its representativenessin the study zone and because it is a sessile organismwhich, by definition, cannot flea pressure.The study was conducted in 2010 and 2012 by theAssociation ADENA. After only five years, the restorationof the white seafan population was already taking placeat the Tables site. Analyses showed a clear growth in thepopulation between 2005 and 2010 which continued until2012, together with development in the coverage of rockyareas. The high densities of young gorgonians reflectthe area's potential for development and regeneration.With an increase in densities of large gorgonians too, theresults concerning the natural restoration of white seafanare extremely positive, both in terms of the conservationbenefits of this kind of mooring and the willingness ofdiving clubs, as stakeholders of the "Posidonies duCap d’Agde" Natura 2000 site, to use the facilities forsustainable protection.Reference : Blouet S., Chéré E., Dupuy de la Grandrive R.,Foulquié M. 2010. Restauration naturelle des populationsde gorgones blanches Eunicella singularis (Esper, 1794)après installation d’ancrages écologiques Harmony, sur lesite de plongée des Tables. "Posidonies du Cap d’Agde"Natura 2000 Site FR-9101414. ADENA publ. Fr. : 58PP.Foulquié M., Blouet S., Chéré E., Dupuy de la GrandriveR., Fabre E., Dalias N., 2012. Restauration naturelle despopulations de gorgones blanches Eunicella singularis(Esper, 1794) après installation d’ancrages écologiquesHarmony, sur le site de plongée des Tables. "Posidoniesdu Cap d’Agde" Natura 2000 Site FR-9101414. ADENA,SEANEO publ. Fr. : 91PP TABLE OF CONTENTS 40 COLLECTION VISITOR USE OBSERVATION AND MONITORING IN MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
6. Implementing indicatorsOnce the indicators have been selected and the protocols tailored to your MPA, their implementation must beorganised. Certain difficulties can then arise: the need to alter protocols during the study, varying data quality yearover year, difficulties making comparisons, loss of information, lack of coordination, lack of observatory ownershipby the management team, dilution of responsibilities, etc.A few simple guidelines can help restrict these implementation difficulties.6.1 Preparing and harmonising fielddata report formsCertain data collection materials need to be preparedand specifically adapted to the features of the MPA andthe aim of the study. This is particularly the case with :• count report forms (passenger arrivals, boats in mooringsites, flows of cyclists on paths, etc.);• field data records (records of offences, weather conditions,etc.);• survey questionnaires (multiple-choice or interviews).The format of these collection tools should be harmonised(same counting typologies, same organisation ofmultiple-choice questions, etc.), to facilitate their useand subsequent data processing and archiving.6.2 Installing and testing technicaltoolsCertain data collection means involve technologies ofvarying degrees of complexity, so it is important to testthem prior to actual use.• For overflights, the flight plan must be prepared withthe pilot, all the flight authorisations must be obtained,the condition and range of the camera must be checked,and photo-interpretation limits must be assessed;• Handheld counters should be rounded up and labelled,as they can quickly get lost;• The installation plan for the network of automatic counterson paths must be defined, the equipment installed(acoustic slab sensor, pyro-electric sensor or magneticloops) during a quiet period, and checks must be doneto ensure the counters and recording equipment workcorrectly.6.3 Testing protocolsIt is advisable to test the data collection protocols in realsituations. Their feasibility must be checked with theassurance that nothing will hinder the smooth conductof surveys, that respondents understand the multiplechoicequestions, that entities holding data are preparedto disclose it, that automatic counters work, etc. Countingprotocols should ideally be tested during averagelybusy periods and not during the low season.6.4 Organising and standardisingindicator implementationTo guarantee the sustainability of the study and datausability, protocols must be formally documented and arecord should be kept of the conditions in which they areimplemented each year. Managers should :• draw up a clear, technical compendium of methodssetting out the collection protocols for each indicatorin detail to guarantee reproducibility;• define a schedule of monitoring operations each year.6.5 Forming a teamForming a team motivated by the issues of visitor useand responsible for implementing the indicators in theMPA is a key factor in the success of the study. It is thereforeadvisable to :• Assign MPA employees to the study and provide eachteam member with training. The team should be involvedin the visitor use monitoring project right fromthe start. They can make valuable contributions invarious areas due to their in-depth knowledge of thefield. The protocol tests are an excellent opportunityfor training using the compendium of methods as learningmaterial.• Keep involvement of trainees to a minimum as this candemand a considerable training effort and restrict thestudy in terms of knowledge of the MPA and communicationwith users; it can also have a disincentiveeffect on the team managing the study.• Appoint a lead coordinator to oversee the entire study(indicator definition and adjustment, verification of collecteddata, schedule preparation, participation in datareporting). Different people may be put in charge ofcertain aspects (counts, data capture, etc.), but theirrespective tasks shall not replace the lead coordinator'srole. TABLE OF CONTENTS 41 COLLECTION VISITOR USE OBSERVATION AND MONITORING IN MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
Page 1: Visitor Use Observationand Monitori
Page 5 and 6: AuthorsLETG Brest Géomer - UBOThe
Page 7 and 8: List of figures & tablesFigure 1: M
Page 9 and 10: 1. Purpose and target audienceof th
Page 11 and 12: 1.2.4 Aims of the guideThis guide a
Page 13: 2.2.1 Level 1: a basic analysis to
Page 16 and 17: 4.1.4 Safety indicatorSafety is oft
Page 18: 5. IndicatorsBased on the requireme
Page 22 and 23: Time and cost : This depends on the
Page 24 and 25: ...Aerial picture of Porquerolles,
Page 26 and 27: ObservationBoatsMooringDate Time ar
Page 28 and 29: 5.5.4 AdviceCatches in the MPA are
Page 30 and 31: Gaining knowledge to improve manage
Page 32 and 33: Ex. 1 Annual monitoringfor each use
Page 34 and 35: pondents are comfortable and availa
Page 36 and 37: 5.10.3 Framework protocolData colle
Page 38 and 39: 5.12.2 Relevant MPA typesMPAContine
Page 42 and 43: 7. Archiving and processing dataSto
Page 44: 8. Reporting and sharing resultsRep
Page 48 and 49: charters for a professional, recrea
Page 50 and 51: Technical datasheet - Overflight fo
Page 52: The MedPAN collectionThe MedPAN col

Monitoring MPA visitor uses handbook

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?