Monitoring MPA visitor uses handbook

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ForewordTourism in the MediterraneanTourism is a vital economic activity for all countries aroundthe Mediterranean Sea. Given their location at the crossroadsbetween three continents, these countries attract30% of global international tourist arrivals. In 2007, theyreceived some 275 million international tourists. Tourismis therefore a source of employment and foreign currencies,and greatly contributes to economic developmentin Mediterranean countries.Tourist activities generate two kinds of environmentalimpact: impacts caused by visitor movement and thosecaused by visitor accommodation. As tourism in theMediterranean is very much based on the sea, all facilitiesspecifically constructed along the coast contributeto the impairment of natural shorelines. Development ofrecreational boating further contributes to the phenomenonwith the construction of space-consuming harboursand marinas.These impacts are heightened by their concentration intime (summer season and school holidays) and in space(along the coast, in the mountains, in certain towns andon major sites). The high population density generatespressure on water resources and natural environmentsand an increase in waste production (Source: Plan Bleu).Marine protected areas and tourismThe natural environment of marine protected areas is akey resource for tourist leisure activity in the Mediterranean.Tourism is therefore by far the main activity thatinterferes with marine protected areas.Mass tourism places considerable pressure on the environmentsprotected by marine areas located in the vicinityof tourist flows. Tourist activities must therefore bemanaged sensibly, and in a manner compatible with theprotection of natural resources.While managers of marine areas have no way of influencinglocal tourism overall (development of rental accommodationaround a protected area, development of aregional tourism diversification policy for example), theycan however take action in the sectors of leisure activitiescarried out on their sites (boating, diving, surfing,recreational fishing, etc.).Need for tourist use informationTo develop ecologically responsible tourism, touristactivity management should be planned as part of themanagement plan generally implemented within the frameworkof marine protected areas.In this respect, knowledge and scientific monitoring oftourist use and the impacts of tourism are a necessityfor managers keen to preserve the good environmentalstatus of a marine protected area. Even if the means arelimited, MPAs must be able to monitor variations in touristpractices, with the same conviction and similar resourcesto those employed to monitor natural heritage.Regular observation of tourist and other uses is today akey factor in good area management.In-depth knowledge of tourist activities will enable managersto take appropriate management measures suchas the establishment of visitor quotas, site developments(organised moorage for example), pricing policies, wastemanagement, etc.Produced within the framework of the MedPAN NordEuropean project coordinated by WWF-France underthe stewardship of the MedPAN network of Mediterraneanmarine protected area managers, this guide aimsto held managers understand tourist uses and introduceappropriate monitoring systems in their MPA. TABLE OF CONTENTS 8 COLLECTION VISITOR USE OBSERVATION AND MONITORING IN MEDITERRANEAN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
1. Purpose and target audienceof the guideThis guide is the result of work carried out in cooperation by Mediterranean MPA managers and a team of scientistswhich has tested methods for studying visitor use with Port-Cros National Park in France.1.1 Why study visitor use?In all natural protected areas, irrespective of the type,it is the managers' role to reconcile environmental protectionwith their sites' opening to the public. Visitorimpacts on protected habitats and species must be restricted,while fostering the positive effects of tourism ona social, cultural and/or economic level. To implementsustainable, balanced management, managers need todefine the ecological conservation status of their site,and quantify and qualify the human activities to whichit plays host.Knowledge of the natural environment has traditionallybeen the priority focus in protected areas. Managershave long used environmental conservation monitoringtools. Tools for monitoring visitor uses and the relatedsocio-economic aspects, however, are less extensivelydeveloped and respond to more recent concerns. As anexample, of the 1,200 studies carried out since 1963at Port-Cros National Park (France), only five relate tohuman and social sciences.Today, managers are in search of standardised visitoruse monitoring tools that will provide the data requiredto render visitor use compatible with site conservation,improve visitor and local community wellbeing, boostthe positive effects of tourism, improve internal managementand plan for future changes.Passengers arriving by boat on Port-Cros Island, Port-Cros National Park(France). © Credit : LETG Brest-Géomer UMR6554Figure 1 : Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean - The MedPAN network in October 2012SLOVENIAFRANCECROATIAITALYMONTENEGROALBANIASPAINGREECETURKEYMOROCCOALGERIANational MPAs members of MedPANProjected MPAs member of MedPANOther national MPAsOther projected MPAsPelagos SanctuaryTUNISIAMALTALIBYASource : MAPAMED, the database of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, MedPAN, RAC/SPA, 2012.Note: only some Natura 2000 at sea sites are present on this map.SYRIACYPRUSLEBANONISRAELEGYPT TABLE OF CONTENTS 9 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: List of figures & tablesFigure 1: M
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 40 and 41: 5.15.2 Relevance of the Economicben
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

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