Marine Matters: Overseas tours "irresponsible"

After many years working within the wildlife tourism industry, I have to be honest and tell you that for the majority, operators are not prioritising the environment ahead of making a buck.

Put simply, there are two ways for a tourism operator to make money.

The first is to charge a huge amount of money and service the rich and famous.

The second would be to charge the minimum and carry as many people as possible for the shortest amount of time and cut all unnecessary costs.

The latter option is common, particularly in developing countries where tourism is not only the fastest growing form of economy, but also seen as the only way forward for somany poverty stricken communities.

Take Bali as a close tohome example.

The country has now become one of WA’s most popular tourist destinations where thousands of us arrive each day, contributing millions into their local economy.

While most of us still go there for the luxury resorts, food and drink, the country now boasts a range of wildlife tourism experiences that have become increasingly popular.

Experiences such as scuba diving, snorkelling, reef fishing, safari parks, oceanariums, monkey and elephant lodges, zoos and bird parks are all on offer and conveniently located close to the main resort areas.

On a recent trip I decided to visit a few of these and see for myself what the hype was all about.

To my horror, they all lacked any real concern for the environment, certainly had no interpretive content and the animals themselves were clearly exploited for a quick photo opportunity and a fast buck.

One of the most disturbing trips was to a dolphinarium where wild caught dolphins were kept in rusty pens within the polluted Benoa Harbour awaiting the wealthy westerner for a quick swim and a kiss.

The dolphins not only looked stressed, but evidence of disease and injury also mirrored what I have seen elsewhere in South America and in Asia.

The most disappointing aspect is that little can be done to stop this growing trend in irresponsible international wildlife tourism.

Why you may ask?

The simple answer is demand.

There is demand for an experience like swimming with dolphins or riding elephants.

With our strengthening dollar comes an unbelievable opportunity for the ‘‘experience of a lifetime’’ at a bargain price.

Are you one of them?

I was!

I paid for a tour that I didn’t even enjoy, as did 50 others on that day.

Most were disappointed and said they wouldn’t return, however tourism is a numbers game and sure enough, the next day was booked out with another 50 people looking forward to touching a dolphin.

So what can be done?

Unfortunately, if we successfully stopped them, the local community would then suffer through loss of employment and critical services.

The only answer comes in the form of education, licensing and regulation by the Indonesian government for operators to provide a service that clearly promotes better outcomes for the environment as well as for the tourists and themselves.