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1. INTRODUCTION The whale watching industry has undergone significant growth over the last ten years, associated with the massive recovery of Southern Right and Humpback Whale populations along the coast. Whale watching in South Africa started with land-based whale watching at Hermanus, and grew with the area’s reputation as having the among best land-based whale watching in the world. Increasing demand, as well as international trends, led to pressure for allowing boat-based whale watching, which became legal in South Africa in 1998. Prior research has indicated that land-based whale watching makes a major contribution to the South African economy through the expenditure of visitors (Findlay 1997), but little or no work has been carried out on the more-recently introduced phenomenon of boat-based whale watching in South Africa. Judging by global trends, the industry has the potential to make a sizeable economic contribution, provided that both the industry and the resource upon which it depends are managed with appropriate foresight. Up till now, the industry has been hampered by management problems and has not developed to its full potential. The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism: Branch Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) commissioned Anchor Environmental Consultants to conduct an independent study on the boat-based whale watching industry with a view to providing recommendations as to how to maximise the economic value of the industry. The industry has not been assessed previously and the results of this study will provide valuable information to guide management and development of the sector according to sound economic principles, in conjunction with supporting biological data. The aims of this study were: 1. To describe the industry in terms of its characteristics and activities; 2. To determine the profitability of licence holders in whale watching areas and identify reasons for their success or failure in this regard; 3. To assess and quantify the overall value and economic impact of the industry as it currently exists; 4. To highlight potential for future economic growth and provide recommendations on how to maximise economic benefits; and 5. To identify threats to growth which prevent the maximisation of economic benefits and provide recommendations on how to reduce these. 1
2. STUDY APPROACH AND METHODS 2.1 Overall approach This study was based on an international literature review of boat-based whale watching, interviews with major stakeholders in the boat-based whale watching industry in South Africa, and logbook data submitted by boat-based whale watching permit holders to MCM as part of their permit requirements. Information on resource quality was also taken into consideration. 2.2 Consultation with management authorities and industry The study began with a meeting the client (MCM) in Cape Town in November 2004, to discuss the characteristics of the industry and to identify key areas for focus that would result in relevant outputs according to their management and policy needs. MCM supplied data on permit-holder details. During client meetings and subsequent research, the researchers were made aware of the existence of the South African Boat-based Whale Watching Association (SABBWWA). After initial contact ,concern was expressed by SABBWA that the study had been commissioned and the questionnaire had been developed without their knowledge or input. The study was delayed for a period until SABBWWA had given their inputs and were happy for the survey process to resume. Meetings were held between the project leaders and members of SABBWWA in Knysna in December 2004 and with the chairman in Cape Town in January 2005. An MCM representative was also present at the latter meeting. During these meetings, the perceptions and concerns of SABBWWA relating to the industry were discussed. This provided an important alternative and independent assessment of the current management and industry characteristics to that provided by the management authority. 2.3 Review The first part of the study was to conduct a review of boat-based whale watching. This included a search for information on the boat-based whale watching industry in South Africa. The main output of this task was a review of the whale watching industry internationally, in order to set the South African industry within a larger context, in terms of the quality of resources, demand for whale watching and its economic value, as well as the way in which boat-based whale watching is managed internationally. The review also served to set a framework for understanding the industry and its potential for growth through a review of its establishment and growth in South Africa, the existence of supporting and enabling frameworks and a description of the existing patterns of management and control of the resources. 2.4 Questionnaire surveys and data collection Following this, questionnaire instruments were developed for surveying permit-holders and nonpermitted operators. Clients could not be surveyed because the study had to be conducted out of whale watching season. The permit-holder questionnaire sought to acquire information on the nature of the businesses involved and services provided, limitations, levels of occupancy and capital and operating costs associated with whale watching (Box 2.1). It also elicited the operators’ perceptions of future trends in the industry and of management. Non-permitted operators interviewed included marine tour operators that illegally conducted boat-based whale watching tours to varying extents, and some that did not, but that could potentially. In addition to marine tour operators, interviews were also conducted with hotel owners in the Border-Kei area and on the Wild Coast. In total, 17 of the 18 existing permit holders granted the researchers time for interviews. Permit holders were identified through contact details and related information provided by MCM and SABBWWA. These interviews were conducted between December 2004 and March 2005, outside 2
Page 3: BOAT-BASED WHALE WATCHING IN SOUTH
Page 6 and 7: owners, who felt that a smaller, fa
Page 8 and 9: TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION..
Page 12 and 13: the main whale watching season. All
Page 14 and 15: 3. WHALE WATCHING: AN INTERNATIONAL
Page 16 and 17: location. Most cetaceans spend the
Page 18 and 19: 3.2 South Africa in perspective Boa
Page 20 and 21: Table 3.3 excludes countries where
Page 22 and 23: west coast up to February or March
Page 24 and 25: The designated areas also include a
Page 26 and 27: 5. PERMIT-HOLDER CHARACTERISTICS, S
Page 28 and 29: The majority of permitted operators
Page 30 and 31: Two very large boats excluded, a ty
Page 32 and 33: November. This is probably due to a
Page 34 and 35: holder, with a total of just over 3
Page 36 and 37: Based on rack rates and the estimat
Page 38 and 39: 5.12 What determines success Based
Page 40 and 41: impact along the Garden Route, anot
Page 42 and 43: 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20
Page 44 and 45: 6.2 Western Cape The Western Cape P
Page 46 and 47: Equipment and infrastructure The fu
Page 48 and 49: around 30 to 35 passengers were per
Page 50 and 51: advertising material which offered
Page 52 and 53: generally variable in their length,
Page 54 and 55: Non-permitted activity One dedicate
Page 56 and 57: Equipment, trip characteristics and
Page 58 and 59: 6.4 KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal cur
Page 60 and 61:
visitors can be accommodated before
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Run on its way past Durban. Trips w
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Operators in Area 25 also offered d
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6.5 Summary of legal and illegal ac
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7. FUTURE POTENTIAL OF THE INDUSTRY
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Overall demand is heavily influence
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The most important enabling criteri
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The Cape Metro area is a major tour
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focused on harbour trips and until
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Wetland Park, Pondoland, the Greate
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8.3 The permit system, conditions a
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Monitoring will also be vital for e
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15. Data collected by operators and
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Woods-Ballard, A.J., Parsons, E.C.M
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11. APPENDIX 2. SUMMARY OF COMMERCI
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used for whale watching must be acc
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Both the National and state governm
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effort to be controlled through res
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not is broached several times each
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11.5 South America 11.5.1 Ecuador T
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The Dominican Republic has strict c
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12. APPENDIX 3: NOTIFICATION OF PER
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4. Applicants must be willing to si
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SIMONSTOWN AREA Cape Point Lighthou
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PLETTENBERG BAY AREA The Western Bo
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(iii) the extent to which the appli
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Table I. Rating of the whale resour
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