Feasibility study for setting up whale watching pilot ... · 10/11/2012 · Feasibility study for setting up whale watching pilot activities in Morocco and Tunisia ... • Feasibility

Slide # 1

Feasibility study for setting up

whale watching pilot activities

in Morocco and Tunisia

Study carried out with financial support

of the French Ministry of Environment

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• The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea,

Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area was adopted in

1996 and entered into force in 2001

• Established under the aegis of the UNEP/CMS Convention

on Migratory Species of Wild Animals

• Its purpose is to reduce threats to cetaceans and improve our

knowledge of these animals

A regional instrument to promote cooperation between

the riparian countries

Presentation of the Agreement

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• An international treaty


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Barcelona Convention

and its Protocols

Bern

Convention

Bucharest

Convention

Bonn

Convention

ACCOBAMS : an International Treaty

1991 1996


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October 2012 = 23 Parties

Agreement Area Parties Extension Pelagos Sanctuary

ACCOBAMS Agreement Area

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Main Mediterranean species

Cetacean species represented by populations regularly present in the Mediterranean Sea

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To promote local community development

Wildlife watching activities

To diversify tourism

To raise awareness on biodiversity conservation

Why whale watching in MPAs?

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Test (pilot project)

Wildlife watching activities

Income generating activities

Why whale watching in MPAs?

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What is whale watching?

Observation of cetaceans from boats

Strong economic interest

Potential contribution to research

Good way of promoting awareness and conservation

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Main traditional boats

In some countries « Pescatourisme »

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• Whale watching activities in the ACCOBAMS area


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Rationale

• Supporting the development of sustainable whale

watching activities

• Promoting the setting up of best practice from the

beginning of the activity

Supporting the development of WW pilot activities in Morocco and Tunisia

as an alternative to the loss of income for fishermen

due to depredation (adaptation of pescatourisme

activity)

as a new income-generating activity

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• Consultation meetings organized in 2010 with national

authorities

• Feasibility studies in 2012


Mission in Tunisia (28 May – 2 June 2012)

Mission in Morocco (30 Sept. – 11 Oct. 2012)

Confirmation of countries’ interest and pre-

identification of potential sites

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Approach

Identification of the strengths and weaknesses for the

pre-identified sites

Get the involvement of local partners for awareness and

conservation

Developing pilots projects through technical and financial

support

Extend the activity if positive results


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TUNISIA


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- North coast and Hammamet Gulf with islands

TUNISIA – Period of the year and areas


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- North coast and Gulf of Hamamet with islands

- From May to September, Tursiops truncatus and

sometimes Stennella coeruleoalba, Delphinus delphis, and

Grampus griseus

- Other biological interest with birds and turtles

TUNISIA – Period of the year and areas


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- Strong interest from authorities, population and fishermen

(depredation on night fishing nets)

- Rich historical heritage and artisanal activities

- Existence of several boats for diving or coastal navigation

- Low cost of the services


TUNISIA – Strengths

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- 3 navigation areas (< 2 nm, 2-5 nm, > 5 nm)

- First information to marine authorities (list of passengers, time

of return)

- Night navigation with specific materials

- Difficulties to get tourists on fishing boats for pescatourism

(special agreements eg. boats equipment)

- Preliminary agreement from the military authorities to reach

main islands


TUNISIA – administrative and legal constraints

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- Possible from May to September

- Using small sailing boats instead of big «pirates» boats

- Special complementary equipment needed for night navigation

- Possible agreements with fishermen for night seeing (traditional

fishing method and dolphins)


TUNISIA – Whale watching context

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TUNISIA – Whale watching context Stenella coeruleoalba

Tursiops truncatus

Balaenoptera physalus

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- WW not enough for a profitable tourism product

- Naturalistic and cultural approach needed

- WW by day and by night (eg. fishermen) included into a

several days’ trip: personal adventure, bivouac on islands,

cultural and historical approach, sport activity…

- National and international « Ecotourism »


TUNISIA – An original and attractive product

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- Operators to be designed

- Training course (4 days)

- Communication plan

- Partners (national administrations and institutions,

scientists (INSTM, Universities), fishermen, tourism actors,

marine and sport NGO…)


TUNISIA – Pilot projects

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MOROCCO

Strait of Gibraltar from Tanger

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MOROCCO – Period of the year and areas

- The North Mediterranean coast with the richness

and the Strait of Gibraltar

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- The North Mediterranean coast with the richness

and the Strait of Gibraltar

- From May to October, many species into the Strait

and mainly dolphins more to the East zone

- Other biological and landscape interest with birds

and turtles more to the East


MOROCCO – Period of the year and areas

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- Strong interest from authorities, fishermen and NGOs

- Strong will from other stakeholders (fishermen organizations

(eg dolphin depredation by the «negro»)

- Numerous artisanal activities

- Already 2 organizations for coastal navigation

- Low cost of the services


MOROCCO – Strengths

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- No permit for sailing or leisure navigation

- Navigation area linked to boat equipments, but forbidden from

port to port

- Night navigation quite impossible with tourists (availability of

safety teams and boats, illegal traffic risks)

- Difficulties to get tourists on fishing boats for pescatourism

(unadapted boats for comfort and security)

- Special agreement for transforming pelagic floating nets boats

to tourism boats (administrative and financial aspects)


MOROCCO – administrative and legal constraints

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- Possible from May to September

- 3 different sites from West to East :

• Tanger: richness of the Strait with 8 species, but waves.

Best chance for observation (+ Orcinus orca)

• M’Diq: mainly dolphins and turtles, in the calm bay

• Al Hoceima: sometimes dolphins but mainly birds and

landscapes


MOROCCO – Whale watching context

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MOROCCO – Whale watching context

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Tanger : WW with suitable boats, with the great

chance of having INRH premises with a possible

observatory


MOROCCO – Different approaches for developing

WW activities

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M’Diq (close to Tetouan): famous tourist place with

fishermen and sailing organizations, for marine and

traditional fisheries discovery



WW activities

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Al Hoceima : global tourism product for naturalist

discovery (ww, birds, landscapes) with the support of

the National Park (ecotourism activities already

initiated)



WW activities

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- Professional operators to be designated

- Common training course (theorie on 3 days)

- Specific practical training course on each site


MOROCCO – Pilot projects

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- Partners

* National administrations and institutions,

(Transport, Fisheries, INRH, Environment, Forest and National

Park, Tourism)

* Scientists (INRH, Universities)

* Fishermen (regional organizations and cooperatives)

* Tourism actors

* NGO working within Al Hoceima NP



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Exemple of training course organized

by Pelagos (France)

- 30 participants from the French Mediterranean coast

- 4 days, April 2012

- Four main topics :

• Marine ecology (Mediterranean sea)

• Cetacean knowledge (identification, ecology,

biology)

• Possible human impacts

• Marine management and legal tools for cetacean

conservation

A Pelagos / ACCOBAMS label for commercial whale

watching activities

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ACCOBAMS Permanent Secretariat

Jardin de l’UNESCO, Terrasses de Fontvieille

MC 98000 MONACO

Tel: (+377) 98 98 80 10 / 20 78

Fax: (+377) 98 98 42 08

www.accobams.org

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Feasibility study for setting up whale watching pilot ... · 10/11/2012 · Feasibility study for setting up whale watching pilot activities in Morocco and Tunisia ... • Feasibility