A deeper dive into the blue economy: the role of the diving sector in conservation and sustainable development goals

Abstract

Attaining an equitable Blue Economy requires reconsidering historical extractive usages of natural ocean capital in favor of more sustainable activities. Scuba diving is an expanding industry, and several examples illustrate how the diving sector has assisted with transitions to sustainable economic activities. In certain countries diving tourism generates revenues comparable with fishing industries, yet the sector remains underrepresented within marine conservation efforts. Therefore, we present five actions tailored to enhance the diving sector’s participation in the Blue Economy: i) Organize the fragmented sector via international associations and federations; ii) Recognize usage rights for natural capital equal to extractive activities; iii) Modernize the sector using technology to improve connectivity and data sharing; iv) Invest in the sector by engaging private and public funding and subsidizing critical infrastructure to enable equitable access; v) Foster a sense of community by training and supporting local leaders, thereby ensuring more equitable participation by including women, indigenous people, and the youth. Diving represents one of the only endeavors that enables citizens to actively support the Blue Economy and help to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Life Below Water”; therefore, the diving sector is uniquely poised to help address conservation goals and sustainable development.

Making a place special—The development of Restorative Marine Ecotourism at a dive destination village

“…Despite the inclusion of sustainability and restorative objectives in national and international environmental agendas for many years, such as the United Nation's (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, top-down policy driven approaches have consistently fallen short of achieving those objectives (Wesselink et al, 2011;Loorbach, 2020). The recent literature has encouraged a more community driven, bottom-up and experimentation-based focus in initiating transitions (e.g., Le Heron et al, 2016;Dowell et al, 2023;Forrest et al, 2023), and the integration of community participation into decision-making processes (Wesselink et al, 2011).…”

“…We ask what insights might be derived from bottom-up, locally driven, experimental initiatives, learning from the community and diverse economy literatures (Gibson-Graham et al, 2013;Roelvink et al, 2015;Forrest et al, 2023), the case itself, and other cases of successful ecological-economic and marine tourism initiatives in Aotearoa (e.g., Lewis et al, 2023). The paper begins from the position that transformational change can emerge from the bottom up through the replication and proliferation of successful experiments.…”

“…These challenges have presented an opportunity to reinvent business practices and operations and have, for a brief period at least, given restoration a new currency (Everingham and Chassagne, 2020). While policy responses to these crises may vary (Becken and Loehr, 2022), examples from ecotourism operators and local communities demonstrate that the tourism sector is evolving, with a growing emphasis on the 'eco' aspect of ecotourism (e.g., Hammerton et al, 2012;Lucrezi, 2021;Howlett et al, 2022;Forrest et al, 2023).…”

“…Importantly, when restorative actions come from stakeholders that directly benefit from the restored marine environments, this can also lead to social-economic benefits. Engaging stakeholders, including tourists, businesses, and communities, in restorative initiatives enhances public interest in ecological degradation, restoration efforts, and fosters a culture of ecological action (Schaffer and Tham, 2020;Forrest et al, 2023). Collaboration among ecotourists, local stakeholders, and research institutions supports evidence-based decision-making and broader conservation planning (Ellis, 2003;Freiwald et al, 2018).…”