Factors Influencing Willingness to Donate to Marine Endangered Species Recovery in the Galapagos National Park, Ecuador

Abstract

Willingness to donate (WTD) money for the conservation of endangered species may depend on numerous factors. In this paper, we analyze data from a survey given to tourists visiting Ecuador's Galapagos National Park and Marine Reserve to investigate determinants of their WTD toward the conservation of two marine endangered species-the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) and the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas). Specifically, we use regression analysis to analyze the influence of attitudes and beliefs toward species conservation, levels of concern for specific species, recreational motivations, and past donation patterns on WTD, while also controlling for individual characteristics such as age, gender, place of residence, and other demographics. Additionally, we evaluate the sensitivity of WTD to the species being protected by conservation efforts. Our results demonstrate that specific concern about the species, beliefs about donating to the protection program, and past donation behavior significantly influence the intention to donate money toward the recovery of the two marine endangered species. The likelihood of donating to green sea turtle conservation efforts is marginally higher than for hammerhead sharks, possibly due to its more charismatic nature. In contrast, visitors who are more willing to donate for shark conservation appear to be those with a strong desire to see them in the wild. The results provide useful information on the heterogeneity of tourist preferences toward donating to species conservation efforts, which has broad implications for resource agencies seeking ways to fund conservation actions.

The effect of knowledge, species aesthetic appeal, familiarity and conservation need on willingness to donate

“…Respondents who were members of an ENGO were willing to donate more to species and ecosystems. We did not find gender differences in WTD to species or ecosystems, which is in line with Cárdenas & Lew (). However, as previous research has brought mixed results (e.g.…”

“…However, there is mixed evidence about the association between ‘patriotic’ values or ethnocentrism and donation behaviour. More specifically, some authors have found donors to prefer local conservation causes (Dallimer et al ., ; Cárdenas & Lew, ), whereas others have found no evidence (Veríssimo et al ., ).…”

“…Donation behaviour may be driven by attributes other than aesthetic appeal, as donors have been found to be a heterogeneous group with dissimilar preferences (Cárdenas & Lew, ). Thus far, numerous studies have examined underlying factors influencing willingness to pay (WTP), such as species’ conservation attributes (Tisdell, Wilson & Swarna Nantha, ; Meuser, Harshaw & Mooers, ), aesthetic versus scientific attributes (Metrick & Weitzman, ; Martin‐Lopez et al ., ), and environmental knowledge (Batel, Basta & Mackelworth, ; Ferrato, Brown & McKinney, ).…”

“…Martin‐Lopez et al ., ), most studies have examined these factors individually, and have concentrated mainly on exploring factors that affect donating to species, leaving factors driving donations to ecosystem conservation understudied. Geographic locality (or familiarity) of the species (Martin‐Lopez et al ., ; Macdonald et al ., ; Cárdenas & Lew, ) or ecosystem may also affect the donation decision. However, there is mixed evidence about the association between ‘patriotic’ values or ethnocentrism and donation behaviour.…”

Attitudes and perceptions influence recreational angler support for shark conservation and fisheries sustainability

“…For example, visitors to the Doñana National Park in Spain were asked to valuate 15 species, ranging from charismatic (Iberian lynx Lynx pardinus and imperial eagle Aquila adalberti) to those that generate fear (Grass snake Natrix natrix and endemic spider Donacosa merlini), yet only 27.4% of survey respondents were unwilling to pay for species conservation projects [25]. Similarly, only 19% and 25% of visitors surveyed at the Galapagos National Park were unwilling to donate to conservation efforts for green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), respectively [26]. This disparity between visitors to the Galapagos National Park and the Florida anglers currently surveyed may simply reflect demographic differences between the two groups of respondents.…”