Manta ray tourism management, precautionary strategies for a growing industry: a case study from the Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia

Abstract

Localised population declines and increased pressure from fisheries have prompted the promotion of manta ray interaction tourism as a non-consumptive, yet economically attractive, alternative to the unsustainable harvesting of these animals. Unfortunately, however, wildlife tourism activities have the potential to adversely impact focal species. In order to be sustainable, operations must be managed to mitigate negative impacts. A preliminary assessment of reef manta ray, Manta alfredi, behaviour identified short-term behavioural responses during a third of tourism interactions in the Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia. Although it remains unknown whether these responses translate to biologically significant impacts on the population as a whole, it is proposed that the precautionary principle be used to guide management intervention in the absence of conclusive evidence of the magnitude of tourism impacts. The principle supports the implementation of precautionary strategies to protect species and their environment from harm, even when the extent of the harm is yet to be confirmed. An increase in the level of industry management is recommended, including the implementation of a licensing system and adherence of all operators to a mandatory code of conduct during manta ray interactions. Considering the well designed and precautionary-driven management program of the Ningaloo whale shark tourism industry operating within the same marine park, a management program with the same underlying principles and objectives is deemed to be an ideal framework to build a comprehensive management plan for the manta ray interaction industry.

Managing at Maximum Sustainable Yield does not ensure economic well‐being for artisanal fishers

“…At community scales, for example, ecotourism can contribute to or sometimes entirely transform fishing communities (e.g. Cabo Pulmo National Park in Mexico, or the transformation of manta ray fisheries to ecotourism in Western Australia and other parts of the world) (Aburto‐Oropeza et al., ; Venables, Mcgregor, Brain, & Van Keulen, ). Similarly, offshore wind and tidal energy projects can be used to address challenges of last‐mile electrification and water desalination in remote coastal areas (Snyder & Kaiser, ; Vega, ), and payments for ecosystem services (e.g.…”

Research Priorities to Support Effective Manta and Devil Ray Conservation

“…Potential impacts of unregulated tourism activities at mobulid aggregation sites have been widely recognized. Initial investigations observed short-term behavioral changes including the termination of feeding or cleaning behaviors during tourism interactions with M. alfredi in Australia (Venables et al, 2016a) and the Maldives (Murray et al, in review). Future research priorities lie in accurately documenting and quantifying sub-lethal stressors, while determining the severity of different types of impacts to prioritize mitigation measures and develop effective management strategies.…”

“…Additionally, telemetry methods can be used to determine if individuals preferentially visit provisioning sites, altering natural behavior (Hammerschlag et al, 2017). Passive interactions and adherence to a code of conduct have been recommended as precautionary measures to decrease the likelihood of disturbance (Garrud, 2016;Venables et al, 2016a;Murray et al, in review). Assessments of the effectiveness of established codes of conduct during different interaction scenarios are essential to refine and improve regulations (Murray et al, in review).…”

The geographic distribution of reef and oceanic manta rays in the south-east Indian and south-west Pacific Oceans

“…Along Australia’s west coast, photographic observations of manta rays are largely restricted to the Ningaloo coastline where on-water recreation and aquatic ecotourism activities occur year-round (Smallwood et al 2011, Venables et al 2016). Outside of the Ningaloo Reef region, vast tracts of coastline are uninhabited and inaccessible for tourism activity.…”