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The Global Economic Impact of Manta Ray Watching Tourism

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  • Mary P O’Malley
  • Katie Lee-Brooks
  • Hannah B Medd

Abstract

As manta rays face increased threats from targeted and bycatch fisheries, manta ray watching tourism, if managed properly, may present an attractive economic alternative to consumptive use of these species. Both species in the genus Manta (Manta alfredi and Manta birostris) are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List as species Vulnerable to extinction in the wild, and are considered unsustainable as fisheries resources due to their conservative life history characteristics, which considerably reduce their ability to recover population numbers when depleted. Utilising dive operator surveys, Internet research, and a literature review, this study provides the first global estimate of the direct economic impact of manta ray watching tourism and examines the potential socio-economic benefits of non-consumptive manta ray watching operations relative to consumptive use of manta rays as a fishery resource. In the 23 countries in which manta ray watching operations meeting our criteria were identified, we estimated direct revenue to dive operators from manta ray dives and snorkels at over US$73 million annually and direct economic impact, including associated tourism expenditures, of US$140 million annually. Ten countries account for almost 93% of the global revenue estimate, specifically Japan, Indonesia, the Maldives, Mozambique, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, United States, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau. In many of the areas where directed fisheries for manta rays are known to occur, these activities overlap with manta ray tourism sites or the migratory range of the mantas on which these sites depend, and are likely to be unsustainable and detrimental to manta ray watching tourism.

Suggested Citation

  • Mary P O’Malley & Katie Lee-Brooks & Hannah B Medd, 2013. "The Global Economic Impact of Manta Ray Watching Tourism," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(5), pages 1-11, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0065051
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065051
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Natalie Stoeckl & Alastair Birtles & Marina Farr & Arnold Mangott & Matthew Curnock & Peter Valentine, 2010. "Live-Aboard Dive Boats in the Great Barrier Reef: Regional Economic Impact and the Relative Values of Their Target Marine Species," Tourism Economics, , vol. 16(4), pages 995-1018, December.
    2. Editors The, 2008. "From the Editors," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-3, January.
    3. Douglas J. McCauley, 2006. "Selling out on nature," Nature, Nature, vol. 443(7107), pages 27-28, September.
    4. Brander, Luke M. & Van Beukering, Pieter & Cesar, Herman S.J., 2007. "The recreational value of coral reefs: A meta-analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(1), pages 209-218, June.
    5. Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor & U. Sumaila, 2010. "A global estimate of benefits from ecosystem-based marine recreation: potential impacts and implications for management," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 245-268, October.
    6. Editors The, 2008. "From the Editors," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 1-1, July.
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    1. Shannon E Murphy & Ian Campbell & Joshua A Drew, 2018. "Examination of tourists’ willingness to pay under different conservation scenarios; Evidence from reef manta ray snorkeling in Fiji," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-15, August.
    2. Costello, Christopher & Lewis, Lynne & Lynham, John & Richardson, Leslie, 2023. "The charisma premium: Iconic individuals and wildlife values," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).

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