This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: People who join shark ecotourism tours are more likely to take action to protect sharks, including donating to related causes, signing petitions or speaking up online, new research from the University of Sydney shows. The study is the first to demonstrate a commitment to conservation lasting at least two years among shark ecotourists.
Coupled with a positive shift in news media and online sentiment toward sharks in recent years, the findings suggest the benefits of the burgeoning industry are more than economic, offering the potential to help conserve dwindling shark numbers. Globally, shark populations have declined by 71% in the last 50 years, with a third of species now threatened with extinction. Conversely, participation in shark ecotourism—immersive, in-water experiences observing sharks in their natural habitats—has risen.
More than 500,000 people a year are estimated to participate in interactive eco-activities with sharks and rays. These activities are offered in at least 20 countries, with destinations including the Bahamas, Australia, Hawaii, South Africa, Fiji, Palau and French Polynesia. Published in npj Ocean Sustainability, the research was led by University of Sydney Ph.D. candidate Carmen Dobszewicz in the Faculty of Science's Social Dynamics and Environmental Change Lab, based in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
Dobszewicz and colleagues surveyed two cohorts, both drawn from Hawaii. The first group comprised tourists participating in an experiential shark ecotourism tour on Oahu. They went snorkeling or freediving with sharks while accompanied by a marine biologist who surveyed the sharks to support ongoing research and provided educational information about shark conservation.
The comparison group comprised members of the public sampled from Waikiki Beach. Each group was surveyed at the time of the tour and again two years later. On each occasion, respondents were asked whether they had engaged in shark conservation activities.
The study found that, two years after their tour, participants were 40% more likely to be engaging in shark conservation behavior than would be expected had they not taken part. Conservation activity increased in both groups over the two years, but the rise was considerably larger among tour participants. This held after accounting for differences between the groups at the start of the study, including demographic traits, prior involvement in conservation and attrition rates between the two surveys.
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