Blue Tourism Symposium
18th to 21st February 2010 hotel Amyris, St. Luce, Martinique
Description
A symposium on the opportunities for building local, sustainable “blue” tourism and combating the threats to marine mammals in the Caribbean
Un symposium sur l’observation des mammifères marins comme levier de developpement dans le cadre d’un tourisme « bleu» : reduire les menaces affectant les mammifères marins dans la caraibe
Preamble
This symposium, dedicated to promoting the conservation of whales and to identifying appropriate strategies for developing “blue tourism” in the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) through properly regulated marine mammal observation activities, was the first of its kind to be held in the region in celebration of the International Year of Biodiversity.
The symposium ascertained that whale watching, when carefully regulated and backed by a sound education and public awareness programme involving the local communities in which it is based, does and can provide considerable benefits to the tourism industries of Caribbean countries at a time when tourism has become the most important single contributor to their economies.
Whale watching in conjunction with non-lethal, long-term research in some countries is furthermore providing valuable information on the Region’s cetaceans, their behaviour, migrations and population structure, contributing to the fulfilment of national commitments regarding international biodiversity goals and to improving knowledge of the Region’s marine biodiversity.
National sanctuaries and protected areas can be powerful catalysts for increased awareness, education, funding, international collaboration and tourism, and the Caribbean is no exception. They are in the economic interest of Caribbean countries, and their support for these areas would enhance their image as environmentally friendly and responsible.
Threats to marine mammals are, as in other regions, numerous and not always well understood. The effects of a changing climate on migrations, food supplies, breeding patterns, ecosystem relationships and heath are still to be determined but make precautionary approach to any, even non-lethal, use of marine mammals a prerequisite. In addition, human-induced pollution, both land-based and at sea,acoustic disturbances, vessel traffic through migration routes, and other threats compound the risks.
The symposium welcomed the Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine Mammals (MMAP) approved and adopted by the Thirteenth Intergovernmental Meeting on the UNEP Action Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme and the Tenth Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda on the 12 September 2008, and expressed support for its goals and for the framework that it provides to advance marine mammal conservation and observation in the Region.
The symposium also recognised the important and long-standing contributions made by NGOs and the private sector to advancing these goals, and to building a harmonious relationship between these majestic creatures and the peoples of the Caribbean to the benefit of all.
The Conseil Régional de la Martinique (CR) and their Comité Martiniquais de Tourisme (CMT) were urged to call on France within the context of ACP/EU agreements to take up all of the recommendations.
The objectives of the seminar are to contribute actively to:
Les objectives du seminaire sont de contribuer activement au:
1. L’année internahonale de la biodiversité des nahons unis 2010
2. he sustainable development and controlled management of marine mammal observation as a “blue” eco tourism niche in the wider Caribbean
2. Au développement durable et un geshon contrôlée de l’observahon des mammifères marins dans le cadre d’une niche éco tourishque “bleu” dans la caraïbe
3. The implementation of UNEP CEP action plan for the conservation of marine mammals in the wider Caribbean and the recommendations of the parties to the SPAW protocol
3. Au renforcement du plan d’achon pour la conservahon de mammifères marins dans la caraïbe (MMAP) et les recommandahons des parhes du protocole de SPAW
4. The French Caribbean management plan for the “AGOA” marine mammal sanctuary project
4. Au plan d’achon pour le projet antilles françaises du sanctuaire AGOA pour les mammifères marins
5. The PEW-ECCEA international whales network conservation programme, the recommendations of “ocean life 1” Dominica of March 2009 and to the “ocean life 2” symposium in Grenada
5. Au réseau internahonal PEW et le programme ECCEA , pour la conservahon des mammifères marins , les “recommandahons du séminaire « ocean life 1 » à la Dominique du Mars 2009 et au séminaire « ocean life 2 » à la Grenade en Mai 2010
6. Continued education and awareness raising with regard to marine mammals in the region
6. Pour suite du programme d’éducahon et de sensibilisahon adapté dans la région
7. The deliberations of the 62nd international whaling commission (IWC) in June 2010 related to whaleâ€watching
7. Aux délibérahons de la cbi Juin 2010 comme en ce qui concerne l’observahon des baleines
8. Second international conference on marine mammal protected areas , Martinique 2011
8. 2° conférence internahonale sur les aires marines protégés pour les mammifères marins à la Martinique en 2011
Downloads
Agenda (English/French) - 958Kb Message from Martinique (English) - 40Kb Sainte Luce le 18 Fevrier 2010 Symposium International (French) - 101Kb Outcomes (English) - 193Kb Le chant des Balenies a bosse (French) - 49KbPresentations
Please note that some of these presentations (marked [swf]) require Adobe Flash Player [download now]
To view the next slide in the presentations simply click on the current slide.
Presentations are listed in alphabetical order according to the primary presenter.
[swf] Using passive acoustics for observing marine mammals and characterizing their environment
Presenter: Olivier Adam, Nadege Gandilhon, Pr Max Louis
[pdf] Conservation & Management of Marine Mammals in the Pacific Islands Region
Presenter: Olive
 Andrews ,
Australia, 
South 
Pacific 
Whale
 Research 
Consortium


[swf] Could marine mammals abandon traditional breeding grounds?
Presenter: Fitzroy Armour, Grenada Conservation Fund, Grenada
[swf] Copenhagen, Nagoya and Whales
Presenter: Peter Bridgewater, UK JNCC
[pdf] An overview of sustainable, responsible whale watching
[pdf] A review of Existing guidelines, codes of conduct and regulation for whale watching
Presenter: Dr Carole Carlson, Dolphin Fleet and Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies
[swf] Marine Mammals in West Africa: Getting the message across to the public and to decision makers
Presenter: Dr. 
Mamadou
 Diallo,

 WWF
 West 
Africa 
Marine
 Ecoregion
 Office 
(WAMER)

[swf] Marine Mammals in West Africa: Using media to get West African governments to adopt conservation position at IWC
Presenter: Birima

 Fall,
 Director 
of 
Communications 
WWF
 WAMER, 
Senegal
[swf] A Life for Nature
Presenter: Dr. Marina Fastigi, Kido Foundation, Grenada
[swf] National Whale Sanctuary in Chile, Bottom Up Policies for the Protection of Cetaceans
[pdf] National Whale Sanctuary in Chile, Bottom Up Policies for the Protection of Cetaceans - notes
Presenter: Dr.
 Barbara 
Gallen, 

President
 of 
Centro
de
 Conservacion 
Cetacea
(Chile), 
Chilean
 delegate
 to 
IWC

[pdf] Tonga Case Study
[swf] Tonga Case Study
Presenter: Taki
 Hausia, 
Tonga 
Whale
 Watching
 Operators 
Association
[swf] Dutch Caribbean waters, Whale Sanctuary?
Presenter: Paul Hoetjes, Dept. of Environment & Nature (MINA) Netherlands Antillies
[swf] Monitoring methods for marine mammals migration patterns to and from the Caribbean: satellite tags, visual and sonobuoy tracking systems
Presenters: Stéphane
 Jérémie,
 Président 
SEPANAMAR
Nadège
 Gandilhon,
Directrice 
Scientifique
 BREACH


[pdf] Stratégies pour une sensibilisation public – Awareness raising strategies
Presenter: Michel Khelifa, Journalist and Océan Investigations France 2 (Prix Jules Vernes 2007)
[swf] Cetecean Conservation through Social Networking for Innovative Development of Ecotourism and Dolphin watching in Ocumare de la Costa de Ora Municipality, Aragua State, Venezuela
Presenter: Prof. 
Gerson 
Macia, 
Aragua, 
Fundacite 
Aragua,
 Regional
 branch
 of 
the 
Ministry 
of 


 Science
 and
 Technology, 
Venezuela
[pdf] Whale Watching as Centerpiece for “Blue” Tourism Promotion
[pdf] Ron Sanders speech on media
Presenter: Sir Ronald Sanders, KCMG 
KCN,
 Former 
Caribbean 
Ambassador, 
Consultant
 and 
Writer
[swf] El Avistaje de Cetáceos como Plataforma de Investigación: Antecedentes, y el caso de Península Valdés, Argentina
Presenter: Mariano Sironi, Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas – Argentina, Whale Conservation Institute / OA – Massachusetts
[swf] The SPAW Action Plan for the conservation of marine mammals in the Wider Caribbean Region
Presenter: Hélène 
Souan, 

Director
 SPAWâ€CAR/ UNEP 


Marine 
Mammal 

Action 
Plan 

(MMAP)

[pdf] Ocean Voice, Lessons from the Whales
Presenter: Senator Liz Thompson of Barbados
[pdf] Communicating in a Noisy World: Studying the impact of Anthropogenic Noise on Cetacean Communication
Presenter: Nathalie Ward, PhD, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Remaining presentations to be added shortly
Additional information
PEW Whale Conservation Project
http://www.pewwhales.org/
http://www.pewwhales.org/martinique/index.html
