Ecotourism in Latin America: Human Society International promotes economic strategy

Several times in this blog I have cited my support of ecotourism as a means of enlightening people to the wonders of nature and the need for conservation. And while that is the overarching goal, for ecotourism to be truly successful it must contain a strong economic component that makes it appealing to those who may be faced with having to change established business models or personal activities for the sake of ecotourism operations.

But the economic incentives must not be confined to a small group of profitable businessmen; the community as a whole must benefit so as to ensure long-term support. This has been a cornerstone of the strategy taken by the Humane Society International and a recent email summary newsletter about their activities in promoting ecotourism in Latin America clearly illustrates their approach, from Costa Rica to Peru.

Ranging from hospitality opportunities, including tour guide training to cabins and restaurants, to scientific research support to land and road development - all provide a variety of economic opportunities for local communities. It's fundamental and the cynic may see it as locals just being self-serving, but one of the best ways to garner support for conserving natural resources is to provide a tangible benefit, particularly in areas where the people's day-to-day existence holds much greater influence compared to big picture goals like conservation.

To borrow from a famous quote of Teddy Roosevelt, regulations and enforcement are required to wield "a big stick" at those who would willingly threaten our natural resources; ecotourism serves as a means to "speak softly" and gain converts from both outside and within critical nature sites.

Read HSI newsletter.

EU Bans Seal Products: a blow to the Canadian seal hunt

Back in March, I commented on the efforts of The Humane Society to generate public and political interest to curb Canada's annual harvest of fur seals. The latest word from the Humane Society is an encouraging one. The European Union (EU) has initiated a ban on seal products in specific response to a public outcry regarding the Canadian hunt.

It has been estimated that this ban cuts out as much as $6.6 million CAD of Canada's annual take of $7 million CAD. The ban has also driven down prices for seal products and of the annual quota of 280,000 seals, so far only 60,000 have been taken. However, The Humane Society will continue its efforts as the government-subsidized industry is not yet ready to admit defeat. But the EU ban is certainly a major blow.

One of the things I found interesting in this entire campaign was the strategy taken that has proved the most successful - that of developing a general public interest and consensus and applying political and economic pressure; forces that the seal industry fears the most. Extreme activism did not necessarily move the ball forward; it was the relentless pressure placed upon the traditional decision-making forces: politics and dollars. Currently, 60's-style activism and protests don't seem to be as effective as they once were. Getting endorsements from opinion makers ranging from Paul McCartney to the European Parliament's Swedish member, Carl Schlyter, and bringing their influence to bear behind the scenes with international decision-makers may not be very dramatic or "sexy" . . . but it appears to be working.