NVT gets global approval

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS – If whales and dolphins could talk, they would probably thank the Nature's Valley Trust (NVT) for a more hopeful prospect for their future survival. Over the past three years the NVT, in partnership with Nelson Mandela University, has been conducting a study to assess the sustainability of boat-based marine tourism, using Plettenberg Bay as a case study.

The hard work finally paid off when, earlier this month, they received word from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that the project had received the WWF nod of approval.

The small team, supported by a range of interns and volunteers, is immensely proud of what has been achieved and, over the next few years, will work with stakeholders to ensure that the findings are put to good use, particularly for the South African whale-watching industry.

In a press release last week, the NVT says it was a complex, multidisciplinary study that delved into the ecological, economic and social components of the sustainability of the industry.

The team focused on developing new educational resources for the industry in the form of booklets, signboards, posters, regular social media posts and guide training manuals. Many of these are available on the NVT website, and include information for recreational ocean users who want to know more about the species that can be seen, and the required protocols for operating vessels around marine life.

Minke Tolsma, Dr Gwenith Penry, Caitlin Judge and Chanel Hauvette are all part of NVT's marine team.

The economic study was a first for the industry in South Africa and highlighted how valuable marine life is for attracting tourists to Plettenberg Bay. Half of all tourists that were interviewed said they specifically visited Plett to go on a whale-watching or seal-swim activity.

The study showed that 251 Plett locals benefit from the marine boat-based tourism sector and related tourism activities.

Overall, the sector attracts R143,3-million of direct spend annually, which is split between the marine activity (16%), food and accommodation (12%), local transport (1%), marine curios (2%) and with organised tour packages, that are benefitting most (69%). A key recommendation is to work towards getting the organised tour companies to spend longer time in Plett, because many of them only come in for a few hours.

The ecological research carried out by Minke Tolsma will form part of her PhD, which is due for submission in August. Over 1 000 hours of observations were done on the whales and dolphins in the bay, measuring their behaviours in response to different vessel speeds and the length of time they spend watching the animals. Preliminary data is showing some very interesting results.

These will be incorporated into updated government permit regulations and species-specific recommendations, and will help ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry.

NVT's Caitlin Judge and Jesse Wildeman

Plett operators generally conduct themselves well, but there is always room for improvement and - with very little enforcement of the industry - the NVT hopes to encourage better compliance. Our marine environment is changing, and we need to adapt our behaviours accordingly. Greater education of tourists before their trips is essential so that their expectations are realistic, and guides and skippers are not put under pressure to break the permit regulations.

Another first was the generation of spatial maps of whale and dolphin occurrence overlapped with vessels. The aim here is to develop conservation planning units within the bay - an important future aspect of NVT's work.

This project was the first to thoroughly review the current status of the boat-based whale-watching industry in South Africa with the main aim being the conservation of marine mammals.

For the first time since the industry was formalised 22 years ago, the structures governing the industry were tested and reviewed to ensure the best possible long-term protection of the animals, the future sustainability of the industry for continued economic growth (locally and nationally), and improved education and awareness about the value of natural assets to sustainable development.

Minke Tolsma and Saskia Schmole