Community-based gorilla tourism

The Ocean Race is the ultimate ocean challenge– a round-the-world sailing race through some of the most remote waters on earth. The roots of the event’s Science Programme can be traced to 2001 when onboard sensors captured data from surface water. 2015 saw teams deploy drifter buoys for the first time. 

One of the Race’s key aims, besides athletic excellence, is to advance knowledge and collect data on ocean health. This is considered particularly valuable to scientists because teams gather information from areas of the ocean that research vessels seldom access, helping to fill critical knowledge gaps. The 2022-23 race’s focus areas include measuring meteorological data, essential ocean parameters, and microplastic pollution; as well as deploying surface drifter buoys and Argo floats; marine megafauna protection; and researching ocean biodiversity. Collected data is open-source and shared with the Race’s science partners, feeding into reports that inform and influence climate policy and targets.

Sabah Parks, Malaysia, uses community use zones (CUZ) as an innovative management concept. In CUZ, indigenous communities are allowed to carry out traditional activities under the supervision of the Parks Authority. Needs of local communities and conservation objectives are balanced, by encouraging communities’ participation in park management and preserving their culture. Eco-tourism development, handicraft, beekeeping and other programs provide job opportunities.

Parks Canada utilize surveys, monthly research panels and purchase data from market research firms to better understand what tourists want and expect during a visit to a protected area. In collaboration with the Canadian Tourism Commission and Environics Canada, the agency has identified 9 distinct experiential user types who visit Canadian parks, such as a ‘Personal History Traveller’, which are then used to ensure visitors enjoy memorable and tailored experiences.

Through a deliberate strategy of getting Parliament votes and media attention, the Murray Darling Basin Plan was passed through Federal Parliament in 2013. The Darling River is one of the largest in Australia and runs from north to south. The Darling River flows into the Murray River and had been reduced to a trickle at the mouth due to big ag’s water usage for irrigation. A consortium of community members spent 10 years getting this plan passed.

The high ecological importance of the three islands of Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia located in the heart of the Coral Triangle Center is used for developing a MPA learning site. It addresses the lack of formalization of natural resource management and inadequate protection of marine biodiversity with main institutional strategies to foster platforms for on-the-ground learning and sharing of knowledge and skills about tropical marine conservation.

As coastal development increases in Brazil, artisanal fishers struggle to protect their resources. By leveraging the government-created Extractive Reserves’ (RESEXs) legal structure and working with government, local fishers’ organizations, and communities, Rare’s Fish Forever program in Brazil has 1) established community-led governance and authority over artisanal fisheries; 2) designated managed-access fishing areas, combined with no-take reserves; and 3) improved participation of fishers and communitiy members in fisheries management and decision-making.