Scientific Literature: Searchable Database

Over-exploitation of the environment is still a common problem for which tourism does not provide a simple solution, particularly in developing countries. The situation demands economic conservation measures that provide incentives for local people to act as stewards of the environment and helps to make their voices heard while supporting effective solutions for biodiversity conservation. This study investigates the local economic value of the eastern North Pacific stock of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) to two communities in Baja California Sur, Mexico, that depend on the whales’ annual visit. A cost benefit framework was developed to estimate the economic rent that gray whales generate for local people. Results show substantial local value amounting to Pesos 3.4 million annually and to Pesos 27.4 million over a thirty-year time horizon. The analysis also shows that increasing the current price offered, would provide a cost effective strategy to maximize the rent captured from whale watching operations.