he more I travel and the more people I am privileged to meet through SEVENSEAS, the more I learn of success stories where well managed, sustainable, and sometimes creative tourism replaces destructive practices that were once present. Last month we learned how a group
of men in The Coral Triangle abandoned shark finning because there was more money to be made in taking tourists diving with whale sharks. We see examples like this time and again, and these stories need to be promoted as triumphs in conservation.
For years we’ve seen movement towards large scale protests and boycotts of the Faroe Islands for their absolutely horrendous annual slaughter of long-finned pilot whales, a practice seen since the first Norse settlements on the islands. Boycotting cruises and halting tourism to the islands indeed seems appropriate to put pressure on people to rethink their traditions- Sea Shepherd, possibly more than any other organization, has fought to bring an end to this over the last 32 years... but the hunt continues. But is cutting them off from tourists the right answer? There is only one dive shop on the island which is more than controversial since the dive-master uses a boat co-owned with whale hunters. This dive shop and those who promote it are constantly under fire. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if that dive shop was given the resources to get people under water and educate them on whales, dolphins, and their ecosystem? In my experience, you teach a person to dive and they become stewards of the ocean. Teach them to surf and they respect its power. Promoting sustainable tourism will only drive an industry of like-minded individuals that fuel the message of conservation.
Easier said than done but priming the Faroe Islands with a scaffold to develop a true sustainable marine mammal tourism industry could, in less than a generation’s time, alter the Faroese perception of the hunt and possibly begin to revere the species and the success story as a cultural icon.
To be fair, I am no expert on this specific situation and have never traveled to the Faroe Islands but I hope to one day promote a proactive solution where the hunt can be replaced by something equally celebratory, only productive. What do
you think? Agree? Disagree? Shoot me an email at [email protected] if you have something to share.
At SEVENSEAS we continue to inspire and educate all our readers through rich imagery, engaging content, and an underlying conservation message. Please continue to share this publication and our message with those around you.
Happy swimming,
Giacomo Abrusci
Editor-in-Chief
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