Environmental interpretation and involvement of local residents: ecotourism as a tool in river dolphin conservation, Inia geoffrensis

Environmental interpretation and involvement of local residents: ecotourism as a tool in river dolphin conservation, Inia geoffrensis

Fernanda Carneiro Romagnoli

Master Dissertation, Post-Graduate Program in Fresh Water Biology and Fishery, National Institute for Research in the Amazon, Manaus (AM), Brazil 2009, E-mail: [e-mail]

Tourism aimed at observing whales and dolphin (commonly referred to as "whale watching") is growing rapidly throughout the world. This kind of tourism is often cited as having conservation potential, however when carried out improperly it can even have a negative effect. In the Amazon, the main species of aquatic mammal sought out for observational tourism is the pink river dolphin (boto in Portuguese), Inia geoffrensis. Threats to the species have increased significantly in recent years, and poorly organized tourism is considered one potential threat. The paradigm of ecotourism has been suggested as a useful tool in promoting conservation measures. This research shows that river dolphin tourism in two regions of Amazonas state in the Brazilian Amazon does not contribute in a satisfactory manner to improving conservation awareness of various local actors and the tourists themselves. Instead, we find a tremendous but poorly exploited potential to use river dolphin tourism for environmental education and conservation promotion. In this context we propose measures for better organizing river dolphin tourism in the Amazon and improving its relevance to the conservation of this emblematic and threatened species.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  31 Aug 2010
• Date of issue
  Dec 2009