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Entrance Fees for Marine Sanctuaries in the Philippines
Introduction
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| Courtesy: Malapascua |
One method of preserving the natural environment is through the designation of marine reserves, areas where fishing and coral mining are prohibited.
Researchers investigated the use of user fees to fund the enforcement of marine reserves at three locations: Anilo, Mactan Island, and Alona Beach. Dive tourists at each of these locations were asked how much they would be willing to pay (above regular dive prices) to dive in areas where fishing was prohibited.
Credit: Social Science Methods for Marine Protected Area Managers
Methods, Tools, and Data
SurveyDivers were approached in dive shops, cafes, and hotel lobbies and asked how much they would be willing to pay to enter sanctuaries where fishing was prohibited. They were asked to select from choices of 0, 1, 3, 5, or 10 US dollars.
Other data collected included the type of organizations to which the users would prefer to make the payment and socioeconomic information (income, gender, length of trip, cost of trip, age, and country of residence).
Comparative Research
Information from divers at three locations in the Philippines were compared: Anilo, close to Manila where the majority of divers were from; Mactan Island, an upscale spot used by tourists from Southeast and East Asia; and Alona Beach, a popular area for backpackers and bargain seekers. Most tourists in Alona Beach were from Europe.
Socioeconomic information and willingness to pay were compared to determine if any trends existed.
Credit: Science Methods for Marine Protected Area Managers
Discussion of Results
The survey was administered to an overall total of 129 tourists.Average willingness to pay in Anilo was $3.70 per visit to the sanctuary, which would be between $95,000 and $116,000 per year, depending on the number of visitors. Mactan visitors were willing to pay on average $5.50, or $855,643 to $1,014,000 per year. At Alona beach the average was $3.40, which would be $3,540 to $5,310 per year.
When asked whom they would prefer to administer the funds, the majority of users, particularly those in Anilo, considered an environmental nongovernmental organization to be the best option. Other less popular options included a tourism association and the fishing community.
Credit: Social Science Methods for Marine Protected Area Managers