Opinion

For Western Australia shark tourism is dead and gone

Patric Douglas, CEO, Sharkdiver

As a successful commercial shark diving operator with over 15 years of experience with big animals like white sharks and tigers I am always a bit taken aback at the few backwards looking politicians who see sharks through the same lens cast in the 1970’s after the movie Jaws debuted.

The past decade has seen a revolution in the commercial shark diving world from enhanced shark diving protocols to broad based conservation initiatives developed by commercial shark diving operations designed to save dwindling shark populations. Additionally, commercial shark diving is a major tourism driver in places like the Bahamas which counts on the $80 million dollars in direct tourism revenues each year from safe interactions with sharks.

How a single politician responsible for tourism in his region can essentially pre-ban an activity is beyond short-sighted it goes against the number one rule of tourism:

The number one rule for regional tourism is "never take tourism options off the table." This rule looks into the future of tourism destinations and changing public demand. What is not popular today may well be tomorrows latest fashion.

Sadly, the tiny island of Maui made a similar mistake in 2009 as did the entire state of Florida in 2001 which lead to the $80 million dollar shark tourism boom in the Bahamas.

If I were to say anything directly to Mr Moore from Western Australia it would be: "Get out from behind your desk. The world is changing and shark tourism is one of the top growth industries in oceans right now. From Fiji to Honduras, sharks and shark conservation done right is good for business, good for sharks and good for the environment."

The world has only two types of politicians in it these days: those that cannot or will not peer into the future and dream of a better world, and those who see bold new futures and adopt policies to explore them.

For Western Australia, shark tourism is now dead and gone–a dream left unfulfilled. For the folks in Fiji who have adopted shark tourism as part of their $60 million dollar-a-year shark offerings, Mr. Moore’s anti-shark diving policy must sound like shark tourism manna from heaven.

Politicians may not want to see sharks but a growing dive populace want to and they do travel.

At least Fiji is open for business.

    by Patric Douglas, CEO   www.sharkdiver.com