How shark conservation in the Maldives affects demand for dive tourism

Shark-diving tourism provides important economic benefits to the Maldives. We examine the link between shark conservation actions and economic returns from diving tourism. A combined travel cost and contingent behaviour approach is used to estimate the dive trip demand under different management scenarios. Our results show that increasing shark populations could increase dive-trip demand by 15%, raising dive tourists’ welfare by US$58 million annually. This could result in annual economic benefits for the dive-tourism industry of >US$6 million. Conversely, in scenarios where shark populations decline, where dive tourists observe illegal fishing, or if dive operators lack engagement in shark conservation, dive trip demand could decrease by up to 56%. This decline causes economic losses of more than US$24 million annually to the dive tourism industry. These results highlight the dependence of the shark-diving industry on the creation and enforcement of appropriate management regimes for shark conservation.     

论海岛潜水作为海洋旅游新业态

旅游是全球海岛发展的支柱产业之一,滨海旅游业作为海洋产业的组成部分,呈现多元化的发展趋势,潜水尤其是海岛潜水越来越得到游客青睐。潜水作为一种新兴的休闲娱乐方式,是传统海岛产业升级、滨海旅游业发展的重要抓手。在厘清海岛潜水产业的基本概念后,明确海岛潜水产业形成和发展的关键因素,通过对比分析国外海岛潜水产业发展的有益经验,总结我国产业发展存在的不足,建议通过突出地方立法并整合社会资源等政策来规范并促进海岛潜水行业的健康发展。     

Artificial Reefs as Recreational Scuba Diving Resources: A Critical Review of Research

This paper reports on the increasing practice of developing and promoting artificial reefs as sites for scuba diving tourism and recreation. A comprehensive definition of artificial reefs is presented that encapsulates the diversity of structures used by marine recreationists, particularly scuba divers, followed by a review of existing literature that specifically examines artificial reefs as a resource for the conduct of recreational scuba diving. Three main thematic areas were identified in the existing literature: social dimensions, socioeconomic impacts and environmental engineering. A typology of artificial reefs is offered to better describe and categorise artificial reef structures according to unit characteristics that may influence recreational use such as material used, appearance, complexity and cost. The paper presents a conceptual model that identifies the components of an artificial reef scuba diving experience and discusses the potential of artificial reefs to act as tourism resources and management tools to redistribute scuba diver numbers away from natural reefs. Directions for future research are suggested, emphasising collection of data on aspects of the artificial reef scuba diving experience to better inform marine resource management.     

发审委员隐性问责机制研究 :兼论对 IPO 注册制的启示

IPO核准制中发审委员是否会因其审核的质量而被证监会问责?文章运用2006-2012年中国 A 股市场审核发行的新股数据发现 ,在发审会的7名发审委员中,未达到最大可能任期就被撤换的人数与公司上市当年发生业绩变脸的概率之间显著正相关.这表明证监会知晓发审委员的审核质量,但并没有对审核质量不佳的"问题"发审委员进行公开问责,而是代之以隐性问责 ,即在发审委换届时将其撤换.这一发现支持了 IPO注册制中将审核权下放到交易所从而提升监管独立性的举措 ,也为注册制中聆讯委员会制度的建设提供了启示.文章认为,披露更多的审核信息 ,增加对审核人员的奖惩力度,是提升 IPO审核有效性的途径.     

SCUBA divers' underwater responsible behaviour: can environmental concern and divers' attitude make a difference?

The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between general environmental attitude and specific SCUBA diving attitude with responsible behaviour among divers underwater. The empirical data were collected from divers (N?=?413) at the five most popular islands for SCUBA diving in Malaysia using the combination of purposeful, quota and convenience sampling. The revised New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale [Dunlap, R.E., Van Liere, K., Mertig, A., & Jones, R. (2000). Measuring endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm: A revised NEP scale. Journal of Social Issues, 56(3), 425–442] was utilised to measure the general environmental concern (attitude) among divers. Measurement of SCUBA diving attitude and underwater responsible behaviour was self-developed based on both literature review and expert opinions. Correlation and regression analyses were employed to examine the relationships among the constructs. Divers are mostly ecocentric and highly responsible underwater and possess a positive SCUBA diving attitude. Divers' behaviour underwater has a direct relationship with both environmental concern and specific SCUBA diving attitude. The latter partially mediates the relationship between environmental concern and responsible behaviour underwater. The cognitive and conative dimensions of specific SCUBA diving attitude are strongly related to skill diving behaviour and safety diving behaviour, respectively. The affective dimension of specific SCUBA diving attitude has a strong relationship with non-contact diving behaviour. Based on the study findings, this paper presents some of its theoretical and managerial contributions.     

Impacts of recreational diving on hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) behaviour in a marine protected area

The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a critically endangered species encountered by recreational divers in marine protected areas (MPAs) circumtropically. Few studies, however, have examined the impacts of recreational diving on hawksbill behaviours. In 2014, we collected turtle sightings surveys and dive logs from 14 dive operations, and conducted in-water observations of 61 juvenile hawksbill turtles in Roatán, Honduras, to determine if differences in dive site use and diver behaviours affected sea turtle behaviours in the Roatán Marine Park. Sightings distributions did not vary with diving pressure during an 82-day study period. We found the amount of time turtles spent eating, investigating and breathing decreased when approached by divers. Our results suggest diver interactions may negatively impact sea turtle behaviours, however it is unknown if recreational diving has a cumulative effect on turtles over time. We recommend that MPA managers should implement monitoring programmes that assess the impacts of tourism on natural resources. We have established monitoring of hawksbills as representatives of the marine habitat in an MPA, which has the potential to be heavily impacted by dive tourism, and provide recommendations for continued monitoring of the resource.     

(Re)constructing the tourist experience? Editing experience and mediating memories of learning to dive

Abstract

Through an analysis of the mediative techniques involved in the production of videographic tourist memorabilia (specifically souvenir DVDs of learning to SCUBA dive), in this paper I seek to render visible the often unconsidered aspects of visual media production that result in not only visual images themselves, but also by extension, the construction of alternate realities of leisure space and tourist performance. A connectionist approach to the study of memory is advocated highlighting that mediatory technologies, whilst acting as stimulants for recollection, actually inform and construct memories rather than transmitting realistic snippets of past experience. In the paper, it is questioned whether ‘authenticity’ is a relevant frame of reference bearing in mind that the ‘post-tourist’ is often perfectly aware of the lack of authenticity in many tourist activities and happy to go along with a pretence. With this in mind, the paper concludes by stating that ‘reality’ is arguably being edited out of memories concerning tourism’s places and practices through the production of commercially driven and produced ‘souvenirs’. For the most part, the paper focuses on the experiences of young tourists between the ages of 18–25, the key demographic attracted to the field site in question.     

城市居民养老方式选择的代际比较——基于认知、情感、行为倾向角度的分析

老年人口的保障和养老体制的健全是国家政策制定关注的重点,其完善与良性运行与否对社会的稳定和长远发展有重要影响。居民对养老究竟有怎样的期待?影响养老方式选择的因素有哪些?在对湖北省武汉市居民对待养老方式态度的调查的基础上,从认知、情感、行为倾向三方面作了代际比较,对行为倾向方面存在代际差异的原因进行了探讨。     

Changes in perceptions of risk and competence among beginning scuba divers

The adventure experience paradigm theorizes that individuals engaging in high‐risk recreation exhibit changes in perceptions of risk and competence. While previous research has examined changes in perceptions for individuals engaged in short‐term, high‐risk recreation, there is no research examining patterns of perceptual change through extended involvement in risk recreation activities. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in perceived risk and perceived competence throughout a 14‐week basic scuba diving course. Participants (n = 57) completed the dimensions of an adventure experience (DAE) at the start and end of the course as well as before and after their first time on scuba, first open water dive, and first off shore dive. Changes in perceived risk and perceived competence were examined. Results indicated a significant decrease in perceived risk and a significant increase in both competence factors (attitudes and abilities) pre‐to‐post course and at most time intervals. Although statistically significant, changes in perceived risk and attitude may be of less practical significance (around 0.6 on a 10‐point scale). However, perceived ability increased more noticeably (2.6 on a 10‐point scale). The findings of this study support and further confirm the literature, which indicates repeated involvement in high‐risk recreation decreases participants' perceptions of risk and increases perceptions of competence. Recommendations include further study of DAE psychometrics and research on how changes in perceptions of risk and competence are related to outcomes in adventure recreation.     

Global shark currency: the distribution,frequency, and economic value of shark ecotourism

Ecotourism represents a highly popularised activity which has exhibited global growth in recent years. In the present paper, we examine the distribution, frequency, and economic value of shark-based ecotourism operations worldwide. A total of 376 shark ecotour operations across 83 locations and 8 geographic regions were identified. Here we describe the global and regional scope of the industry; determine the species utilised in shark ecotourism activities; and examine the recreational usage values of sharks. Further, we conducted a case study of a shark tourism operation based in South Africa by analysing 12 years of demographical and economical data, revealing increasing trends in the total number of customers served and cost per trip over the sampling period. We also compare consumptive and non-consumptive values of shark resources and discuss the potential research and conservation implications of the industry to sharks worldwide.