Property rights-based management: whale shark ecotourism in Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico.

摘要

Predictable and long-term whale shark (Rhincodon typus) aggregations can be observed in few locations around the world. In some places where this occurs the use of the species through ecotourism has become an important economic activity. Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico is an important habitat for whale sharks for up to 7 months per year. Based on their presence, ecotourism activities with the species have become more popular among the local community in recent years. Whale sharks and their habitat represent an important form of natural capital with high potential to produce economic value; however this has not translated in an improvement of the local communities' quality of life due to several limitations that the activity, resource and users confront. The most evident threat is free access, carrying with it a potential loss of economic benefits due to resource saturation and when external groups use the resource or tourists observe the species without having to hire local tour operators. It is recognized that property right regimes are fundamental because they define the rights and obligations for the use of natural resources and the rules by which these rights and obligations are implemented. The present study recommends the implementation of a strategy for the sustainable management of whale sharks based on property rights; taking into account both the characteristics of the resource and the social context where it is used. Through the opinion of a consultant panel comprised of representatives from federal, state and municipal governments, as well as academics, non-governmental organizations and local users of the resource, three different options are analysed - free access; a limited number of permits for local users; a concession of the area in favour of the group of local users - by means of four qualitative criteria (efficiency, equity, transaction costs and acceptance) and a quantitative criterion (duration), using multicriteria analysis. The evaluation concludes that the scenario which is the most efficient, equitable, with lower transaction costs and more acceptable is a concession of the area in favour of the group of local users..