jurek
Well-known member
There is a regular claim that birding tourism and ecotourism is harmful for wildlife, because it scares them. This is given as a justification of frequent over-regulation and overcharging of traveling birders, besides 'just' looking down at them. More credible is exactly the opposite: scaring by birders is usually trivial; the scaring by bypassing locals is generally much bigger but downplayed; presence of birders keeps away more destructive disturbance (hunters, poachers, tree cutters etc.), besides providing more general incentive for conservation by spending money on hotels, food etc. In many tropical areas, the only well protected wilderness seems to be the immediate vicinity of the tourist trail.
Now, the pandemic is a test how wildlife of the world fares without bad foreign ecotourists. My understanding is that is a tragedy, because tropical reserves are struggling without tourist money.
Shouldn't it be an opportunity for the birding community to be more assertive, and openly show how much wildlife would be lost if conservation was done only by governments, mega-rich benefactors and big organizations?
Now, the pandemic is a test how wildlife of the world fares without bad foreign ecotourists. My understanding is that is a tragedy, because tropical reserves are struggling without tourist money.
Shouldn't it be an opportunity for the birding community to be more assertive, and openly show how much wildlife would be lost if conservation was done only by governments, mega-rich benefactors and big organizations?
