Proyecto Ambiental Tenerife is a Canarian
association established in 1995. Its trustees and capital are
Canarian 100%. Its objectives are the protection of the Canarian
way of life as seen in its various aspects- its communities,
where the objective is the creation of work opportunities based
on cultural knowledge; our wonderful natural environment in
which we are priviledged to live; and the physical environment
that our communities have shaped over the centuries. The
projects enjoy extensive international contacts and support.
Our projects range through restoration of the beach
at Soccorro, dry stone walling on the ancient vineyards,
promotion of rural tourism and other work opportunities in the
villages and the whale and dolphin conservation project, ( to
list a few).
We are funded uniquely in an independent and self
sufficient way- we are not beholdant to any political or
corporate sponsor or funding organisation. Our funding is
through our volunteers. These are young people who come from all
over the world and who work with Canarians on the projects.
Whilst Canarian involvement if free in all our activities, the
international volunteers pay a small amount to participate.
Currently, this is about 17,000 pst per week and this covers
accommodation, food, transport and funds the projects, (
research equipment and resource centre, four Canarian workers in
Arafo etc etc etc). The projects lose money! Why do we keep it
so cheap!? Because we believe that all young people have the
right to experience such challenges and that these should not be
the reserve of the rich and elitist elements of society.
This gives Proyecto Ambiental Tenerife three core
objectves:
- The creation of work
opportunities for Canarians.
- The protection of the Canarian
natural and physical environment.
- The empowerment of individuals,
Canarian and others, through experience on the projects.
THE WHALE & DOLPHIN CONSERVATION PROJECT:
In 1994, the WWF in its international publication on
threats to cetaceans cited the importance of whale watching,
both as an alternative means of income to whale hunting
communities and as the most important means of raising public
awareness to the threats facing cetaceans. The report concluded
that such whale watching must be done properly …and
not like in Tenerife!
Six year´s ago Tenerife was the international
blackspot in whale watching and a cause of great concern amongst
all conservationists. Today, it boasts some of the best whale
watching operations in the world and has, albeit in embrionic
form, the makings of the world´s greatest whale watching
centre.
To Proyecto Ambiental Tenerife, the Whale &
Dolphin project serves all three core objectives:
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We must protect our natural wealth, both
because of their value to us but more so because it is our duty and
obligation as human beings to do so.
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There is the potential to create in Tenerife,
the world´s greatest whale watching centre. Our calculations show that,
at current visitor levels, if the industry was run along eco tourism
lines, it would generate something like $8000 pa for each and every
Tenerifan household on the Island. It could create quality employment
and totally change our international image.
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The experience of working on the whale watch boats has
changed the lives of hundreds of the young volunteers who
have been priviledged to participate on the projects.
Whether they have worked on guiding, research, education,
training or in giving talks, all have gone away with a
feeling that they have been involved with something very
special and, in the process, many have dedicated
themselves to make their lives count, to try and
´make a difference´. This is something of
which we can all be proud.
Proyecto Ambiental Tenerife is a grassroots, people
organisation; it has and will always work with people. The way
forward must always be through talking, consensus, education,
raising awareness etc etc etc.
Its Whale & Dolphin conservation programme aims
to help make Tenerife´s whale watching industry an example
of best practice to the rest of the world. It believes that good
whale watching must have absolute respect for nature and for the
animals visited but must also provide for research, education,
information, awareness and conservation. Without these core
foundations, whale watching can be little more than man´s
exploitation of nature for personal gain, for greed.
Proyecto Ambiental Tenerife has a vision of what
whale watching on Tenerife can achieve. It wishes to work with
all involved in a constructive and positive way to help make
this vision a reality. Attached is an ouline of this vision
together with details of what Proyecto Ambiental Tenerife
believes it can contribute in making this vision a reality.
A VISION FOR TENERIFE´S WHALE WATCHING INDUSTRY.
The biggest industry in the world is tourism, the
fastest growing part of this industry is eco-tourism and the
fastest growing part of eco-tourism is whale watching. Whale
watching is a multi billion dollar global industry attracting
high quality tourism and creating high value work.
Although Tenerife has probably the biggest whale
watching operation in the world few people come here to see the
whales. ( Our research shows that there is a small but
significant number of tourists now coming to whale watch- about
1% of all people on the whale watch boats).
What is needed to tap into this fast growing and
important market:
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The industry must see itself as an industry. It
must operate at an international level and it must compete not with
itself but with other whale watch centres.
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The industry must forge for itself an identity,
a brand ´label´ that can be promoted internationally. This brand label
must be synonimous with quality whale watching and with conservation
awareness of cetaceans. It must be self regulated in an open and honest
way.
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It must promote itself within the international eco
tourism market. This means that it must present itself
appropriately- quality whale watching, conservation
awareness, commitment to education, responsibility for
global conservation issues…. but, also, the
industry must link itself with other aspects of
´quality´ Tenerife- rural tourism and
accommodation, culture, walking and nature to name a few.
It also means that it, the industry, has to develop a
coordinated and effective international marketing
strategy. This does not have to expensive or heavily
funded and, indeed, dos not want to be as it would send
out the wrong signals to the market. The eco-tourism
market is easy to target and must be done through the
avenues o education, nature tourism and conservation. All
marketing must stress commitment to quality, conservation
and education.
What are the potential benefits:
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A whale watching industry that employs crews
expert in cetacean issues with highly qualified guides, animators( for
the children) and researchers.
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Development of educational programmes, at all
levels upto and including university programmes.
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Research facilities, even competing institutes,
that will bring the world´s leading researchers to the Island but in a
way co-ordinated by the Canaries and not, as is the norm, controlled by
foreignors. With such facilities should come international conferences
on cetacean issues at a variety of levels.
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Information centres/ museums devoted to
cetaceans with talks and displays held for the tourists.
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Retail shops merchandising whale and dolphin
memorabillia, perhaps utilising local artesan skills.
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Books, newspapers, journal articles- a whole
specialist media.
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Cetacean conservation organisations based here
so as to tap into the sympathy and goodwil created by the industry.
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A European Festival of the Whale, staged
annually in Tenerife.
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Changing the very image of Tenerife, away from cheap mass
tourism and to nature and eco-tourism with all the direct
benefits that that wil entail to ordinary people.
But, perhaps most of all, it will give Tenerife a
voice. The 1994 WWF report singled out Tenerife as an example of
bad practice and many people both in Tenerife and on the outside
still propagate this image for their own selfish interests. The
core industry is now in a position to promote itself as an
example of quality whale watching and Tenerife is important
because so many Europeans come here.
The industry can and must use itself as a platform
from which it can influence Europe on conservation issues.
Tenerife can show nature at its most magnificent and it can let
Europeans know what we are doing to nature on the continent. It
can send hundreds of thousands of Europeans home with a shared
vision of responsibilty for the global environment and, through
this, it can effect real change in the world. The importance of
Tenerife lies in these thoughts.
WHAT PROYECTO AMBIENTAL TENERIFE CAN CONTRIBUTE
As a non profit making organisation of high
integrity and extensive contacts both in the Canaries and
internationally we are in a most fortunate position. Our
commitment to the promotion and development of all things
Canarian enables us in the case of the whale watching industry
to see enormous potential in pursue actions in furtherence of
our objectives. These are exciting opportunities and we wish to
play our part.
What can we bring to the project:
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Enthusiastic and bright volunteers who can,
through their energy, demonstarte the value of guiding, research,
educational workshops, talks, festivals etc etc. On the back of their
endeavour, we can create an industry.
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The funding and facilitating of activities that,
otherwise, would not happen, for example:
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A monthly newsletter devoted to the whale
watching industry.
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Conservation posters to be given free to
tourists and promoting
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positive images of
Tenerife and of its whale watch industry whilst raising awareness with
Europeans of conservation issues.
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Development and creation of didactic
materials- technical training guides, posters, educational materials
etc etc etc
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Workshops- children´s workshops on the
beaches, teacher´s programmes, technical workshops for guides etc etc
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Development of museum and display areas relating to
cetaceans.
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Organising internationl speakers and guests.
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Developing and promoting the concept of a
European Festival of the Whale to be held annually in Tenerife.
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Funding research initiatives. This year we have
used our limited resources to fund the purchase of equipment to
facilitate research in pollution, photo identification, marine habitat
surveys, behaviour studies, boat impact, Emotional Intelligence etc etc.
This is an area of activity we are particularly well placed to develop
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Working with our contacts in the international
conservation movement, we can develop programmes whereby Tenerife starts
to play a pivotal role in shaping European opinion on conservation
issues. In the process, we can work with them to explore ways of
accrediting issues such a a self regulatory code of conduct.
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Working with our international partners, ( in
the areas of conservation, education, nature tourism and research), we
can start the process of promoting whale watching through eco-tourism.
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Development of educational programmes and courses, with La
Laguna´ and others, that are free to Canarians and
funded by foreign participants.
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