The results of a study by Oceana show a strong economic incentive for protecting living ocean resources. Sea the Value: Quantifying the Value of Marine Life to Divers shows that scuba divers are willing to pay more to see healthy corals, sharks and sea turtles.
Average additional amount scuba divers are willing to pay per dive to view wildlife and the total annual value across all six million dives taken in the United States
Value (U.S. $) | Sea Turtles | Sharks | Healthy Corals |
Average Per Dive | $29.63 | $35.36 | $55.35 |
Total Annual Value | $177.8 million | $212.2 million | $332.1 million |
Scuba divers find personal value in seeing healthy marine life when they explore the underwater world. Quantifying this value is important, in part because it provides economic justification for the protection of marine wildlife. In fact, divers are valuable participants in ecotourism and provide economic incentives for coastal areas to protect and preserve the oceans.
via OceanaIn Texas, we have learned to put an economic impact on our tourism. Birding, dude ranches, rodeos, motels/hotels, jet boat races, fishing, hunting, you name it. Put a dollar value on it so that it is made important and real. I believe if we did this for all our natural resources, it would change the way we view our world.
What about the economic impact of bays and estuaries on the commercial fishing industry?
Or economic impact of the dead zone and red tide on sports fishing?
The economic impact of losing 5 feet of coastal lands worldwide on life itself?
The loss of lakes and rivers in the southwest on tourism and development?
We will not know the true value of what we have lost until it is gone.
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