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Shannon Estuary Developing Sustainable Dolphin-watching in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland A submission to the European Destinations of Excellence Competition: Tourism and Protected Areas Prepared by Dr Simon Berrow Project Manager Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation, Merchants Quay, Kilrush, Co Clare, Ireland www.shannondolphins.ie 1 Introduction The Shannon Estuary, where a large river enters the Atlantic seaboard of Europe, is a unique habitat. Only the smaller Sado estuary in Portugal is equivalent. The Shannon Estuary is one of the most important wildlife habitats in Ireland and is unique as it is home to the only known resident group of bottlenose dolphins. It is also a busy waterway supplying many important industries and power stations and an important recreational and tourism destination. Lower River Shannon cSAC The Lower River Shannon was designated as a candidate Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in 2000. It is the second largest SAC in Ireland extending 400km from Killaloe in County Limerick to Loop and Kerry Heads; an area of approximately 64,000ha. Within the boundaries of the site are two Special Protection Areas (SPA) for birds (Shannon Fergus SPA and Loop Head SPA), mainly wintering waders and waterfowl for which the site has the highest winter concentration in Ireland. The site contains 14 habitats on Annex I of the Habitats Directive, including one priority habitat (coastal lagoon), and six species on Annex II, including bottlenose dolphins. There are six species on Annex I of the Birds Directive for which the Shannon Fergus SPA is designated. Map of the Lower River Shannon candidate Special Area of Conservation The site is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. It incorporates three NPWS regions and five Local Authorities (Counties Cork, Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary). The Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries are responsible for managing fishing and other marine activities within the site. 2 A draft Conservation Plan for the site was produced in 2001 but following extension of the boundaries a second consultation period with landowners had to be undertaken. This process has recently been completed and a second draft of the Plan is due to be produced soon. Tourism product The Lower River Shannon cSAC is important for a number of tourism products including, angling, sailing, bird and dolphin-watching. We have concentrated on dolphin- watching as it provides a flagship product for tourism in West Clare and the Shannon region and a model for proper, sustainable tourism management. Development of dolphin-watching The concept of developing commercial dolphin-watching in the Shannon Estuary was first discussed with the community-run West Clare Development Co-operative in 1991. In 1992, a study was commissioned by Shannon Development Ltd. to asses the feasibility of running commercial dolphin trips. This study showed that bottlenose dolphins were resident in the estuary and that it was a calving ground. The presence of a resident group provided an opportunity for long-term planning and investment but it also meant that the site was of high international conservation importance. Dolphin-watching developed slowly at first with only a few trips carried out during 1993- 94. Between 1995-1997, about 200 trips per annum were carried out from Carrigaholt and Kilrush, Co Clare catering for around 2,500 people. It was estimated that in 1998, dolphin-watching was worth between €108,000 and €240,000 to the local economy. During 1999 there was a 30% increase in the number of trips and during 2000 season visitor numbers increased by 300% to around 12,000 following the launch of two purpose built vessels. Since 2000 the number of trips has reached a plateau at around 400-500 though there was a 25% decline last year (2008) due to poor weather and a decline in tourism visitors to the region. Estimates of the present value of dolphin-watching are somewhere between €375,000 to €2.8 million, depending on the proportion of visitors dolphin-watching has attracted to the region. Number of dolphin trips in the Shannon Estuary, 1993-2008 500 400 Carrigaholt 300 Kilrush 200 Ballybunnion 100 Total 0 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 The Shannon dolphins have acted as a focus for the development of other tourism products in the region and have provided a unique brand. A study commissioned in 1997 3 by Shannon Development Ltd. examined the potential of special interest marine tourism in the West Clare peninsular. The dolphins were identified as the areas unique product. Through the META- project (http://www.tourism-research.org/METAhome.html) a brand image for sustainable marine eco-tourism was created and marketed (IRRUS) but this could not be sustained after the project had finished. Dolphins are becoming strongly associated with County and West Clare. They have been adopted by Clare County Council as the emblem for their litter campaign, and have inspired Kilrush to promote itself as the Gateway to the Shannon Dolphins. Dolphins are now an integral part of the west Clare tourism product (see http://www.westclare.com and http://www.kilrush.ie). Examples of how the Shannon Dolphins have been integrated into West Clare (Information board in Kilrush, dolphin murals and information board over the Shannon Estuary) Sustainable development Management of dolphin-watching in the Shannon Estuary Since designation of the site as an SAC in 2000 there has been a lot of effort to ensure this tourism product is not only sustainable but enhances the conservation status of the site and its habitats and species. In order to facilitate the sustainable development of dolphin-watching, the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF) was established in March 2000 to bring together stakeholders in order to formulate and implement a plan. In October 2003 the SDWF were granted charitable status. The SDWF Committee includes representatives of the NPWS, Marine Institute, Shannon Development, Clare County Council, Kilrush Town Council, Carrigaholt Development Association, Kilrush Chamber of Commerce and North Kerry LEADER as well as all accreditated dolphin tour boat operators. Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Visitor Centre, Kilrush, Co Clare 4 The SDWF work closely with the NPWS carrying out monitoring of dolphin tour boats and carrying out research into the dolphins, which is fed back into educational programmes. The SDWF organize an annual event for children (Shannon Dol-fun) and contribute to Blue Flag Awareness in County Clare to nuture an interest in the marine environment and conservation. At least 3-4 film crews visit the estuary each year through which the SDWF promote conservation and sustainable tourism. Recently the BBC Coast programme covered the Shannon dolphins to an audience of over 10 million viewers. Education, research and a high media profile encourage repeat visits. The SDWF have grown into a credible and influential group, which has had an impact on the conservation, educational awareness of and research on the Shannon dolphins. A three year plan (see Appendix I) was published to fulfill the potential of the organization and the Shannon dolphins. The SDWF have a website (www.shannondolphins.ie) with a range of information including research publications and an image gallery. SDWF are also a member of the Clare Heritage Circle. Framework for sustainable development Dolphin-watching in the Shannon Estuary has become a model for the sustainable development of marine tourism resources. Under the SAC legislation the operation of commercial recreational activities such as dolphin-watching is a notifiable activity which requires permission from the Minister of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In order to obtain permission, operators must: i) abide by the Conservation Plan ii) abide by the Code of Conduct iii) provide monitoring data iv) demonstrate competence in environmental education. Tour boat monitoring has been carried out by the SDWF on behalf of the NPWS since 2001. All operators complete a trip record sheet after each dolphin-trip and the SDWF accompany around 10% of trips per annum to cross-check operator records and collect images for photo-identification. A review of these data in 2008 showed no strong evidence of any impact following cumulative exposure of dolphins to tour boats. Dolphin flag Saoirse na Sionna flying from the dolphin tour boat “Dolphin Discovery” An accreditation scheme was launched in 2000 called Saoirse na Sionna (Freedom of the Shannon) and all accreditated operators were presented with a flag to fly from their vessels in order for potential customers to identify those operators which adopt best 5 practice. Agencies such as Shannon Development and Failte Ireland will only promote those accreditated operators. This is an example of eco-labelling. The SDWF carry out visitor surveys every five years since in 1997/08. We interview people on dolphin-watching vessels to determine basic demographics, awareness of protected area status and to gauge visitor satisfaction. This survey was repeated in 2003 and again in 2008 in order to identify trends. The results have changed little over ten years as most dolphin-watchers are Irish families holidaying in the area. The presence of dolphins was a very significant factor in people’s decision to visit Kilrush, and was also an important factor in choosing to visit County Clare. The awareness of the dolphins outside of West Clare is improving but there was very little awareness outside of Ireland. Awareness of the Shannon Estuary as a protected site was good but awareness of initiatives developing good practice or eco-tourism branding was poor. Dolphin-watching is attracting people to West Clare but the economic potential of this product is under- developed. Dolphin-watching is attracting the general tourist but not the specialist markets interested in wildlife which limits opportunities to develop the shoulder season.
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