WWF Principles for Sustainable Fishing Tourism
Sustainable Fishing Tourism – when tourists pay professional fishers to show them what life at sea is really like – is an increasingly popular way of diversifying artisanal fishers’ activities. If it’s done right, it can help fish stocks and the marine environment, spread understanding of the sea and its traditions, and bring in alternative income for fishers.Unfortunately, in many cases, fishing tourism does not comply with legal requirements or it is performed without any regulatory framework, potentially becoming an unsustainable activity and going against the long-term benefit of the marine environment.
That’s why WWF has developed a set of principles and recommendations for making fishing tourism truly sustainable. This publication provides a definition of Sustainable Fishing Tourism, as well as background information, practical case studies, and a summary of the principles themselves.