“The first thing we need to ensure is that nature is protected” Stated Adriana Dinu, Executive Director for UNDP-GEF during GFDD Study Launch on the Dominican Whale Watching Industry

As the United Nations commemorated the first edition of its Ocean Conference from June 5 to 9, 2017, GFDD and Funglode took this opportunity to host its own side event and raise awareness of the special relationship that the Dominican Republic has with the Ocean and the challenges it faces to achieve sustainable development. The event was held in partnership with the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY as well as Peace Boat US and several other NGOs, at UN
Headquarters on Friday June 9, 2017. The event featured the launch of a research study by GFDD research fellow Ms. Bonnie Raschke. Her research focused on the environmental and social implications of the development of the whale watching industry in the Northern region of the Dominican Republic with consideration for the role of local communities in this environment. The event included a very interesting panel discussion between government representatives, international policy experts as
well as academics, on the topic of eco-tourism and its impact on both the environment and the local communities.

Marc Jourdan, GFDD’s UN Programs Manager, provided the words of welcome before the audience, thanking the partners who had made this event possible, and introducing the
speakers. He quickly the participants of the importance of whale watching industry, stating that it is a billion dollar industry, and highlighting that the Dominican Republic stands as one the pioneers of this industry, with a flourishing eco-tourist economy.

H.E Ambassador Mahe Tupouniua of Tonga opened the panel discussion by expressing his satisfaction regarding the adoption of the UN Deal on Sustainable Tourism in 2017. He then provided relevant remarks on the whale
watching industry in Tonga both at the national and regional level. He highlighted the efforts of the country to preserve and conserve whales in their seas.

‘Tourism is vital for our country, accounting for 28% of our economy”, underscored H.E. Ambassador Ahmed Sareer, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations, to demonstrate the
importance of the whale watching industry. He then emphasized the commitment of his government to the protection of the natural beauty of the Maldives, stressing that the island’s beauty is the key to this vital industry.

Mr. Koebel Sakuma, Executive Director of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary then took the floor, introducing the Palau Sanctuary. “Protecting the tourist sites is as important as protecting the sanctuary” he argued,
explaining that the goal is that tourists don’t see the frontier between the tourist sites and the sanctuary. His colleagues Laura Clarke and Jennifer Gibbons also took the opportunity to promote the Palau Pledge for the future, taking into consideration the welfare of future generations. To do this they screened an inspiring short video, aimed at supporting a better approach to economic activities and environmental preservation.

After these powerful
interventions by Member State representatives committed to protecting the oceans, Ms. Bonnie Raschke, GFDD Research Fellow, launched her study titled: Resident Perceptions of Whale Watching in the Dominican Republic. She described the goal of her study as a tool to improve eco-tourism practices in general and not only regarding whale watching. By analyzing the local perceptions of whale watching, her study therefore provided a new light on the impact of eco-tourism, both
on environment but also communities. She illustrated the support of local communities for whale-watching, as well as the common will to protect the species. Finally, she provided recommendations for a better development of eco-tourism, such as prioritizing regulations to protect cetaceans or maintaining relationships between government and industry.

The next speaker, Ms. Charlotte Vick of Mission Blue, called on the audience to spread the word about eco-tourism through
engaging audiovisual material such as photos and videos. Mrs. Adriana Dinu, Executive Director for UNDP-GEF, shared her individual experiences of eco-tourism. “Nature is a big business”, she said, encouraging the development of eco-tourism in an equitable way, and insisting in the participation of local communities. She then presented a project led by UNDP and the Ministries of Tourism and Environment of the Dominican Republic to ensure sustainable development of
eco-tourism.

Finally, Mr. Oswaldo Vásquez brought to the audience his expertise on whale research by describing the differences between whales from the South and North hemisphere, highlighting the ecological role of marine sanctuaries. He then explained how whale watching enables researchers to improve their knowledge about this species, but also about the level of pollution these cetaceans are exposed to. He ended his presentation by expressing the need to extend the
Silver Bank Humpback Whale Sanctuary of the Dominican Republic, calling participants to sign the petition to the government.

Thanking the panelists for their remarks, Marc Jourdan then opened the floor for an interactive Q&A with the audience. The panelists fielded a variety of questions from attendees ranging from the benefits to the local communities to the contribution of eco-tourism to science.

About the Ocean
Conference
The UN Ocean Conference is a historic step towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 (Life below water) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 9 June 2017, it gathers the international community, researchers and the civil society to address the huge challenges of the future of our oceans. The priority theme of this first Conference is
“Our Oceans, Our Future”, as it aims to be the game changer that will reverse the decline in the health of our oceans for people, planet and prosperity. The outcome of this conference will be a Call for Action to support the implementation of SDG 14.

Presentations:

• H.E Ambassador Tupouniua, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Tonga to the United
  Nations;
• Mr. Koebel Sakuma, Executive Director of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary;
• H.E. Ambassador Sareer , Permanent Mission of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations;
• Mrs. Adriana
  Dinu, Executive Coordinator of UNDP Global Environmental Finance;
• Ms. Charlotte Vick, Director of Engagement at Mission Blue;
• Mr. Oswaldo Vásquez, Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo;
• Ms. Aireona Bonnie Raschke, GFDD Research Fellow and Author of Resident Perceptions of Whale Watching in the Dominican Republic.