44 



national scale, whale watching was primarily confined to North America until the 

 mid 1980'8. It is estimated in 1993 tnat over 4.0 million people will participate on 

 a whale watches world wide in more than 30 countries; 80 percent (or 3.25 million) 

 of the participants will enjoy this experience in the United States. 



n. PUBLIC EDUCATION 



Whale watching does more than give the public an opportunity to see marine 

 mammals in their natural environment. It is a perfect combination of passive 

 science education for all ages, that is wrapped in anticipation, excitement, and ap- 

 preciation. The naturalists on board these programs provide a fun way of educating 

 the public about whales, and equally important, about man's role in habitat protec- 

 tion. The Pacific Whale Foundation in Hawaii surveyed first-time whale watchers 

 about their trip, and found that 90 percent of the respondents felt more prone to 

 donate toward whale conservation. Ninety-eight percent felt that not enough was 

 currently being done to help save whales, and 82 percent indicated that no amount 

 of money could replace their experience. With so much enthusiasm and education 

 being absorbed, the word does travel fast. Over the past ten years, whale watching 

 on a global scale has averaged a 49 percent annual growth rate. 



III. RESEARCH BENEFITS 



Whale watching provides a platform for marine mammal research. Many oper- 

 ations work in a symbiotic relationship, where scientists work as naturalists on the 

 boats while they gather, otherwise unafTordable scientific data. Important informa- 

 tion about cetacean populations has been gathered this way, and is shared with the 

 whale watching community and government agencies such as NMFS. 



rV. GOVERNMENT SUPPORT WITH REGULATIONS 



The NEWWA's members have been actively involved with NMFS since the whale 

 watching guidelines were first developed in the Northeast Region in 1985. In No- 

 vember 1988, we participated with NMFS on a national workshop in Monterey, to 

 discuss and compare whale conservation programs, education, research, and vessel 

 guidelines. In that workshop and subsequent meetings held in the Northeast (De- 

 cember 1989) it was agreed that there was no data available to show either short 

 term or long term impacts on whales by vessels, when they followed the Northeast 

 Regional guidelines of 1(X) feet. The NR^FS-Northeast recommended that these same 

 guidelines continue that are in existence today. 



V. NEWWA OPPOSES PROPOSED WHALE WATCHING REGULATIONS WITHOUT SCIENTIFIC 



SUPPORT 



Last August, NMFS projX)sed a national, minimum approach distance for whale 

 watch vessels (Fed. Reg. VOL 57, No. 149; 8/3/92) in response to pressure from ani- 

 mal rights groups, and to simplify the legal process within the enforcement division 

 of NMFS. No consideration was given to the regional differences of whale popu- 

 lations due to a number of biological and environmental factors. The NMFS pro- 

 posed regulations made whale watching vessels the "target," when the real threat 

 to whales is not from a few whale watch boats. The real threat to whale populations 

 is from whale entanglements from commercial fishing gear, tanker strikes, and the 

 thousands of uneducated private boaters in the United States, (see attached testi- 

 mony). 



VI. PROVIDING ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT TO NMFS 



The New England Aquarium has supplied videotape, slides and testimony to 

 NMFS enforcement agents in the past. We have also assisted in the 

 disentanglement of whales caught in commercial fishing gear on numerous occa- 

 sions. I have personally seen many commercial whale watch companies "police" pri- 

 vate boaters and inform them of the whale watching guidelines. NMFS does not 

 have the resources to enforce these guidelines without our help. 



VII. ECONOMIC IMPACT OF WHALE WATCHING 



Whale watching in the United States reaches 3.25 million people per year, and 

 provides a solid environmental message that the public clearly responds to and ap- 

 preciates. It should be noted that it also provides a strong economic base to our 

 coastal economy. Total direct and indirect revenues in the U.S. this year will gen- 

 erate $195 million. 



