Train tourist guides to minimize disturbance and promote marine and freshwater mammal conservation

Overall effectiveness category Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)
Number of studies: 1
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

60%
Certainty

27%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Tourist guides may be trained to minimize disturbance to marine and freshwater mammals during tours, and to promote conservation. This may include training to follow specific guidelines (e.g. see Introduce and enforce regulations for marine and freshwater mammal watching tours). Promoting marine and freshwater mammal conservation during tours may help to improve the behaviour of attendees towards mammals, not only during tours but also in future.

Study locations

Key messages

One study evaluated the effects of training tourist guides to minimize disturbance and promote marine and freshwater mammal conservation. The study was in the Kenai Fjords (Alaska).

COMMUNITY RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

POPULATION RESPONSE (0 STUDIES)

BEHAVIOUR (1 STUDY)

Behaviour change (1 study): One before-and-after study in the Kenai Fjords found that fewer harbour seals were disturbed during kayak excursions after training was provided to kayak guides.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A before-and-after study in 2002–2011 at a glacial lake in the Kenai Fjords, Alaska (Hoover-Miller et al. 2013) reported that after training was provided to kayak guides, fewer harbour seals Phoca vitulina were disturbed in the presence of kayaks than before training. Results are not based on assessments of statistical significance. Numbers of seal disturbances (seals moving from the ice into the water) each year during kayak excursions were lower after training was provided to guides (total 0–9 disturbances; 0–0.02 disturbances/hour) than before (total 0–30 disturbances; 0–0.05 disturbances/hour). Training was provided to tourist guides in 2006 to operate kayaks more carefully around seals (details reported in Jezierski 2009). Voluntary guidelines for viewing marine mammals from vessels were introduced in 2000, and multiple outreach activities took place in 2002–2011 (public presentations, workshops etc.). Remote-controlled video cameras recorded seal disturbances during kayak excursions in May–September 2002–2011. Observations were made during 81–92 days in each of four years before training (2002–2005) and during 70–92 days in each of six years after training (2006–2011).
Jezierski, C. M. (2009) The impact of sea kayak tourism and recreation on harbor seal behavior in Kenai Fjords National Park: integrating research with outreach, education, and tourism. Thesis, University of Alaska, USA.
Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Hoover-Miller A., Bishop A., Prewitt J., Conlon S., Jezierski C. & Armato P. (2013) Efficacy of voluntary mitigation in reducing harbor seal disturbance. Journal of Wildlife Management, 77, 689-700.

Please cite as:

Berthinussen, A., Smith, R.K. and Sutherland, W.J. (2021) Marine and Freshwater Mammal Conservation: Global Evidence for the Effects of Interventions. Conservation Evidence Series Synopses. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Marine and Freshwater Mammal Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Use volunteers to deter tourists from harassing marine and freshwater mammals at wildlife-viewing sites Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link
Train tourist guides to minimize disturbance and promote marine and freshwater mammal conservation Action Link	Unknown effectiveness (limited evidence)	1	Synopsis Link
Introduce and enforce regulations for marine and freshwater mammal watching tours Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	4	Synopsis Link