Traditional knowledge for sustainability in watching tourism

Cetaceans and other marine mammals often provoke emotional responses, both positive and negative, one of the most debated being whaling/whale-watching: cruelty and savageness of killing on one hand, and moving and joyful... [ view full abstract ]

Cetaceans and other marine mammals often provoke emotional responses, both positive and negative, one of the most debated being whaling/whale-watching: cruelty and savageness of killing on one hand, and moving and joyful encounters of watching on the other. In the consumptive or non- consumptive use debates, the latter is typically assumed superior to the former, and the transition from harvesting to watching (tourism) is encouraged uncritically. The assumption however contains a risk of disregarding or denying the knowledge and skills contained in harvesting practice, including stories and history of living with a specific environment, and fundamental wisdom of coexisting with the specific environment. Such knowledge should be kept ‘alive’, not denied, in tourism also to ensure sustainability in practice. Cases of watching tourism from coastal areas of Japan are examined on how traditional knowledge is utilized in tourism. Former fishers guiding tours, self regulations devised based on traditional practice, and monuments for whales in former whaling villages included in tours are found to be some of the effective sustainability measures. For fishers who take up a role of watching guide, their stories become valuable not only for tourists but also to new generations of operators who need to develop their own connection with their place (seas). Acknowledging the value of local traditional knowledge put forward a critical view on the above assumption, questioning a true meaning of ‘sustainable’ tourism.