The following are informal notes and reflections from the 1996 Conference for Ecotourism and Conservation that took place in La Ceiba, Honduras. It was a dynamic event coordinated by the late Tom Ellis. My role was in promoting the event via the Internet. About a third (50) of the 150 participants acknowledged Planeta.com as a means of communication that informed them of the event.
In November 1995, Tom Ellis and I fell into a conversation on the Internet about the upcoming conference. I can't say I've ever enjoyed being part of an informal, horizontal network as much as I have via this experience. Tom's death was a blow. He took his own life a few years after this conference.
One of the direct results of the conference, I'm very pleased to say, is a friendship between James Gollin and myself. Together we co-wrote a guidebook Honduras: Adventures in Nature, released in 1998 and Jim just revised the book for a second edition.
This conference definitely mixed it up. While attendance from the Central
American tourism secretariats was low (only Guatemala's INGUAT sent a representative), the
mixture of North and Central Americans was quite good. Green Arrow Guide
provided a healthy dose of Australian and British participation.
In addition, never have I witnessed an event that could attract both ardent
conservationists and land developers. The discussions involving the value of
mangroves was very interesting. There were roughly 150 people at the
conference - about 15 of whom I had "conversed" with before via email, but
never had the chance to meet... until last week.
What was accomplished: Tom Ellis and Eco-Escuela Spanish Language School/Honduras Information Network spearheaded the creation of a scholarship fund for Central American university students working on issues relating to ecotourism. He was assisted by Margie Scanlon of the Environmental Conservation Tourism Association (ECTA).
Central American community leaders, such as Costa Rica's COOPRENA, made contact with international tour organizers who want additional information on booking trips in these areas. What's needed most in the successful implementation of ecotourism? Clean water (treat it and they will come).
Honduras (and La Ceiba in particular) received extraordinary attention. A large number of journalists attended the conference, and spent quite a bit of time outside the conference! There should be many articles that will appear in the coming months.
Academics came to the conference and showed an uncommon zeal for connecting conceptual and practical issues. While the term "ecotourism" was not debated (thank goodness), it was clear that there were a myriad of interpretations. I wish I had had the time to attend the Yale forum the week beforehand to better compare these forums.
The following are my working notes - quickly transcribed at the conference on my portable Macintosh laptop. Please note - this is not a polished story.
Ron Mader, Webhost
Planeta.com
We are home to a booming ecotourism industry, which takes advantage of impossibly green rainforests, world class white water rivers and an island chain that is part of the second major barrier reef in the world. La Ceiba is a hub to travel to the Bay Islands and La Mosquitia.
Does aerial surveys of marine mammals. Also boat surveys - cataloging marine mammals seen. False killer whales, sperm wales, spotted dolphins, spinner dolphins, pilot whales and bottle nose dolphins. Rough toothed dolphins. Hour glass shape on the back. Does some rehabilitation of animals. Turtle release.
Adventure travel market is going to explode - that's the good news and the bad news. If we don't protect the cultures and the environment, Generated $200 billion in the world. There's no question that we're going south. Critical question is how to you manage it? How do you keep cultures intact?
Adventure of a Lifetime from Colorado to Chile. Big "if" is getting vehicle sponsor. Spend 6-7 days in each country, do brief introduction to ecotourism. Not sure we need government support. Qualification - vehicles - Tom has asked where are the keys. Colorado Trade Office wants this to be the first adventure tourism trade mission. This will be an advance group for the conference. Celebrate the outstanding opportunities in all of Latin America, from the top down. Coverage is worth millions and millions of dollars. Include local people on how to get back through the media what we're talking about.
$12 billion generated by ecotourism in 1990. Benefits of Partnerships - Communities, Private Sector, Government and NGOs. Ecotourism that is developed through partnerships is a powerful tool for environmental and economic sustainability. Ecotourism is very new in Honduras, need for research in all aspects.
Costa Rica is well known as an ecotourism destination. However, our experience has been that there has been little actual benefits to local communities in socio-economic benefits. As a result of this problem, many local agricultural groups have developed local ecotourism. The idea is different from - in the practice we are developing work with local communities. Many people talk of involving local communities in ecotourism projects; this is an ecotourism venture created out of local communities.
Three more cooperatives have formed and will join this network. Not just cooperatives but community groups have formed and have joined this locally based ecotourism network. One of the basic reasons this consortium exists is that environmental conservation but to maintain the local communities equilibrium and to include the whole family in the benefits of ecotourism.
External promotion department, generating job creation here in Honduras. Since FIDE was created in 1985, created 40,000 jobs in the zone of San Pedro Sula. We have 14 industrial parks, that have to comply with environmental laws. Can import goods in Puerto Cortez for manufacturing tax-free. Expanded to tourism zone - can import goods tax free for tourism zone. Can bring boats, planes. FIDE is a stop-over for any of the investors. Office in San Pedro Sula, soon in La Ceiba. Offices in Miami and Taiwan. Internet Presence: Honduras Web Explorer http://hondurasweb.com;
Working with the people - need to motivate them in protecting the habitats. Environmental areas are in immediate need. In order to induce someone to protect the environment, they need immediate benefits. In many instances the habitats we protect are where the campesinos live. Watersheds. 8,000 foot peaks and mountains. These are excellent biological corridors and great areas for ecotourism. If we protect the watersheds, we will have potable water, better health, water for export agriculture for the balance of payments.
Two years ago we had incredible energy crisis in Honduras. Will need 170 million limpiras to protect watershed of El Cajon. Many years ago no one took care of the watershed - no awareness, no push for conservation. Crisis almost collapsed the economy of Honduras; still recuperating from it. Economics and environmentalism go hand in hand. If the watershed had been protected, economy wouldn't have come close to collapse.
In Cuero y Salado 12 kilometers of lowland forest, we work with the people so they seen an immediate benefit from ecotourism. The legislation - congress issued decree that park would be run by local people, gave them right to ownership of the land there. Must prove immediately that the destruction is not good for anybody and that we need to protect the environment. There are numerous environmental NGOs in Honduras. Just that the international press doesn't talk much about us.
Stone Container - paper manufacturer came to Honduras, got contract from the environment to chop up pine forests in La Mosquitia. Signed agreement, we utilized allies and obtained scientific information about the company - about to go broke. Worst rating for economic stability. Proved that the government not to sign 40-year contract. In Costa Rica they went in and planted it, going to pay $43/hectare a year. We threw them out - it was a victory and made Honduran environmental organizations confident to say we can do it professionally, technically and scientific.
None of the major conservation groups is interested in Honduras, so our foundation has started buying critical lank - areas where it floods - 40% of our funds are generated from ecotourism. Not a solution to everything, but in a country don't have luxury to ask for many alternatives. Ecotourism is owned mostly by locals. Honduras doesn't have great investment climate, but it worked in our favor. Forced locals to invest in tourism. Owned wholly or partially. Dollars you pay stay here, generating benefits for the Honduran economy.
Hope to learn from mistakes - not letting ecotourism destroy the culture, not to dominate the culture. Ecotourism is the greatest partial solution in the world. The government is well-traveled, but cannot grasp. Outside lists Rio Cangregal. Previously published article on La Mosquitia in Belize. No skiing in Honduras. We are getting better known in a positive way. Very hard to convince government. "This backpacker has a VISA Gold"
Bonair chose ecotourism over oil refining as its future. It was transformed into Cinderella of its once prosperous neighbors. We need information on examples of ecotourism success. Honduras dying to put 1.8 million refinery in the Trujillo Bay. Put a refinery there, ecotourists won't go there. Refineries are automation, refineries cause cancer, contaminate things - only generate employment during the building stage. We have to prove to them with hard- core financial data. Want to go the way of Bonaire, not the way of Curacao.
Honduras has infrastructure, five international airports, "best roads in Central America." While Costa Rica has been the Switzerland of Central America, Honduras has been the Albania. Costa Rica gets Mick and Bianca Jagger to protect the environment, we get Jesse Helms and Ollie North.
Problem - killing and maiming of people and culture by technologically- advanced people. In the US there are 3,000 commercial divers, in Mosquitia, there are over 6,000 commercial divers. In worldview, this is a major problem wherever emerging scuba technologies come into contact with primitive people. Identical atrocities are happening around the world.
Offer medical aid to the divers and education. We are at the cutting edge of the financial situation. Moderate economic policy and developing partnerships with local communities and NGOs to guarantee positive future. Have support from hyperberic medical community.
Starting lobster fishing seasons Petition to Honduran government with requirements - diver physicals, mandated safety equipment, diving watches and ban on egg-bearing females.
Impacts - slash and burn agriculture for houses, for pasture. Road construction is causing same problem. Soils wash into the lagoons and coastal areas. Sand removal is a problem that exists. Dredging and filling - this creates silts in the water that eventually kills the reefs. Impacts from divers standing or touching corals. Lot of photographers had models sat in the fan or touched the reef. Nationals don't know the fragility of the reef, or they pick it to take home as a souvenir.
Fisheries are now reduced, mainly because of inappropriate fishing techniques outside of the marine reserve - with nets and speargun fishing. Anchors are a problem. Divers installing more buoys. To reduce negative impacts, BICA working with groups, government and business. Signs have been posted on highly visited beaches with diving etiquette.
Advances: Training teachers from the Honduran mainland. Have little knowledge of marine resources. With help from marine park, teach them how to snorkel so they can understand how fragile a resource this is.
Ongoing garbage collection program with Roatan. through project proposal presented to institute of tourism and USAID. Provide salary to driver; city provides fuel. Taken to municipal dump.
Yellow-head bird will be nominated as island bird to promote the message that environmental conservation is needed for everyone's protection. We need additional funds for this program.
Investigating studies on the Green Iguana as a source of protein. Objective is how to manage the system from hatching to commercial distribution. Similar project exists on the south coast of Honduras.
Roatan Sewage Disposal - uses septic systems build out of concrete. Expect there is bleaching. Honduran government will invest $17 million for island, most will be used for sanitation and to provide government with basic infrastructure needed for tourism.
National Networks: REDES - Red Ecologista Hondurena for Desarollo Sostenible. All the North Coast groups under the REDES umbrella. Executing small programs with them. Main source of funding $20,000 is from Canadian government. Part of Paseo Pantera project - Now creating management plan with Wildlife Conservation Society; now alliances with help from Fundacion Vida (Sandy Bay, Turtle Bay), bird program with Rare Center to execute the programs - one year, $90,000 campaign.
Photos by Kevin C. Loughlin/Wildside Enterprises.
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